Manufacturing Engineer – Spacecraft Wiring Harness Manufacturing

Position Summary

Astrocaria is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to support the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes for high-reliability electrical wiring harnesses used in satellite and spaceflight applications.

The Manufacturing Engineer will translate engineering drawings, technical specifications, and customer requirements into controlled, repeatable, and compliant manufacturing processes.

This individual will work closely with engineering, quality, production, and program management teams to ensure satellite wiring harnesses are manufactured in accordance with applicable aerospace, NASA, IPC, and customer-specific workmanship standards.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience supporting aerospace electrical interconnect manufacturing, wire harness fabrication, manufacturing process development, and production documentation. A strong understanding of the quality, traceability, and workmanship requirements associated with spaceflight hardware is essential.

Key Responsibilities

1. Manufacturing Process Development

• Review engineering drawings, bills of materials (BOMs), specifications, and technical requirements to develop controlled, build-to-print wire harness manufacturing processes.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing instructions, shop travelers, routing steps, work centers, and production documentation using CETEC ERP or a comparable manufacturing ERP system.
• Establish standardized manufacturing processes to ensure consistency, repeatability, traceability, and compliance across multiple satellite harness configurations.
• Develop and implement processes for wire preparation, cutting, stripping, crimping, soldering, shielding, braiding, connector assembly, potting, labeling, and final harness assembly.
• Identify opportunities to improve manufacturing efficiency while maintaining strict aerospace workmanship requirements.

2. Tooling and Manufacturing Support

• Design, develop, and validate harness formboards, assembly fixtures, jigs, templates, and specialized production tooling.
• Establish tooling requirements to support accurate harness routing, dimensional control, connector positioning, and assembly repeatability.
• Support production floor activities and provide technical guidance to manufacturing technicians.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing issues and develop practical solutions to improve production quality and efficiency.
• Work with engineering and production teams to resolve assembly challenges and improve manufacturing processes.

3. Quality and Compliance

• Ensure manufacturing processes comply with applicable AS9100D, IPC/WHMA-A-620, J-STD-001, NASA workmanship standards, and customer-specific requirements.
• Support implementation and maintenance of controlled manufacturing processes, process specifications, and workmanship requirements.
• Coordinate with Quality Engineering to support inspections, audits, nonconformance investigations, corrective actions, and process improvements.
• Maintain manufacturing documentation and objective evidence required for product traceability and quality assurance.
• Ensure all manufacturing operations are performed in accordance with approved engineering documentation and authorized process changes.

4. Production Readiness and Program Support

• Support initial harness builds, first-article activities, manufacturing readiness reviews, and production process validation.
• Participate in design-for-manufacturability reviews and provide feedback regarding assembly complexity, tooling requirements, and production risks.
• Support implementation of approved engineering changes and ensure manufacturing documentation is updated accordingly.
• Work closely with production supervisors, technicians, quality personnel, and engineering teams to resolve technical and manufacturing challenges.
• Support production planning and readiness activities associated with satellite wiring harness deliverables.

5. Continuous Improvement

• Analyze production data, labor feedback, and manufacturing performance to identify opportunities for process improvement.
• Improve production throughput, labor utilization, work instructions, and manufacturing repeatability across harness configurations.
• Develop standardized processes and best practices to support scalable production.
• Participate in root cause analysis and corrective action activities to reduce defects, rework, and manufacturing delays.
• Identify opportunities to improve production efficiency without compromising flight-hardware quality or workmanship requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of manufacturing engineering experience, preferably in aerospace, defense, electrical interconnect, or wire harness manufacturing.
• Demonstrated understanding of electrical wiring harness manufacturing processes and assembly techniques.
• Experience interpreting engineering drawings, schematics, wiring diagrams, BOMs, and technical specifications.
• Experience developing manufacturing work instructions, process routings, shop travelers, and production documentation.
• Working knowledge of aerospace quality systems and workmanship requirements.
• Experience supporting production teams in a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, communication, and organizational skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting satellite, spacecraft, launch vehicle, or other spaceflight electrical hardware programs.
• Experience with CETEC ERP or comparable manufacturing ERP/MRP systems.
• Knowledge of NASA-STD-8739.4, NASA-STD-8739.3, IPC/WHMA-A-620, and J-STD-001.
• Experience with harness formboard development, tooling design, and manufacturing fixture validation.
• Familiarity with AS9100D quality management systems.
• Experience with configuration management, engineering change orders (ECOs), and manufacturing process validation.
• Understanding of high-reliability electrical interconnect manufacturing and spaceflight workmanship requirements.

Required Certifications and Training

Candidates must possess or be able to obtain applicable certifications and training based on assigned manufacturing responsibilities and customer requirements, including:

• NASA-STD-8739.4 – Crimping, Interconnecting Cables, Harnesses, and Wiring.
• NASA-STD-8739.3 – Soldered Electrical Connections, where applicable.
• IPC/WHMA-A-620 – Requirements and Acceptance for Cable and Wire Harness Assemblies.
• J-STD-001 – Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies, where applicable.
• Applicable customer-specific workmanship and quality training.

Certification Note

Personnel performing or accepting certified workmanship operations must maintain the specific certifications required by the applicable program, contract, and workmanship requirements. General engineering experience does not automatically qualify an individual to perform certified workmanship operations.

Key Competencies

• Aerospace manufacturing process development.
• Satellite wiring harness manufacturing.
• Electrical interconnect and cable assembly processes.
• Manufacturing documentation and ERP systems.
• Process validation and production readiness.
• Aerospace quality and workmanship compliance.
• Root cause analysis and corrective action.
• Tooling, fixture, and formboard development.
• Cross-functional team collaboration.
• Continuous improvement and production optimization.

Work Environment

This position will be based on-site in Denver, Colorado, supporting an aerospace manufacturing environment involving the fabrication and assembly of electrical wiring harnesses for satellite and spaceflight applications.

The Manufacturing Engineer will work directly with production technicians, engineering personnel, and quality teams to ensure manufacturing processes meet demanding technical, quality, traceability, and delivery requirements.

Program Objective

Establish and maintain robust, repeatable, and fully documented manufacturing processes to support the successful production of high-reliability satellite wiring harness assemblies.

Pay: $70,000.00 - $225,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Relocation assistance

Application Question(s):

• This job requires US Citizenship. Are you a US Citizen?
• Prior experience on spacecraft, launch vehicles, or missiles is required? Do you have experience on any of these?

Work Location

In person