Lead Manufacturing Engineer

Lead Manufacturing Engineer

About Manastu

Manastu Space is a Space Safety and Logistics company focused on making space safe, sustainable, and accessible. We develop technologies to address critical challenges such as space debris mitigation and green propulsion, enabling safer satellite operations and long-term sustainability of the space ecosystem.

Website: https://www.manastuspace.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/manastu-space/

Email: [email protected]

Role Overview

The Lead Manufacturing Engineer is a senior technical and managerial role at Manastu Space, responsible for owning the end-to-end manufacturability of propulsion hardware — from design sign-off to vendor delivery and shop floor execution. This role leads the manufacturing engineering team, sets technical standards, and acts as the primary interface between Manufacturing, Design, QA, and Procurement.

Location: Mumbai, India

Key Responsibilities

1. Design for Manufacturability (DFM)

• Own DFM sign-off for all thruster and injector designs; set team-wide DFM standards and guidelines.
• Approve design iterations from a manufacturability standpoint before release to production.

2. Manufacturing Process Planning

• Approve all manufacturing process plans; define machining strategy direction for complex and critical parts.
• Standardize process plan templates across the team; resolve escalated process planning issues.
• Review and sign off on setup sheets and work instructions before use on the shop floor.

3. Vendor Management

• Own vendor relationships, performance monitoring, and vendor selection decisions.
• Lead RFQ process and conduct periodic vendor audits and technical reviews.
• Manage critical delivery escalations; lead vendor visits for strategic and critical parts.
• Approve and sign off on outsourced parts before they enter the production flow.

4. Quality & Inspection Oversight

• Define inspection strategy for critical propulsion parts; sign off on FAI and non-conformance dispositions.
• Interface with QA leadership on quality standards; drive root cause analysis for systemic defects.
• Review and approve corrective action plans; track closure of open defects.

5. Rapid Prototyping & R&D Support

• Prioritize and plan rapid prototyping cycles; decide on alternate manufacturing methods (EDM, additive manufacturing, etc.).
• Align R&D timelines with manufacturing readiness; allocate team resources for design iterations.

6. Documentation & Traceability

• Establish and enforce documentation standards; own document control and version management system.
• Ensure traceability framework for all critical propulsion components; review and approve critical documents.

7. Cross-Functional Leadership

• Represent Manufacturing in design reviews and program reviews; act as single point of contact for manufacturing escalations.
• Align with Design, QA, and Procurement leadership; manage team workload and prioritization.

8. Cost Reduction & Continuous Improvement

• Own team-level cost reduction targets; identify and prioritize high-impact manufacturing improvement projects.
• Approve design and process changes for cost reduction; report efficiency metrics to HoD.

9. Safety, Standards & Compliance

• Own safety culture and compliance for the manufacturing team; lead safety reviews for new processes and equipment.
• Ensure team adherence to aerospace and propulsion industry standards (AS9100D); interface with EHS function.

Skills & Requirements

• 8-10 years of manufacturing engineering experience, preferably in aerospace, defence, or space propulsion.
• Expert-level CNC machining knowledge (VMC & CNC turning) — strategy definition, approvals, and escalation resolution.
• Proven team leadership and cross-functional management capability (mandatory).
• Strong GD&T proficiency — able to review, interpret, and approve complex engineering drawings and tolerance specifications.
• Vendor management experience: audit execution, RFQ ownership, and supplier performance management.
• Working knowledge of high-temperature and exotic materials (Inconel, stainless steel alloys) for process approvals and standard-setting.
• Strategic understanding of flow-critical geometries for injector orifices and channels.

h.B.E. / B.Tech in Mechanical or Production Engineering; M.Tech / MBA is a plus.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Technically strong leader who balances deep manufacturing expertise with the ability to manage people, vendors, and cross-functional priorities.
• Decisive and accountable — comfortable owning sign-offs, approvals, and escalations with full responsibility.
• Systems thinker who can see beyond individual parts to set standards and frameworks that scale with the team.
• Passionate about precision manufacturing for space applications and motivated by Manastu's mission.