Production Manager, Blades and Vanes Foundry at SpaceX
- In Bastrop, TX.
SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars. PRODUCTION MANAGER, BLADES AND VANES FOUNDRY As a Production Manager, you will lead and scale high-performance teams responsible for standing up and operating an industrial gas turbine (IGT) blades and vanes foundry — from core manufacturing and casting operations, through machining, coating, and final inspection, in a single linear production line under one roof. You will hire and develop the team that will run the foundry and contribute to strategic decisions on facility design, process flow, equipment, and activation. This role requires close collaboration with engineering, supply chain, operations, and leadership to solve problems quickly in a demanding, fast-paced manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate is motivated by building a world-class, vertically integrated foundry from the ground up. RESPONSIBILITIES: Hire, lead, and mentor a team of supervisors, specialists, technicians and machinists to perform blades and vanes foundry operations (core manufacturing, wax pattern, investment casting, leaching, heat treat, machining, coating, final tests and inspections, etc.) Support factory activation, new product introductions, line expansions, and facility upgrades; contribute to strategic decision-making for foundry design and bringing the facility online Ensure a strong focus is placed on safety and maintain an excellent safety record Create and enforce training and career development paths to ensure timely product delivery, boost in quality, and reduction in lead time/cost Define and enforce operational standards with strict accountability Drive continuous improvement in manufacturing processes, procedures, quality, and rate Collaborate with development, test, quality, and leadership to align long-term goals & resolve complex issues Challenge requirements and legacy assumptions to establish a streamlined manufacturing environment Ensure compliance with industry standards (e.g. ISO, AS9100, NADCAP) and SpaceX safety protocols, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, operational excellence & high-performance Mentor and develop team members, conduct performance reviews, to maintain a world-class manufacturing organization Own sustained CapEx, headcount, and capacity planning for foundry operations BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor’s degree in engineering or STEM discipline; OR 5+ years of professional leadership experience in a manufacturing environment 5+ years of production operations or process development experience 3+ years of experience in a leadership position PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: Experience in investment casting / IGT blades and vanes (or similar high-temperature superalloy foundry operations) Experience leading New Product Introduction to volume production Experience with the equipment and ancillary support systems used across a full foundry value stream (core, wax, casting, leaching, heat treat, machining, coating, NDT/inspection) Experience with equipment qualification, validation, and troubleshooting in a production foundry or controlled manufacturing environment Advanced degree in engineering or technical discipline Experience building out a multidisciplinary production organization Experience leading multi-level production operations teams with 50+ members Excellent communication skills, with experience presenting technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders Experience in implementing/sustaining quality management systems (e.g. …