Avionics Manufacturing Team Lead

Here at The Exploration Company, we are developing, producing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable space orbital vehicle that can eventually be refuelled in orbit and that can carry cargo - and potentially humans in the longer run. The Avionics Manufacturing Team Lead will be responsible for managing a team of technicians to assemble, integrate, and test avionics equipment for the Nyx spacecraft, ensuring that schedule, quality, and process discipline are maintained at every stage of production. Key Responsibilities - Team Management & Daily Operations - Lead and coordinate a team of avionics technicians across assembly, integration, and test activities. - Plan, prioritise, and assign weekly tasks to meet programme milestones. - Conduct regular team meetings and maintain a visible schedule to track progress and flag risks early. - Serve as the first point of escalation for technical and workload issues within the team. - Be available for the team to help and solve problems in the workshop (avionics lab) - Schedule & Quality Control - Maintain a detailed short-term production schedule, tracking task completion against plan. - Enforce quality standards throughout the assembly and integration process, ensuring deliverables meet defined acceptance criteria. - Balance throughput and quality, escalating trade-offs to engineering management when necessary. - Manufacturing Process Definition - Define, document, and continuously improve manufacturing and assembly procedures for avionics equipment. - Develop work instructions, and test procedures in coordination with design and quality engineers. - Identify process bottlenecks and implement solutions to increase build efficiency without compromising quality. - Interface with Design & Engineering Teams - Act as the primary manufacturing interface to avionics design engineers, translating design intent into executable production tasks. - Participate in design reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR) and provide manufacturing readiness inputs. - Documentation & Compliance - Ensure all manufacturing activities are fully documented and traceable. - Maintain build records, non-conformance reports, and configuration control logs. - Ensure compliance with applicable space-grade standards (ECSS, NASA-STD) and internal quality procedures. Required Qualifications - Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field. - Minimum 4–6 years of hands-on experience in electronics or avionics assembly, integration, and test. - Demonstrated experience managing or leading a team of technicians in a production or integration environment. - Proven ability to maintain schedule adherence under pressure while upholding high quality standards. - Strong understanding of avionics systems and electronics assembly processes (PCB assembly, harness routing, connector crimping, conformal coating, etc.). - Experience defining and writing manufacturing procedures, work instructions, and test protocols. - Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, assembly drawings, and ICD documents. - Fluent in English; strong communication skills for cross-functional coordination. German languange is big plus. Desirable Skills - Previous experience in the space, defence, or aerospace sector. - Familiarity with ECSS/NASA standards and derating practices for space hardware. - Experience with quality management systems such as EN9100 or ISO 9001 — knowledge of audits, NCR processes, and quality gates is a strong plus. - Knowledge of environmental testing requirements: vibration, thermal vacuum, EMC. - Experience interfacing with design teams during early-stage product development. Why you should join us! What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is: - We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind - We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can…