Production Strategy & Transformation Leader

Production Strategy & Transformation Leader

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the only company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space. This position will sit at our Rocket Ranch in Briggs, Texas.

The Leader of Production Strategy & Transformation is responsible for driving production capacity planning, process improvement, and operational efficiency initiatives across the organization. This strategic leader will ensure the alignment of capacity with customer demand while embedding a culture of continuous improvement and lean practices throughout operations. The role requires close collaboration with cross-functional teams including Engineering, Production, Supply Chain, Quality, and Program Management to deliver high-quality, on-time and cost-effective aerospace products.

Responsibilities:

• Lead capacity planning processes across production teams to ensure alignment with current and future demand forecasts.
• Implement and oversee Lean, Six Sigma, and other Operational Excellence methodologies to improve quality, throughput and process efficiency with factory industrial engineering.
• Conduct detailed analyses of production capabilities, bottlenecks, and constraints; recommend and implement corrective actions.
• Partner with Production, Engineering, and Supply Chain teams to drive cross-functional improvement initiatives.
• Develop and monitor KPIs related to capacity utilization, OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), lead time reduction, quality and cost savings.
• Support capital investment planning to expand or optimize production capacity as needed.
• Serve as a change agent to instill a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence at all levels of the organization.
• Ensure compliance with aerospace industry standards and regulatory requirements (e.g., AS9100, FAA, EASA).
• Present improvement plans and results to senior leadership, with clear ROI and operational impact.

Qualifications:

Required:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred).
• 7+ years of experience in aerospace manufacturing, engineering, or operations roles.
• Proven experience in capacity planning and operational excellence leadership.
• Lean Six Sigma certification (Black Belt preferred).

Skills & Competencies:

• Deep understanding of aerospace manufacturing processes and regulatory standards.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills.
• Expertise in lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage complex projects.
• Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems and data analytics tools (e.g., Power BI, Excel, SQL).
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.

Desired:

• Experience working in multi-site or global manufacturing environments.
• Familiarity with Industry 4.0 and digital manufacturing technologies.
• Project Management certification (e.g., PMP) is a plus.

Work Environment:

• Office-based with heavy interaction with manufacturing facilities.
• May require occasional travel to other sites or suppliers.

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short term disability, and flexible PTO options.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.