Airframe Manufacturing Lead

Department: Manufacturing

Location: San Francisco

Compensation: $165K – $210K

Employment Type: FullTime

ABOUT US:

Astro Mechanica is a vertically integrated aerospace company building a faster, more connected future. Our mission is to democratize high-speed flight by making supersonic travel flexible, accessible, and sustainable. We believe that rapid, on-demand, point-to-point global mobility will become the new standard for moving people and goods across the planet. To achieve this, we are integrating our advanced airframe and engine technologies—which include Duality™, our proprietary dual-use propulsion system—with a new flight operations model to make supersonic transport as efficient and economical as commercial air travel is today. In the near term, we are developing adaptable, high-speed systems to close aircraft performance gaps for the United States government.

WHO WE ARE:

We’re a team of passionate engineers dedicated to advancing aerospace. We’re generalists with specialist depth, united by a flat structure and a shared obsession with building things that work well. We move fast, stay pragmatic, and let engineering excellence speak louder than hierarchy.

WHO YOU ARE:

• A hands-on airframe manufacturing leader with deep expertise in composite structures and bonded assemblies

• Comfortable building a manufacturing function from the ground up—facilities, processes, tooling, and teams

• A tactical leader who thrives on the shop floor, leading by example and mentoring technicians through complex builds

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

You will own Astro Mechanica’s supersonic plane build. Working with our Director of Manufacturing, you’ll lead a team turning designs into real hardware, making sure parts get built, assemblies come together, and problems get solved efficiently as the airplane takes shape.

• Work with senior engineering leadership to stand up Astro Mechanica’s airframe manufacturing function from scratch, including facilities, workflows, tooling concepts, and technician teams

• Own day-to-day operations of in-house airframe manufacturing, with a focus on composite structures and assemblies

• Work directly with the airframe engineering and design teams to translate designs, analyses, and requirements into executable manufacturing plans

• Partner closely with senior engineering leadership to align manufacturing strategy with program goals, schedules, and technical risk reduction

• Lead, schedule, and develop composite technicians and fabricators while maintaining a strong hands-on presence on the shop floor

• Supervise and coordinate layup, bonding, curing, trimming, assembly, and rework activities to meet aggressive development milestones

• Establish and continuously improve work instructions, build sequences, tooling approaches, and process documentation

• Ensure safe and effective operation of composite manufacturing equipment including autoclaves, ovens, freezers, layup tools, trimming equipment, and inspection tools

• Drive a culture of quality, accountability, and pride in workmanship across the airframe manufacturing team

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• 10+ years of experience in high-mix, low-volume composite manufacturing, prototyping, or airframe fabrication, preferably in aerospace or defense

• Strong hands-on knowledge of composite materials and processes (prepreg layup, wet layup, bonding, curing, trimming, and repair)

• Strong hands-on knowledge of metallic materials and processing

• Practical experience working with metallic airframe components and composite-to-metal interfaces

• Experience building or scaling manufacturing operations, labs, or shops in a development or flight hardware environment

• Proven ability to lead and mentor technicians while staying deeply engaged in the technical details

• Ability to work directly from engineering drawings, ply books, CAD models, and evolving build definitions

• Familiarity with aerospace quality standards, inspection practices, and documentation for flight and test hardware

• Practical, execution-focused leadership style with comfort navigating ambiguity and rapid change

• Ambition to build real flight hardware in a fast-moving, high-accountability environment

PERKS & BENEFITS:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

• 401(k) program and transparent stock option plan

• Self-managed and flexible time-off policy, including PTO, paid holidays, and sick time

• Flexible work environment

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

At Astro Mechanica, we highly value in-office work to foster collaboration and strengthen our company culture. We consider working in the office five days a week an essential part of the employee's role.

Astro Mechanica is an equal opportunity employer. We proudly recruit and hire a diverse workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.