Director of Manufacturing
Orb Aerospace
Full-time
On-site
Lowell, Michigan, United States
Aviation Management
Director of Manufacturing and Procurement
US Citizen or Permanent Resident
In-Person
Starts Immediately
95k-140k Base+ Options and Incentives
Join us in building aircraft at scale, reindustrializing the Midwest, and turning autonomous aircraft into decentralized infrastructureOrb is a small mission-driven team where your initiative, creativity, and dedication will be used to reach every village on the planet with power, air and ground-based logistics, and communications.
Your Role at Orb:
Orb is adding a Director of Manufacturing and Procurement to its team of engineers to build the foundation for mass produced air platforms ranging from 10lbs to 300lbs. We’re looking for someone who can establish a manufacturing organization, implement production processes and standards, interface with the design team, and manage relationships with suppliers. Orb’s goal is to build the world’s most efficient aircraft factory.
Key Responsibilities:
- · Establish and manage relationships with key suppliers in alignment with company objectives and product strategy.
- · Implement near and long-term strategies for facilities, equipment, material and workforce resources to build and maintain manufacturing capabilities and processes.
- · Create plans for operational safety, regulatory compliance, quality assurance, and cost control policies and programs in manufacturing processes aligned with Orbs near and long-term strategies.
- · Perform manufacturing feasibility studies and design feedback on aerospace parts and sub-assemblies with different engineering teams.
- · Lead root cause analysis efforts to quickly resolve any manufacturing and supply chain challenges
- · Guide engineering decisions on cross-functional teams to ensure products are designed for medium to high-volume production.
- · Participate in the hiring process, including recruiting and interviewing employees for Orb’s future manufacturing and supply chain team.
- · Mentor incoming engineers to build a strong culture of leadership and engineering excellence.
Desired Skills and Qualifications:
- · Experience in operations, manufacturing, technology, aerospace, or defense.
- · Willingness to learn new skills in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment.
- · Experience in managing complex value streams and implementing process improvements
- · Experience in manufacturing resource planning, manufacturing systems, quality assurance practices, and supply chain management.
- · Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret data and make data-driven decisions, supported by a deep understanding of engineering first principles.
- · Experience with ERP systems and other supply chain management software.
- · Strong organizational skills, with the ability to build, motivate, and inspire teams, manage conflict, and resolve issues effectively.
- · Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interfacing with partners, suppliers, engineers and employees.
- · Proven experience of supporting a product through its entire lifecycle
- · Proficient in writing technical documents, drawings, and test reports along with associated specs to ensure a repeatable and sustainable manufacturing process.
- · Familiarity with using CAD software (such as Siemens NX, Solidworks, Fusion360)
$95,000 - $140,000 a year
If you’re ready to take ownership, embrace complexity, and thrive in a role where your work truly matters, we’d love to hear from you.
About Orb Aerospace: Orb was started with the mission to bring aviation to the 80% of the world that’s never had it; turning autonomous aircraft into tools to decentralize infrastructure, connect continents, protect soldiers, provide for families, and run economies. “Less like the flying taxis, more like the flying cowboys,” Orb is at the intersection of manned and unmanned aviation, reindustrializing the Midwest, and building the future we know is possible and want to live in.
About Node One: Node One is a small team of engineers and operators who have dedicated their lives to solving some of the world’s hardest problems through a new kind of aviation. Orb’s live-work-fly R&D HQ. Node One is all about reducing the cycle time to design, build, and fly aircraft from years to months and building the systems and platforms we’ll use to reach every village on the planet.
We stand on the shoulders of giants. Their great work allows us to accomplish ours. If you’ve been a rocket/airplane nerd and have a passion for designing, building, and flying airframes, autopilots, power systems, and embedded systems, or you love to push a new product through new manufacturing methods to a new market, come join the team at Node One and make history.
Orb Employees Are:
· High Agency and Biased Towards Action
· Have a History of Self-Starting, Pacing, and Finishing Projects
· Thrive with Autonomy to Design New Solutions to Partially Defined Problems
· Are Curious and Continue Learning
· Can Represent the Company to Stakeholders and Customers Forward Deployed
· Have Integrity and a Desire to Serve Others
Standard Benefits Package:
· Orb provides a monthly flat rate towards medical, dental, and vision
o $500 flat rate for individuals; $850 flat rate for married/family
· Medical, Vision, Dental, Short/Long Term Disability, and Group/Voluntary Life Insurance
· Opt-In 401K Options (Pre-Tax or Roth) with a 3% Employer Match
Perks:
· Support in Getting your Pilots License and Ratings
· Support for Continuing Education
· Annual Customer Demos all over the World
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.