Staff NPI Manufacturing Engineer - Comet

The role

You will define and scale the manufacturing strategy for the Comet spacecraft platform. This involves driving manufacturing systems, production methodologies, and factory infrastructure to transition from development builds to high-rate production.

What you will do

• Drive manufacturing strategy and NPI execution for Comet
• Partner with product design and engineering teams for DFM/DFA feedback
• Develop scalable production methodologies for spacecraft manufacturing
• Lead planning and development of new production facilities
• Define manufacturing process flows, assembly strategies, and tooling concepts
• Collaborate with automation engineering teams to implement automation
• Support sourcing, commissioning, validation, and deployment of production equipment
• Partner with supply chain, production, and engineering leadership
• Drive root cause investigations and process improvements
• Establish and maintain manufacturing documentation and process controls

Required qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline
• 8+ years of relevant industry experience in manufacturing engineering, NPI, production development, or factory engineering
• Demonstrated experience scaling complex hardware products from prototype/development builds into production
• Strong understanding of DFM/DFA principles, manufacturing process development, tooling design, and production system architecture
• Experience planning or supporting factory development activities
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing process validation, integration, hardware bring-up, and production troubleshooting
• Experience working cross-functionally with design engineering, supply chain, quality, production, and test organizations
• Strong understanding of configuration control, manufacturing documentation, process qualification, and engineering change management
• Experience with automation systems, production equipment, or advanced manufacturing processes
• Experience in aerospace, satellites, robotics, automotive, or other high complexity hardware industries
• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, ambiguous development environments with high ownership and autonomy
• Excellent communication and technical leadership skills

Benefits

• Equity in Apex
• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents
• $100k life insurance at no cost
• Starting at 15 days vacation, growing to 20+ days annually
• 10 paid holidays
• 100% match on first 3% and 50% on next 2% 401(k) matching
• 8 weeks paid parental leave
• Childcare reimbursement up to $350/day for work-related travel
• Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks
• Monthly office socials, pickleball tournaments, run club, and gatherings
• Dream desk setup

Before you apply

• Must qualify as a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or individual granted asylum) or be able to obtain required export authorizations

About the company

Apex manufactures satellite buses at scale using software, vertical integration, and hardware designed for manufacturing. The company is a fast-growing startup that has raised more than $500M in funding.