Lead Avionics Manufacturing Engineer

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions.

If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it. Role Overview: Northwood Space is looking for a Lead Avionics Manufacturing Engineer to lead the manufacturing engineering team responsible for our avionics production processes. This role will own the manufacturing engineering strategy and execution from SMT assembly through board-level acceptance testing, environmental screening, and final box build.

You will be responsible for developing the manufacturing standards, processes, equipment, and controls required to build reliable avionics hardware at increasing production volumes. You will work closely with Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Production to transition designs into repeatable manufacturing processes and continuously improve those processes as our products and production systems mature.

Responsibilities Lead the manufacturing engineering team responsible for avionics production, including SMT, post-SMT processing, board acceptance testing, thermal cycling, and electromechanical box build. Develop and maintain Northwood’s avionics manufacturing standards, processes, design guidelines, and best practices. Own the development, qualification, and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes across the avionics production flow.

Establish process controls, acceptance criteria, workmanship standards, and manufacturing documentation required to consistently produce high-quality hardware. Lead the selection, implementation, qualification, and improvement of avionics manufacturing equipment and tooling. Partner with design engineering to improve manufacturability, testability, reliability, and production scalability of new avionics designs.

Drive new product introduction from engineering prototypes into controlled production processes. Identify production risks and recurring manufacturing issues and drive them to root cause and corrective action. Define and track key manufacturing metrics such as yield, defect rates, rework, cycle time, and process capability. Develop process validation and qualification strategies for new equipment, materials, and manufacturing methods.

Work with Quality Engineering to establish inspection, process control, traceability, and nonconformance practices appropriate for aerospace hardware. Mentor and develop manufacturing engineers and technicians while establishing strong engineering ownership on the production floor. Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, or a related technical field.

5+ years of experience in electronics or avionics manufacturing engineering. Basic understanding of SMT manufacturing processes, including stencil printing, pick-and-place, reflow, inspection, and process troubleshooting. Experience developing and improving manufacturing processes for PCBAs and electronic assemblies. Experience supporting products through multiple stages of manufacturing, from PCBA fabrication through integration into higher-level assemblies.

Demonstrated ability to lead complex manufacturing problems from initial investigation through implementation of corrective actions. Experience creating manufacturing documentation, process specifications, work instructions, and production controls. Ability to work directly with engineering and production teams in a fast-paced hardware development and manufacturi