Production Manager - Aerospace & Defense Flight Hardware

ZYCI is a rapidly growing precision manufacturing company serving some of the most innovative aerospace, defense, space, robotics, and advanced technology companies in the world. We manufacture complex flight-critical components and assemblies for rockets, satellites, missile systems, launch vehicles, propulsion systems, robotics, and next-generation aerospace platforms.

We are seeking an experienced Production Manager with a proven track record leading the production of flight hardware in a regulated aerospace or defense environment.

This is not a high-volume consumer products role. We are looking for a leader who understands what it takes to deliver mission-critical hardware where quality, traceability, configuration control, and on-time delivery are non-negotiable.

What You'll Do

• Lead daily production operations across CNC machining, inspection, finishing, and assembly.
• Drive on-time delivery of flight hardware for aerospace, defense, and space customers.
• Manage production schedules, capacity planning, labor allocation, and workflow optimization.
• Ensure compliance with customer, regulatory, and internal quality requirements.
• Partner closely with Project Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing Engineering teams.
• Develop and maintain production processes capable of supporting both NPI and recurring production programs.
• Establish production metrics, monitor performance, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead and develop supervisors, team leads, and production personnel.
• Support customer audits, production readiness reviews, and program ramp-ups.

Required Experience

• 10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience in aerospace, defense, space, or other highly regulated industries.
• Direct experience producing flight hardware for rockets, satellites, missile systems, aircraft, propulsion systems, or similar mission-critical applications.
• Demonstrated experience managing production environments requiring:
• Full material traceability
• Serialization and lot control
• Configuration management
• AS9100 quality systems
• First Article Inspection (AS9102)
• Process documentation and revision control
• Nonconformance and corrective action processes
• Strong understanding of machine shop operations, precision machining, inspection, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience transitioning programs from prototype/NPI into recurring production.

Preferred Experience

• Experience supporting customers such as SpaceX, Boeing Defense, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, L3Harris, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, Relativity, Varda, Anduril, or similar organizations.
• Familiarity with ERP/MES systems and paperless manufacturing environments.
• Experience leading production teams in a fast-growth manufacturing organization.
• Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement experience.

What Success Looks Like

The ideal candidate understands that producing flight hardware is fundamentally different from producing commercial products. They appreciate the importance of:

• Zero ambiguity in traceability
• Process discipline
• Configuration control
• Repeatability
• Accountability
• Building systems that scale

They can balance the urgency of customer schedules with the discipline required to consistently produce hardware destined for flight.

Why Join ZYCI?

ZYCI is building one of the premier flight hardware manufacturing organizations in the United States. We support some of the fastest-growing companies in aerospace, defense, space, robotics, and advanced energy.

If you are passionate about building production systems that help put hardware into space, power next-generation defense systems, and enable breakthrough technologies, we would like to speak with you.