Senior Program Manager — Manufacturing & Strategic Initiatives
Job Location:
Austin, TX - USA
Monthly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
Job Summary
CesiumAstro is seeking a Senior Program Manager Manufacturing & Strategic Initiatives to lead production readiness industrialization efforts and operational capability buildout across the companys rapidly expanding manufacturing and strategic initiatives portfolio.
This role is responsible for converting new and expanded infrastructure into fully operational manufacturing capability. Responsibilities include manufacturing ramp execution equipment commissioning production system integration throughput scaling and execution of strategic initiatives that expand CesiumAstros operational and industrial capabilities.
The Senior Program Manager will serve as a key operational integrator across Manufacturing Engineering Supply Chain Operations Quality and executive leadership to ensure new production capabilities come online aligned to schedule demand and long-term company strategy.
This role is highly execution-oriented and is focused on ensuring facilities transition rapidly and effectively from infrastructure delivery into stable scalable production environments. The ideal candidate combines strong manufacturing leadership industrialization experience and operational systems thinking with the ability to lead complex cross-functional programs.
Manufacturing Ramp & Production Readiness
- Lead manufacturing activation efforts across new and expanded sites.
- Drive equipment installation commissioning qualification and production readiness activities.
- Develop and execute production ramp plans from first article through rate production.
- Define manufacturing flows operational layouts staffing strategies and production readiness milestones.
- Ensure manufacturing capability aligns with product roadmap forecasted demand and operational objectives.
Industrialization & Strategic Initiatives
- Lead industrialization of existing and future manufacturing capabilities.
- Execute strategic initiatives including insourcing efforts operational expansion programs and manufacturing capability development.
- Support development of scalable production systems capable of supporting high-rate manufacturing.
- Coordinate strategic operational initiatives tied to international expansion and manufacturing partnerships
Cross-Functional Integration & Operational Problem Solving
- Operate as a senior operational integrator capable of solving multiple simultaneous manufacturing operational and strategic execution challenges.
- Rapidly identify bottlenecks impacting production readiness throughput staffing supply chain commissioning or manufacturing scale.
- Develop practical execution solutions under aggressive timelines and changing business priorities.
- Navigate ambiguity across engineering manufacturing supply chain operations and strategic initiatives while maintaining forward progress.
- Balance near-term production needs with long-term industrialization and scalability objectives.
- Anticipate operational risks before they materialize and proactively drive mitigation strategies.
Cross-Functional Integration
- Coordinate closely with Engineering Manufacturing Supply Chain Quality and Operations teams.
- Ensure operational requirements are integrated into facility and infrastructure planning activities.
- Identify and resolve bottlenecks impacting throughput production readiness or operational scalability.
- Drive alignment between production systems manufacturing readiness and downstream operational requirements.
Program Management & Operational Performance
- Develop and maintain integrated execution schedules operational readiness plans and risk mitigation strategies.
- Monitor production readiness metrics throughput targets operational KPIs and ramp performance.
- Provide executive-level reporting on readiness schedule performance manufacturing risk and capability delivery.
- Escalate major operational risks and execution issues with mitigation recommendations
Continuous Improvement & Scale
- Support development of repeatable industrialization and manufacturing activation methodologies.
- Drive continuous improvement across manufacturing systems and operational workflows.
- Help establish operational governance structures and readiness standards as the organization scales.
- Mentor future program and operational staff as the team expands.
- Minimum 1215 years of experience in manufacturing industrialization operations or program leadership.
- Bachelor of Science (BS) or Master of Science (MS) degree in Engineering Operations Manufacturing Industrial Engineering or related technical field or equivalent.
- Proven experience leading manufacturing ramp and operational activation efforts.
- Experience scaling production in complex hardware aerospace defense semiconductor automotive or high-reliability manufacturing environments.
- Experience managing cross-functional and decentralized teams.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing systems operational readiness industrialization and production scaling.
- Experience developing integrated execution schedules and managing interdependent operational programs.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced highly collaborative startup environment.
- Aerospace defense semiconductor automotive or advanced manufacturing facility experience.
- Experience supporting production or manufacturing ramp environments.
- Experience executing greenfield or large-scale manufacturing expansions.
- Familiarity with industrial utilities clean environments or high-reliability production systems.
- Experience with production system design factory activation or new line commissioning.
- Experience supporting vertically integrated manufacturing environments.
Required Experience:
Manager
About Company
CesiumAstro builds high-throughput, software-defined phased array communication payloads for airborne and in-orbit platforms.
