Virgin Galactic is seeking an experienced and inspired Manager of Manufacturing Operations to lead manufacturing execution for our Rocket Motor production. Guided by our values, “Safety above All”, we proactively manage the risks inherent in human spaceflight through our daily actions in the design and assembly efforts.
This position will lead a multi-tier team, including associate managers, supervisors, leads, and technicians across multiple facilities/departments. This role will own the manufacturing build plan and execution strategy for our spaceflight systems/vehicles and will serve as Manufacturing’s voice to Program Leadership. You will partner closely with multiple Program Managers, schedulers, engineering, and other cross-functional departments to deliver programs safely, on time, and on budget while ensuring compliance with company’s policies, procedures and overall objectives.
Work Schedule: Thursday - Monday Day Schedule
As an exempt position, the Manufacturing Manager may be required to work outside of the technician shift schedule
Responsibilities
Planning, scheduling, coordinating, and executing all aspects of our manufacturing operation, along with budget, headcount, and labor deployment for the program
Create manufacturing build plans, and own their development, implementation, and maintenance for the program
Lead project planning, recovery plans, and build execution for project and program deliverables
Provide a clear plan of action for the Program and translate program strategy into actionable priorities for the Manufacturing team
Work with multiple Program Managers to deliver the project safely, on time, and on budget
Report program status, risk assessment, and other metrics to Program Leadership to support short-term and long-term goals
Communicate scheduling setbacks; develop and implement recovery plans with engineering/manufacturing to provide conflict resolution
Oversee efforts between all manufacturing and engineering functions to properly support the build schedule by identifying tooling, materials, resources, planning, and product definition to ensure a seamless transition from paper to reality
Partner with production control and planning to assure assembly flow is supported by all functions and to implement agile response strategies for rapid project adjustments
Influence technical projects, technicians, and inter-departmental functions to achieve goals and solve problems
Help manage budgets for programs and departments within the Manufacturing organization
Own labor deployment, headcount management, and development of annual labor resource forecasts in alignment with the build schedule and in collaboration with program stakeholders to support the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS)
Define technical training requirements and ensure team members are trained and qualified to perform their work
Drive Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) efforts and Lean/continuous improvement initiatives to improve safety, quality, schedule, and cost
Drive safety behavior and enforce Foreign Object Debris (FOD) awareness/prevention; ensure adherence to regulatory protocols and rules
Coaches, trains, and transfers expertise to the team to drive projects to completion Ensure work deliverables are prioritized based on production schedule, organizational goals, and metrics, with clearly defined roles and accountability
Required Skills and Experience
Relevant education, such as a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or a related field; trade school or Associate’s degree with equivalent technical work experience will be considered
Minimum of eight years’ experience in an aerospace or equivalent high-reliability field, with five years of leading supervisors, leads, and multidisciplinary technical teams
Demonstrated leadership experience with production, assembly, and systems integration teams, ideally in an aerospace and/or manufacturing environment
Experience in Manufacturing Leadership, Manufacturing Program/Project…