Head of Manufacturing
heliconIndustry (CA)
About the role
Helicon's mission is to accelerate the world's transition to advanced materials. We combine AI software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing to reinvent how the West maintains a competitive edge.
We hire people with high agency and high urgency. We look for slope over intercept. We care about what you’ve built. At Helicon, everyone owns problems end to end and makes consequential decisions that shape the outcome. Every day we build what most think is impossible.
We're backed by the investors who were first believers in Valar Atomics, Applied Intuition, Factory, Astranis, Flock Safety and Relativity Space.
What You'll Do:
Own the production floor end to end against delivery timelinesStand up, ramp and run manufacturing lines from build readiness through steady-state productionHelp build the operating system for production at Helicon: capacity planning, bottleneck management, line balancing, escalation paths and daily execution rhythmsOwn equipment installation, procurement, commissioning and acceptance for new production cells and line expansionsLead process development and continuous improvement to increase throughput, yield and on-time deliveryCollaborate with software engineers to encode real manufacturing constraints into Argos (our OS for supply chain, quoting, pricing, simulation) Who We're Looking ForNeed:
Experience with high volume composites processesStrong understanding of first principles physics and manufacturing fundamentalsProven track record of exceptional ability driven by engineering fundamentalsExperience owning production lines or cells with direct responsibility for output, quality and scheduleExperience ramping manufacturing processes from early builds into repeatable productionAbility to lead in both high-mix and high-volume environments, knowing when each requires different systems and decisionsNice to have:
Experience going from manual to automated production linesExperience skills integrating sensors, controls and mechanical systemsExperience building production teams, managing technicians and developing manufacturing leadersWe're not for you if:
You think composites will never be used at industrial scaleYou're not looking for a role where you work with customersYou prefer advisory ownership to direct accountability for floor execution and delivery timelinesWhy JoinBethlehem for steel. Helicon for composites.
For too long the most advanced materials in the world have been left to the exquisite, we're industrializing composites enabling the systems of the future to be built at mass scale.
We want the best people and have no bureaucracy. That includes covering meals and paying for products that make you more productive and our partners stronger.
ITAR RequirementsTo 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. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Before you apply
Applying takes about a minute. These four things decide how fast it moves after that.
Your profile is current
It's what we read first. Occupations, seniority and locations matter more than a long history.
Two examples you can talk through
Not a portfolio — just two pieces of work where you can explain the decisions and what you'd change.
A number in mind
What you're on now and what would make you move. We negotiate better when we know both.
Your notice period
Employers plan around it, and it's the question that stalls offers most often.
Once you apply, someone reads it and calls you before anything reaches the employer — usually within two working days.
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