Head of Manufacturing

Company Overview
Fortastra designs and delivers resilient, high-performance spacecraft that safeguard critical orbital assets and ensure freedom of action in space. We integrate advanced autonomy, sensing, and control into systems engineered for reliability, speed, and scale. Our culture values simplicity, accountability, and disciplined execution. We expect leaders to think systemically, act decisively, and take ownership of mission outcomes. Aggressive innovation. Disciplined execution. Strength among the stars.

Team / Department
You will lead Fortastra’s Manufacturing function within the Engineering Division, owning production strategy, manufacturing readiness, and hardware build execution across our spacecraft portfolio.

The Role
Fortastra is seeking a Head of Manufacturing to lead the company’s manufacturing strategy and production execution in support of rapidly developing autonomous spacecraft systems. This is a hands-on leadership role focused on building scalable manufacturing capabilities alongside active spacecraft development. You will work closely with engineering to develop production processes, tooling, and integration flows while spacecraft designs are still evolving. The ideal candidate thrives in fast-paced environments where manufacturing and product development occur in parallel.

Key Responsibilities

• Own manufacturing strategy and production readiness across spacecraft programs
• Develop manufacturing processes, build flows, tooling, and production infrastructure alongside active hardware development
• Partner closely with engineering to improve manufacturability, scalability, and integration efficiency
• Establish production planning, work instructions, quality controls, and manufacturing standards
• Lead spacecraft assembly, integration, and test execution activities
• Identify and resolve manufacturing bottlenecks, process risks, and production inefficiencies
• Support supplier coordination and hardware readiness in partnership with Supply Chain
• Drive prototype-to-production transition planning across spacecraft systems and subsystems
• Build and lead a high-performing manufacturing organization as the company scales
• Act as the primary operational authority for manufacturing execution and production planning

Qualifications and Skills 

• B.S. or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in aerospace, spacecraft, aviation, robotics, or other high-reliability hardware manufacturing environments
• Demonstrated experience supporting hardware development programs from prototype through production
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, assembly integration, tooling, and production planning
• Experience operating in fast-paced development environments with evolving hardware designs and shifting priorities
• Proven ability to work closely with engineering teams to improve manufacturability and production scalability
• Experience establishing manufacturing processes, work instructions, and production standards
• Strong organizational, execution, and cross-functional leadership skills
• Familiarity with aerospace quality systems, traceability, and configuration-controlled environments preferred

Requirements

• On-site role (no remote or hybrid arrangements)
• U.S. Citizenship required
• Ability to obtain or hold an active TS/SCI clearance desired

Why Fortastra?
Join a small, high-impact team building the next generation of autonomous orbital control systems for national security space. At Fortastra, leaders own outcomes — from first principles through flight — and directly shape the future of resilient, mission-critical spacecraft autonomy.