Senior Program Manager II - Flatellite

Description

The company builds rockets, spacecraft and critical subsystems, and it is one of the fastest-growing companies in space.

The Space Systems group makes complete spacecraft, precision payloads and components such as solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems and radios.

The group has supported more than 1,700 missions, from interplanetary exploration and in-space manufacturing to national security and defense work, including spacecraft and components for Moon and Mars missions.

Partners include NASA, the Space Development Agency and the U.S. Space Force.

This senior program manager role is based at the company's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA. You will be the lead for high-volume satellite production, owning rate, yield, unit cost and strategic program decisions from prototype maturity through full-rate production.

Responsibilities

• Lead the team that takes satellites at high volume from concept through qualification, full-rate production and flight, and own the technical roadmap that builds the team's core capabilities.
• Run several active programs at once, make architecture decisions with Chief Engineers, and weigh design-for-manufacturing, takt time, line-of-balance and rate-readiness against reliability.
• Work hands-on with the team on the problems that most threaten the production line.
• Build a culture where capable people take sound risks, the best idea wins regardless of source, bold calls are backed, and an intelligent miss is accepted as the price of speed.
• Coach and develop the next generation of program and team leaders.
• Manage high-stakes subcontracts and suppliers as strategic partners, protecting schedule and margin.
• Coordinate manufacturing, supply chain, integration and test, and clear blockers quickly so the team keeps pace and quality stays high.
• Serve as the main contact for assigned commercial constellation operators, and work with BD & Strategy on proposals and technical narratives for the next generation of constellation production.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in physics, math, science or another technical discipline.
• 8+ years of aerospace program management experience.
• A record of owning a technical program, product or team from start to finish under real pressure. Hiring is based on what you have shipped, not on years served.
• Proof that you have taken real hardware and software from prototype to high-rate production, with measured gains in yield, throughput and cost.
• Working understanding of takt time, line-of-balance, design-for-manufacturing and learning-curve economics.
• Experience spotting tooling, supply-chain or yield risks and removing them before they slow the line.
• U.S. citizenship, with the ability to obtain and keep a security clearance.
• Nice to have: a proven approach to moving low-volume prototypes into full-rate production without compromising mission reliability.
• Nice to have: deep experience scaling satellite, aerospace or similar complex hardware to volume.
• Nice to have: a documented history of lowering unit cost at rate without losing reliability.
• Nice to have: a Master's degree in engineering, operations or a related field.
• Nice to have: working fluency in systems engineering, trade studies, interface control and requirement integrity, plus Jira, Confluence and ERP/MRP to keep program health visible.
• Nice to have: multiple program cycles or 8+ years in aerospace or defense. The hardest thing you have shipped counts for more than the number of years.

Conditions

Work is based at the Long Beach, CA headquarters.

The role may require long periods of sitting, standing, walking and computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate noise, dust and fumes in production areas.

Base salary is set case by case, based on job-related knowledge and skills, education and experience. The base pay range for California is $153,000 - $229,500 USD.

For U.S. office roles, you must be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident, a refugee or asylee admitted to the U.S., or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or Department of Commerce, under ITAR export rules.

For New Zealand office roles, background checks, including nationality checks, are completed before any offer. You must be eligible to access ITAR-regulated equipment and data. You may be ineligible if you do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union or a NATO member country, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality.

Benefits

• Company stock as part of total compensation, with an Employee Stock Purchase Program that offers a 15% discount on company stock.
• Medical plans: HMO, PPO, and a zero-cost HDHP with a significant company contribution to the HSA.
• Dental and vision coverage.
• Paid vacation and sick time, plus 11 paid holidays.
• Flexible spending and dependent care accounts.
• Paid parental leave.
• Disability and life insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match.
• Subsidized EV charging.
• Onsite fitness centers where available, and discounted gym memberships.
• Complimentary snacks and beverages.
• 50% employee discount on the company merch store, plus other employee discounts.