Senior Manager, Manufacturing Operations

About Portal Portal Space Systems is on a mission to expand humanity’s freedom of movement in space. We’re building the spacecraft that makes that mission possible. From our Bothell, WA headquarters, we design vehicles with the maneuverability, resilience, and adaptability needed for the next era of orbital operations. Every system we build is in service of a simple idea: space should be more accessible, responsive, and capable. Joining Portal means stepping into a team that believes in bold engineering, fast iteration, and the power of small groups to change what’s possible. If you want your work to directly shape the future of in-space mobility, join us. We are seeking a hands-on Senior Manager, Manufacturing Operations to build, lead, and scale production operations at our satellite manufacturing facility. This is a foundational leadership role responsible for establishing production processes, developing the production team, and ensuring safe, consistent, and efficient execution as the business transitions from early builds to sustained rate production. Reporting to the VP of Manufacturing, you will own day-to-day production execution, workforce readiness, production planning, and operational performance within the production organization. You will lead production supervisors, team leads, technicians, and other personnel assigned to your organization, establishing the processes, systems, and accountability needed to meet production commitments. You will work closely with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Facilities, Maintenance, and Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) specialists to ensure manufacturing readiness and resolve operational challenges. Engineering will retain responsibility for product design and engineering authority, while Quality and EHS will provide functional expertise and governance within their respective areas. This is a build-and-scale role, not a steady-state operations position. You will balance immediate production needs with the discipline required to establish repeatable processes, develop frontline leaders, and build a production organization capable of supporting increasing manufacturing rates. Key Responsibilities Production Leadership & Execution • Lead the production organization, including assigned supervisors, team leads, technicians, and production coordinators. • Own daily production execution, ensuring build plans, staffing, material availability, and production priorities are aligned with delivery commitments. • Establish clear operating rhythms, including daily production reviews, shift handoffs, escalation paths, and performance reporting. • Monitor production performance, identify constraints, and drive timely resolution of issues affecting safety, quality, schedule, or productivity. • Establish accountability for production targets, employee performance, adherence to standardized work, and continuous improvement. • Provide regular, data-driven updates to the VP of Manufacturing on production performance, risks, resource needs, and recovery plans Manufacturing Readiness & Scale-Up • Lead production readiness and operational launch activities for new manufacturing lines and processes. • Coordinate with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Facilities, and Maintenance to ensure equipment, materials, documentation, and personnel are ready for planned builds. • Establish production flow, workstation layouts, material staging, and work-in-process controls to support efficient and repeatable manufacturing. • Develop production capacity plans, staffing requirements, and shift coverage to support planned manufacturing rates. • Ensure production personnel have approved work instructions, required training, and appropriate tools and equipment before performing assigned tasks. • Coordinate the implementation of engineering changes with Engineering and Quality to ensure approved revisions are incorporated into production. • Identify manufacturing readiness risks and escalate unresolved technical, resource, or infrastructure constraints before they affect production commitments. Workforce Development & Team Performance • Build and develop a capable production team with clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations. • Recruit, onboard, coach, and develop production personnel and frontline leaders as the organization scales. • Identify workforce skill gaps and coordinate training, qualification, certification, and cross-training activities with relevant technical experts and Learning & Development, where applicable. • Establish processes to verify employee competency and readiness for assigned manufacturing tasks. • Develop supervisors and team leads through coaching, performance management, and leadership development. • Foster a culture of safety, quality, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement on the factory floor. Safety, Quality & Standardized Work • Maintain accountability for safe work practices and compliance with applicable safety requirements within production operations. • Partner with EHS specialists to assess production hazards, implement appropriate controls, support incident investigations, and track corrective actions to closure. • Ensure production personnel follow applicable safety procedures, including requirements for lockout/tagout, personal protective equipment, chemical handling, and emergency response. • Partner with Quality and Engineering to ensure production activities follow approved designs, manufacturing processes, inspection requirements, and applicable quality standards. • Establish and maintain standardized operating procedures and work instructions for assembly, integration, test, inspection, and material handling in coordination with Engineering and Quality. • Ensure production personnel use current, approved documentation and complete required training and qualification activities. • Support nonconformance investigations, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and process improvements to prevent recurring issues. • Promote a proactive safety and quality culture through visible leadership, shop-floor engagement, and consistent adherence to established procedures. Operational Excellence & Performance Management • Establish and maintain production performance metrics that provide visibility into safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and manufacturing readiness. • Use structured problem-solving, root cause analysis, and Lean manufacturing principles to improve process consistency and production efficiency. • Identify bottlenecks, reduce unnecessary work-in-process, improve cycle time, and increase production capacity. • Maintain accurate production records and coordinate with relevant system owners to support manufacturing traceability and reliable operational reporting. • Drive corrective and preventive actions based on performance trends, production issues, audit findings, and employee feedback. • Partner with functional teams to implement sustainable improvements without compromising safety, quality, or engineering requirements. Basic Qualifications • 8+ years of progressive manufacturing or production operations experience, including at least 5 years in leadership roles. • At least 2 years of experience leading supervisors, team leads, or other production leaders. • Demonstrated experience establishing new production processes, launching manufacturing lines, or scaling production operations. • Experience managing production schedules, staffing, resource allocation, and operational performance against measurable targets. • Experience implementing standardized work, operating procedures, and production controls. • Working knowledge of manufacturing safety practices, risk management, and quality requirements in a regulated or high-reliability environment. • Proven ability to build, coach, and develop production teams and improve workforce capability. • Experience applying operational metrics, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement methods to improve safety, quality, delivery, or productivity. • Demonstrated ability to collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Facilities, and EHS specialists to resolve production challenges. • Strong communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills in a fast-paced, evolving manufacturing environment. Preferred Qualifications • Experience in satellite, spacecraft, aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability hardware manufacturing. • Experience transitioning products from engineering builds or low-rate initial production to sustained rate production. • Familiarity with AS9100, configuration management, manufacturing traceability, and controlled production documentation. • Experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, and manufacturing performance dashboards. • Experience with production capacity planning, labor forecasting, and manufacturing resource management. • Lean manufacturing, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent continuous improvement training or certification. • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Pay Range $150K - $200K Compensation and Benefits: Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. At Portal, your base salary is just one part of your total rewards package. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company equity at an exciting time of company growth as well as potential bonuses. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k)-retirement plan, paid parental leave, you may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 12 or more paid holidays per year as well as sick time. ITAR Statement This position may involve access to technical data and defense-related materials controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Eligibility to access ITAR-controlled items requires that candidates be U.S. persons, which includes U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and other protected individuals as defined by U.S. law. Employment is contingent upon verification of ITAR eligibility and, where applicable, obtaining any required export authorization or license. Equal Opportunity Statement All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.