Spacecraft Production Control Manager
K2 Space
Los Angeles
K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by over $1 billion in total funding from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, ICONIQ, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and T. Rowe Price — and with over $1 billion in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers, we're mass-producing the highest-power satellite platforms ever built for missions from LEO to deep space.
The rise of heavy-lift launch vehicles is shifting the industry from an era of mass constraint to one of mass abundance, and we believe this new era demands a fundamentally different class of spacecraft. Engineered to survive the harshest radiation environments and to fully capitalize on today's and tomorrow's massive rockets, K2 satellites deliver unmatched capability at constellation scale and across multiple orbits.
With multiple launches in 2027 and plans to scale to 100 satellites a year, we're Building Bigger — helping develop the solar system and build toward a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization. If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you're excited about contributing to the success of a high-growth Series D-funded company, we'd love for you to apply.
The Role
You will own manufacturing scheduling, production coordination, and material readiness across our satellite production work centers. You will build and lead the production control function that decides what we build, when it starts, and whether it is ready. You will own the path from delivery milestones to factory schedule, the systems that drive it, and the team that runs it.
You will work closely with Production Leadership, Supply Chain, Manufacturing Engineering, and Quality to maintain production flow, resolve constraints, and establish scalable systems that support increasing satellite production rates. We're looking for a hands-on manufacturing leader who combines strong production planning experience with a proven ability to build teams, establish processes, and drive accountability in a high velocity fast-paced environment.
Responsibilities
- Own Production Control operations, including manufacturing scheduling, production coordination, work order readiness, and WIP management
- Grow the Production Control team – hire and develop talented team members including Production Schedulers and Production Coordinators
- Own the integrated factory schedule that translates delivery milestones from the program master schedule into rate-based vehicle takt, subassembly starts, and prioritized work order lists for every work center for daily and weekly goals
- Develop hardware allocation scenarios that weigh customer needs, delivery milestones, and quality requirements to align stakeholders on build priority
- Establish manufacturing readiness processes covering material availability, work orders, tooling, labor capacity, and engineering requirements
- Develop production control systems including automated schedules, capacity, and readiness models integrated across MES, Smartsheet, and internal tools
- Monitor MRP (SQL-based) and partner with Supply Chain to resolve shortages and align supplier commitments with manufacturing demand
- Conduct capacity analysis at work center and factory level, recommend staffing, capex, and process recommendations for each rate step
- Establish and monitor KPIs covering schedule attainment, manufacturing readiness, WIP, production flow, and on-time delivery
- Lead root-cause and corrective action for schedule slips across assembly and integration
- Communicate production risks, resource requirements, and recovery plans to the Director of Production and VP of Manufacturing
Qualifications
- 8+ years of experience in production control, scheduling, or production planning in a high volume, rapid production environment in aerospace, defense, or complex hardware manufacturing industries
- 3+ years of experience managing schedulers, planners, or coordinators
- Experience building or scaling a production control or planning function
- Experience owning a factory-level production schedule through a rate ramp
- Deep working knowledge of build trees, BOMs, routings, work orders, MRP/ERP and MES data flow
- Experience building capacity and scheduling models that drive start, staffing, and capex decisions
- Strong floor-presence experience partnering with supervisors, engineering, and leadership
Nice to Have
- Experience in spacecraft, launch vehicle, defense, or complex electromechanical manufacturing
- Experience with production analytics: Smartsheet, SQL, Python, or Power BI tools for shortage monitoring, and schedule automation
- Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, operations research, supply chain, or a related engineering field
Compensation and Benefits:
- Base salary range for this role is $135,000 - $175,000+ equity in the company
- Salary and level will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level
- Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks
If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged!
If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.
Export Compliance
As defined in the ITAR, “U.S. Persons” include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a “U.S. Person.”
The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including the export control regulations outlined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). The person hired for this role must therefore either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.
Equal Opportunity
K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with K2 Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
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