Senior Manufacturing Production Manager

About the Role:

As Senior Manufacturing Production Manager in Berlin, you will lead the production team building the bus assemblies for our Pelican V2 satellite line. You will own the day-to-day production rhythm: technician team leadership, build sequencing, kit handover, throughput, and the manufacturing cadence that turns engineering designs into delivered hardware. You will partner closely with the Berlin Engineering Manager, Materials Manager, and the Berlin Site Director, and coordinate with the US Manufacturing team in San Francisco on bus-to-spacecraft integration handoff.

This is a leadership role through site bring-up. You will help shape the production team, processes, and rhythms from initial standup through scale to higher cadence over the coming years. The ideal candidate operates effectively in both bring-up mode (validating processes, training teams, troubleshooting) and steady-state mode (driving throughput, KPIs, continuous improvement).

This is a full-time, in-office position based in our Berlin Manufacturing Center 5 days a week.

Impact You’ll Own:

Lead the Berlin production technician team and grow it as the site scales

Own the daily production rhythm: shift planning, kit handover, build sequencing, status reviews

Drive production execution metrics: throughput, on-time completion, first-pass yield

Partner with the Berlin Engineering Manager on non-conformances, technical issues, and continuous improvement

Coordinate with the Berlin Materials Manager on kit availability, inventory accuracy, and shortage response

Coordinate cross-site with the US Manufacturing team on bus-panel handoff and tech transfer

Train and develop production technicians as the team scales

Establish daily and weekly production cadences (standups, build reviews, exec readouts)

Own production response to escalations: stuck builds, rework, customer or program-level urgency

Live the safety, quality, and ITAR/EAR compliance culture on the manufacturing floor

What You Bring:

6+ years of manufacturing experience with at least 4+ years leading a production team

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

History of managing complex, interdisciplinary manufacturing processes

Experience managing a manufacturing technician team in a regulated, controlled environment (aerospace, defense, medical device, semiconductor, or similar)

Expertise with kit-based or work-order-driven production models

Expertise with building clear and effective schedules for production planning

Experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems

Solid people leadership: hiring, coaching, performance management

Hands-on attitude towards work

Professional working proficiency in English, the language of the company

Ability to operate effectively across US and Germany cultural and timezone differences

Eligible to work in Germany (visa sponsorship may be considered for the right candidate)

What Makes You Stand Out:

Ability to learn new engineering concepts quickly

Ability to implement continuous improvement processes

Desire to lead others and coach them to their fullest potential

Experience scaling a manufacturing site from greenfield through ramp

Experience in satellite, spacecraft, or aerospace manufacturing

German language skills (or willingness to learn)

Experience operating in an ITAR/EAR-controlled manufacturing environment

Experience with dual-site or distributed manufacturing operations

Application Deadline:

September 17, 2026 by 11:59p / 23:59 CET (Central European Time)

Export Control Requirements:

Planet Labs Germany GmbH is authorized to receive U.S. export-controlled information at Planet under an export license issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security. This position requires access to U.S. and German/EU export-controlled information, and as such, employment (or hiring of a contractor) is contingent upon the candidate’s ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing being required by German, EU, or U.S. authorities.

Benefits While Working at Planet:

These offerings are dependent on employment type and geographical location, based upon applicable law or company policy.

Paid time off including vacation, holidays and company-wide days off

Employee Wellness Program

Home Office Reimbursement

Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement

Tuition Reimbursement and access to LinkedIn Learning

Equity

Volunteering Paid Time Off

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance