Propulsion Test Team Lead

Intro

• Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe— large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts.Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization. Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.
• As our Propulsion Test Team Lead you will be responsible for testing & fueling our propulsion systems.  You will lead, and continue building, a team of world class propulsion test engineers and technicians.
• Lead a team of Propulsion test engineers and technicians that test satellite propulsion systems, including hiring and managing direct reports.
• Create and enforce quality standards and processes to ensure proper verification of unit-level and system-level hardware. Evaluate non-conformances to determine root cause and create corrective action plans and system improvements
• Manage day-to-day activities of propulsion test, including creating processes for assigning and tracking work across production & development testing programs.
• Create and enforce a culture of safety and quality throughout the workplace.
• Evaluate proposed designs for testability and work closely with design engineering teams on new designs and processes to enable factory output growth targets up to 24 vehicles per year
• Create, maintain and communicate detailed schedules, ensuring your team and other stakeholders are aware of tasks and deadlines, including resource identification and acquisition.
• Own the test infrastructure needed to test our current and next generation propulsion system, including factor layout, safety equipment, and test beds.
• Work hands-on with flight hardware alongside your team to ensure mission success.
• Develop ironbirds (test beds) for doing flight-like development and qualification testing.
• Bachelor's degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering.
• 5+ years of professional experience in a hardware manufacturing or production environment (aerospace preferred).
• Demonstrated ability to manage a lab and/or production facilities, equipment, and operations.
• Proven leadership through project management, mentorship, or people management experience.
• Hands-on experience working with fluid or gas feed systems.
• Ability to use ERP/MES systems for creating procedures, tracking hardware ad builds, and enforcing quality processes.
• Strong communication (written and verbal), organizational skills, and attention to detail.
• Strong fluid systems engineering intuition and critical thinking. Comfort with ambiguity and turning high-level requirements into clear design/test objectives.
• Direct management experience of engineers or technicians
• Experience with fluid and gas system component design.
• Experience designing & maintaining test infrastructure
• Specific experience with low thrust monopropellant, green monopropellant, and electric propulsion systems
• Experience in spacecraft fueling and launch operations.
• Familiarity with AFSPCMAN 91-710 and other Range Safety documentation and requirements