Director of Industrial Management (Aerospace Manufacturing)

Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; on-site

Company

Orbitworks is a commercial space-systems manufacturer building and industrializing satellite production in the United Arab Emirates.

What you will do

• Integrate Operations functions including AIT, QA, Facilities, Supply Chain, Manufacturing Engineering, and Test.
• Translate company milestones into Operations strategies, execution roadmaps, and capacity models.
• Lead operations programs against cost, schedule, quality, and readiness targets.
• Manage material, tooling, and workforce capacity for high-mix, mid-volume satellite and avionics production.
• Build and lead a cross-functional Operations program team while coaching functional leaders.
• Deploy lean manufacturing, digital tools, standardized processes, and lessons-learned practices to support scale-up.

Requirements

• 12–15+ years of Operations or Manufacturing leadership experience in space, aerospace, avionics, or another high-reliability industry.
• Experience with mid-volume, high-mix production involving satellites, avionics systems, or complex electromechanical hardware.
• Strong operational management, planning, capacity planning, industrial engineering, and material-flow expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to align multiple technical functions and influence senior stakeholders without direct authority.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or an Operations-related field such as Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or Aerospace Engineering.
• Experience with ERP/MRP, PLM, digital manufacturing systems, and data flows.

Nice to have

• Advanced degree such as an MBA, MSc, or equivalent.

Culture & Benefits

• Work in a space company transitioning from startup operations to industrialized manufacturing.
• Help establish the operational backbone for manufacturing tens of satellites annually.
• Operate from a 50,000-square-foot satellite manufacturing facility in Abu Dhabi.
• Build a culture of accountability, autonomy, systems thinking, and continuous improvement.
• Artificial intelligence tools may support parts of the hiring process, with final decisions made by humans.