Integration, Mechanical & Thermal Production Team Lead

Job description

ROLE HIGHLIGHTS: - Integration, Mechanical & Thermal Production Team Lead - Location: Valencia, Spain - Department: Global Manufacturing Organisation - Reports to: MAITE Manager - Employment type: Permanent - Workplace model: Office - Employment is subject to applicable security screening (incl. SUPO, where required) WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS: We are looking for an Integration, Mechanical & Thermal Team Lead to own how our satellites come together physically — from individual mechanical and thermal hardware all the way to a fully integrated, environmentally tested spacecraft. You will lead a multidisciplinary team of engineers and technicians and be responsible for the full mechanical build of the satellite: bus structure, harness, MLI (thermal blankets), thermal hardware, deployables, and solar panel assemblies (SOLP) — through to complete satellite integration and the environmental test campaign (vibration, shock, and thermal vacuum). This is a hands-on leadership role at the core of our production. You'll spend time on the floor with your team, solving problems, improving processes, and delivering satellites at scale. We are rapidly scaling our production operations and require a leader who can build the systems and processes necessary to support this significant growth. You will be the person making sure everything fits, connects, holds together, and survives the launch and space environment. WHO WE ARE ICEYE is the world leader in sovereign intelligence from space. We deliver persistent monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to changes in any location on Earth. ICEYE owns the world's largest and most advanced SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellite constellation. To our customers we provide intelligence with unmatched quality, latency and revisit times, in any weather, day or night. To governments who choose to operate their own constellation we provide this proven capability as a sovereign system. ICEYE-built constellations serve customers in defence and intelligence, environmental monitoring, insurance and emergency management. We enable fast decisions that contribute to a safer future. Founded and headquartered in Finland, ICEYE operates globally with over 1000 employees across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. YOUR DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITIES LEADING SATELLITE INTEGRATION & MECHANICAL BUILD - Own the day-to-day mechanical assembly and integration of satellites on the production floor - Guide your team through structural assembly (bus structure), harness manufacturing and installation, MLI fabrication and fit, deployable mechanisms, and solar panel (SOLP) integration - Oversee mechanical and electrical integration of subsystems into a complete spacecraft - Be hands-on: support troubleshooting, unblock issues, and keep momentum OWNING THERMAL & ENVIRONMENTAL TEST - Own thermal hardware integration — thermal interfaces, pads, pastes, and dissipation hardware - Plan and run the environmental test campaign: vibration, shock, and thermal vacuum - Ensure correct readiness and execution of deployable (antennas, solar arrays) testing, verifying that pass criteria are met. BUILDING SCALABLE, REPEATABLE PROCESSES - Improve and standardize how we assemble, integrate, and test - Turn unclear or incomplete instructions into clear, usable work instructions, procedures, tooling, and jigs - Reduce dependency on tribal knowledge and make execution repeatable - Drive efficiency while protecting quality DRIVING QUALITY & RELIABILITY - Ensure correct integration of all mechanical, thermal, and structural interfaces - Maintain strong configuration control, build discipline, and traceability - Ensure active team participation in root cause analysis (led by AIT Engineering) by identifying key non-conformances, ensuring critical issues are communicated, and driving the resolution of the most impactful non-conformances for the production line. - Anticipate risks early and resolve them before they hit delivery LEADING & DEVELOPING THE TEAM - Lead, coach, and grow a multidisciplinary team of mechanical engineers and technicians - Build a culture of ownership, accountability, and pride in the product - Shift the team from reactive problem-solving to structured, proactive execution - Develop the right competence across structures, harness, thermal, and integration WORKING ACROSS TEAMS - Act as the bridge between production and AIT engineering - Ensure your team has clear, actionable engineering inputs - Push for fast, practical decisions when things are unclear or blocking - Collaborate with Quality, Planning, Mission Management, and the other two production teams (Electronics; RF, Systems & Software) SCALING FOR GROWTH - Prepare mechanical build, integration, and test for higher production volumes - Improve planning, predictability, and throughput - Define and track KPIs; drive initiatives to reduce integration and test time - Utilize Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to identify bottlenecks and optimize the end-to-end production flow. WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR MUST HAVES: - Experience leading teams in complex hardware or system integration environments - A hands-on mindset — comfortable being close to the product and the team - Strong understanding of mechanical and electrical integration at system level — alignment, torqueing, fasteners, structural and thermal interfaces - Good understanding of environmental test setups (vibration, shock, thermal vacuum) - Experience with deployable structures and mechanisms (a strong plus) - Familiarity with harness and MLI work in a high-reliability context - Experience improving processes, not just running them - Familiarity with production environments and scaling operations - Ability to navigate ambiguity and turn it into clear execution - Strong communication across engineers, technicians, and stakeholders WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE - Your team delivers satellites reliably, predictably, and with high quality - Mechanical build, integration, and environmental test are clear, structured, and scalable - Problems are solved at the root, not patched - The team takes full ownership of what they build - Integration and test keep pace with ICEYE's growth Application Process - Talent Screening - Hiring Manager Interview - Task and Presentation - FInal Interview WORKING AT ICEYE At ICEYE, you’ll join a diverse and highly engaged team united by the ambition to make the impossible possible. As a global scale-up, we combine speed and ambition with the opportunity to take real ownership from day one. Your growth, wellbeing, and success are a priority, with continuous professional development, training opportunities, and a culture where collaboration is how we win. HOW WE WORK (OUR VALUES) Make the impossible possible: We set ambitious goals and stay calm under pressure. We bring grit, optimism, and ownership when things get hard, and we keep moving until we find a way. - Be curious: Go deep, ask questions, listen carefully, and think critically. Understand the “why” behind decisions. - See the big picture: Stay close to what’s happening across the company so you can make better decisions. Consider how your work affects others. - Drive effective teamwork: Create psychological safety, invite different perspectives, and build inclusive teams. There are no bad questions. - Act as one team: We win together. We match tasks to the right owner and stay agile as priorities shift. - Have fun: What we do matters—and it should be enjoyable. Celebrate progress, take pride in results, and share the wins. BENEFITS Our benefits are designed to support your health and wellbeing, at work and beyond. We keep improving them based on employee feedback, and offerings vary by location. Talent Acquisition will confirm what applies for this role and location during the process. Base salary range for this position is dependant on experience, and will be negotiated individually. OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION We want ICEYE to be a place where people can be themselves and do great work. Different backgrounds and perspectives make us stronger, which is why we work to create an environment where people feel included, respected, and able to speak up. Whatever your background, we want you to bring your authentic self to the table. We’re committed to fair, inclusive hiring and equal opportunity. Everyone is welcome to apply. If you need any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, tell us—we’ll do our best to help. Apply now to start your ICEYE journey, and help us continue to make the impossible possible together. Read more about ICEYE and working with us at iceye.com http://iceye.com.