NPI Manufacturing Engineer

Spacecraft represent the most pressing unmet need across the entire aerospace industry. As more launch vehicles come online and the cost to orbit decreases, more companies launching payloads to space continue to emerge.

For the first time in history, this influx of payload companies combined with reduced launch costs has resulted in a massive increase in need for commercial spacecraft platforms, known as satellite buses. These buses hold the payloads of our customers and are flown on launch vehicles.

Apex manufactures these satellite buses at scale using a combination of software, vertical integration, and hardware that is designed for manufacturing. Our spacecraft enable the future of society: ranging from earth observation to communications and more.

We’d love for you to join us on our mission of providing humankind access to the galaxy beyond our planet. About the Role Apex is seeking an experienced NPI Manufacturing Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will support the development of scalable manufacturing processes, production methodologies, tooling, and new product introduction (NPI) practices for commercial and government programs.

You'll work cross-functionally with design engineering, production, supply chain, and quality teams to ensure our deliverables are manufacturable, scalable, and efficient to build.

Responsibilities:

Support manufacturing and NPI execution as the programs transition from development builds through production ramp Partner with product design and engineering teams to provide DFM/DFA feedback throughout concept development, PDR, CDR, and release phases

Help develop production methodologies and process flows suitable for medium-to-high-rate spacecraft manufacturing

Contribute to factory development activities including workflow definition, line design, GSE planning, and equipment integration

Define assembly strategies, tooling concepts, work instructions, and production readiness plans

Support sourcing, commissioning, validation, and deployment of production equipment, tooling, and manufacturing systems

Work with supply chain, production, and quality teams to help meet cost, quality, reliability, and production rate targets

Establish and maintain manufacturing documentation, process controls, and configuration management practices in line with NPI best practices

Requirements:

U.S. Persons status is required, as this position needs to access export-controlled data Active Top Secret or Top Secret/SCI clearance desired, but not requiredB.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent experience3+ years of relevant experience in manufacturing engineering, NPI, production development, or factory engineering

Experience transitioning complex hardware products from prototype/development builds into production

Strong understanding of DFM/DFA principles, manufacturing process development, and tooling design

Proficiency in interpreting engineering drawings, specifications, and technical documents

Hands-on experience with manufacturing process validation, integration, hardware bring-up, and production troubleshooting

Experience working cross-functionally with design engineering, supply chain, quality, production, and test organizations

Familiarity with configuration control, manufacturing documentation, process qualification, and engineering change management

Exposure to automation systems, production equipment, or advanced manufacturing processes

Experience in aerospace, satellites, robotics, automotive, or other high-complexity hardware industries

Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with strong ownership

Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across…