Manufacturing Manager
Psionic is seeking a Manufacturing Manager that will be responsible for overseeing and scaling manufacturing operations to ensure consistent product quality, efficient production, and on-time delivery in support of company and customer objectives. This role will establish the processes, operational discipline, and production capabilities necessary to transition advanced technology products from engineering development into repeatable, scalable manufacturing.
The individual will lead manufacturing personnel, coordinate cross-functional activities with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management, and ensure production priorities align with business objectives and customer commitments. High-level expectations include improving manufacturing throughput, optimizing resource utilization, maintaining rigorous quality and configuration controls, and establishing clear performance metrics and accountability across the production organization. The Manufacturing Manager will play a critical role in building a disciplined, responsive, and scalable manufacturing operation capable of supporting continued growth in the defense and aerospace markets.
Responsibilities include:
Operations
- Manage daily production activities, schedules, work orders, and manufacturing priorities.
- Develop and maintain production plans aligned with customer delivery commitments and program requirements.
- Establish clear work assignments, production targets, and accountability across the manufacturing team.
- Monitor production throughput, work-in-process, cycle times, and on-time delivery.
- Identify production bottlenecks and implement corrective actions to improve efficiency and output.
- Ensure manufacturing work areas, tools, equipment, and test stations are properly maintained and organized.
Process
- Establish and improve standardized manufacturing processes, work instructions, assembly procedures, and production documentation.
- Support the transition of engineering prototypes and development units into repeatable, scalable production.
- Work with Engineering to resolve design-for-manufacturability issues and improve assembly efficiency.
- Develop production travelers, build records, configuration controls, and traceability practices.
- Identify opportunities to reduce rework, improve first-pass yield, and minimize manufacturing variability.
Quality
- Partner with Quality to ensure products meet applicable specifications, inspection requirements, and acceptance criteria.
- Maintain compliance with applicable quality management system requirements, including AS9100 processes.
- Ensure proper documentation, component traceability, nonconformance reporting, and corrective action implementation.
Materials
- Coordinate with Supply Chain to ensure components, materials, and outside processing are available to meet production schedules.
- Identify material shortages, long-lead components, and supplier issues that could affect delivery.
- Maintain visibility into inventory availability, work-in-process, and production constraints.
- Maintain configuration management and revision control for all Psionic product bills of materials (BOMs)
- Establish controls for BOM revisions to ensure manufacturing always builds to the latest approved configuration.
- Collaborate on material planning, production kitting, and shortage resolution.
- Ensure material handling and storage practices protect sensitive electronic, optical, and precision components.
Personnel
- Establish clear expectations for workmanship, attendance, documentation, and adherence to established procedures.
- Assess staffing and training requirements as production volumes increase.
- Cross-train employees to improve flexibility and reduce dependence on individual personnel.
Reporting
- Develop and maintain a production dashboard for leadership.
- Provide regular updates on schedule attainment, output, material shortages, quality issues, and delivery risks.
- Establish realistic production capacity plans and identify resource requirements.
- Escalate significant risks early and recommend corrective actions.
- Support operational planning, production expansion, and capital equipment requirements.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field; equivalent practical experience will be considered.
- Five or more years of manufacturing or production operations experience, including leadership or supervisory responsibilities.
- Experience managing production schedules, personnel, materials, and delivery commitments.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and improve manufacturing processes and standard work.
- Experience working with complex assemblies, precision instruments, electronics, electro-optics, aerospace hardware, or comparable technical products.
- Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
- Experience using production planning systems, ERP/MRP software, work-order systems, or manufacturing execution tools.
- Ability to work effectively with engineering, quality, supply chain, and program management teams.
- Familiarity with AS9100 quality management systems.
- Experience transitioning prototype hardware into low-rate initial production and higher-volume manufacturing.
- Knowledge of configuration management, product traceability, nonconformance management, and corrective action processes.
- Experience with lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis, and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Experience developing production capacity models, staffing plans, and manufacturing performance metrics.
- Familiarity with government contracting environments and applicable export-control requirements.
Team Culture/Benefits:
- Join a diverse and dynamic team which provides creative opportunities, collaborative efforts, and groundbreaking technology.
- Flexible work schedule.
- Career growth: Psionic values and invests in its family and promotes from within regularly.
- We offer a competitive salary.
- Benefits including health, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, PTO, holidays and 401(k)
This is a full-time, on-site position based in Hampton, Virginia. The role requires regular collaboration with engineering and manufacturing personnel and may involve hands-on interaction with assembly, inspection, and test activities.
The position may require access to export-controlled technology and technical data. Employment is subject to applicable U.S. export-control laws and company requirements.