Senior Manager, Test Operations
Core
Lead and scale Test Operations for spacecraft and subsystem production, overseeing technicians, staffing, shift coverage, and operational execution to support growing production volumes.
Role type
Senior Manager, Test Operations
Builds
Scalable test operations infrastructure, repeatable production processes, and workforce models for spacecraft manufacturing.
Domain
Aerospace / Spacecraft Manufacturing
Required skills
Team leadership, workforce planning, shift operations, process standardization, capacity modeling, cross-functional partnership, operational metrics management, continuous improvement, safety compliance, hardware handling.
Preferred skills
I&T operations, high-rate satellite production, multi-shift management, technician qualification programs, EGSE/tooling design, environmental testing, MES/digital work instructions, Lean/Six Sigma, production readiness processes.
Technologies
EGSE, MES, production dashboards, environmental test equipment (vibration, TVAC)
Responsibilities
Lead and develop Spacecraft and Subsystems Test Technicians and technical leads. Establish staffing plans, shift coverage, skill matrices, and technician development paths. Set daily operational priorities and drive consistent execution across teams and shifts. Build a culture of safety, accountability, quality, and ownership of flight hardware. Own day-to-day execution of spacecraft and subsystem test operations. Ensure tests are performed using approved procedures, configurations, tooling, and acceptance criteria. Partner with Test Engineering to transition new or immature tests into stable production operations. Identify and resolve operational constraints, bottlenecks, and resource conflicts. Develop and implement the operating model required to scale test operations with production volume. Establish repeatable processes, standard work, training, and qualification requirements. Develop capacity and labor models for stations, equipment, shifts, and future production demand. Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing to design test infrastructure, stations, EGSE, tooling, and facilities for scalable production. Identify opportunities to reduce test cycle time, improve utilization, and increase throughput. Support the transition of new spacecraft platforms, subsystems, and test capabilities into production. Build organizational capability through cross-training, workforce planning, and scalable team structures. Establish and manage metrics for throughput, cycle time, utilization, schedule adherence, rework, and test capacity. Drive daily management and continuous improvement across Test Operations. Use operational data to identify constraints and prioritize investments in people, equipment, and infrastructure. Support MRR, TRR, and production readiness activities. Ensure operational readiness for new programs, facilities, test stations, and production lines.
Seniority
Senior Manager, hands-on leadership
