Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Thermal Protection Systems, High-Speed Missiles
$146,000–$194,000 year
On-siteCosta Mesa, California, United States
Job Summary
Design, commission, and optimize assembly lines, work cells, and floor layouts for hypersonic missile programs. Collaborate with design engineers to drive Design for Manufacturing and Assembly, ensuring vehicles are optimized for high-rate production. Develop and scale manufacturing processes for exotic materials, advanced composites, thermal protection systems, and high-performance propulsion integration. Architect, procure, and qualify custom assembly tooling, fixtures, and automated equipment to increase throughput. Lead the transition of hardware from first-article prototyping through low-rate initial production to mature, high-rate manufacturing. Troubleshoot and resolve complex engineering and production anomalies on the shop floor. Create and maintain work instructions, manufacturing bills of materials, routing, and quality documentation. Requires B.S. or M.S. in engineering, 8+ years of experience, and active U.S. Security clearance eligibility.
Required Qualifications
- B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or a related STEM discipline
- Hands-on experience working with High-Temperature Materials (e.g., Carbon-Carbon, Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs), ablatives, or high-temperature insulation/tiles)
- Direct experience leading or supporting the qualification of aerospace-grade materials, including defining test plans (thermal, mechanical, and environmental testing) and executing to aerospace/defense standards
- Experience developing, scaling, and documenting manufacturing processes for TPS components (e.g., layup, curing, pyrolysis, densification, machining, or bonding/integration)
- Willingness to travel periodically (<20%) to support global manufacturing operations
- Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities
- Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Security clearance
- 8+ years of experience working in manufacturing or related field
Desired Qualifications
- Prior experience specifically working on hypersonic flight vehicles, re-entry vehicles, rocket nozzles, or space capsule thermal shields
- Familiarity with high-temperature material testing methods (e.g., arc-jet testing, oxy-acetylene torch testing, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), or laser-heating tests)
- Deep understanding of high-temperature adhesives, mechanical fasteners, and integration techniques used to attach TPS to metallic or composite airframe structures
- Experience working with external material suppliers and test facilities to source, qualify, and scale raw materials and specialized manufacturing processes
- Familiarity with NDE methods used for composite/TPS inspection, such as ultrasound, thermography, or X-ray/CT scanning
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