Manufacturing Engineering Manager

SES Satellites

Manufacturing Engineering Manager overseeing development and continuous improvement of aerospace manufacturing processes. Leading engineering teams and driving operational excellence within a regulated environment.

Posted 5/27/2026full-timeChicago • Illinois • 🇺🇸 United StatesSeniorLeadWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager will be responsible for the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of our worldwide manufacturing processes.
This role drives operational excellence by improving delivery and cost performance, while supporting new product introductions and scaling production capabilities.
This role supports production of complex, high-reliability aerospace assemblies while ensuring compliance with aerospace regulations and customer requirements.
Lead, mentor and develop a team of manufacturing engineers
Own and execute continuous improvement efforts at our Itasca, Illinois and Amsterdam, Netherlands manufacturing facilities
Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and root cause analysis methodologies
Oversee process development, validation, and implementation for new and existing products
Partner with cross-functional teams (Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Production Engineering) to ensure seamless production support
Develop and maintain standardized work, process documentation and manufacturing instructions for all areas of the business (Shipping, Receiving, Production, Inspection, etc.)
Develop, monitor and improve metrics so individuals and teams know “what good looks like.”

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field
10+ years of engineering experience in an aerospace or other highly regulated industries
3-5 years of leadership experience managing engineering teams
Lean Six Sigma black belt certification required
Extensive experience leading Kaizen events and process mapping sessions to document processes and facilitate root cause solutioning
Experience with process validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), PFMEA, control plans, and statistical process control (SPC)

Benefits

Comp & perks

Hands-on experience in manufacturing environments
Opportunity to effect change in an organization
Mentorship from experienced engineers and industry professionals
Opportunity to contribute to impactful projects

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Lean ManufacturingSix Sigmaroot cause analysisprocess developmentprocess validationPFMEAcontrol plansstatistical process controlKaizenprocess mapping

Soft Skills

leadershipmentoringteam developmentcross-functional collaborationoperational excellencecontinuous improvementcommunicationproblem-solvingorganizational skillsperformance monitoring

Certifications

Lean Six Sigma black belt