Responsibilities
- Lead day-to-day prototype build and integration efforts, ensuring adherence to technical specifications, quality standards, and timeline expectations.
- Coordinate with Program Management to define build schedules, resource requirements, and milestone objectives for prototype and pre-series phases.
- Drive workforce readiness and training plans, ensuring operational teams are prepared for new product introduction (NPI) and start of production (SOP).
- Plan and execute pre-series builds, working cross-functionally to test systems, validate tooling, and trial materials and process controls.
- Develop and manage launch-readiness dashboards, integrating quality, material, process, and personnel readiness metrics.
- Partner with Design Engineering to iterate and refine products through build-test-learn cycles ahead of production release.
- Manage risk and issue resolution throughout launch phases, implementing mitigation strategies to keep development and ramp timelines on track.
- Support field testing events and serve as the interface between prototype activities and operations scale-up efforts.
- Maintain ongoing communication with leadership and stakeholders to provide visibility into readiness status, challenges, and production forecasts.
Requirements
- Bachelorβs degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related technical field.
- 10+ years of experience in aerospace or advanced manufacturing, with at least 5 years leading prototype, launch, or new product introduction activities.
- Proven experience managing prototype builds and bringing new hardware products into production.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing readiness processes including workforce planning, tooling validation, and material coordination.
- Excellent project management and problem-solving skills; able to coordinate across multiple functions under tight development schedules.
- Effective leadership and communication skills with a track record of team development and stakeholder engagement.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced degree in engineering or related technical discipline.
- PMP certification or equivalent training in production launch, program management, or operational readiness.
