Sr. Industrial Engineer - CDH

terranorbitalcorporation

Irvine, CA · Irvine · United States

Posted Aug 4, 2026

Full-time
Command & Data Handling (CDH)

Job description

Join a team where your impact reaches beyond the stars! At Terran Orbital, you’re not just part of the system – you’re a vital force propelling our mission forward. As trailblazers in satellite manufacturing and aerospace innovation, we shatter boundaries daily to deliver groundbreaking solutions that power our nation’s defense and commercial missions. We are a unique, fast growing, and trusted team dedicated to swiftly and efficiently designing, building, launching, and operating state of the art satellites for advanced mission constellations. If you’re driven by purpose, inspired by challenges, and ready to leave your mark on the universe, you’ll find a home and endless opportunities for growth here. Together, let’s redefine what is possible in orbit and beyond!

Terran Orbital is seeking an experienced Sr. Industrial Engineer to drive factory optimization, workflow design, rate readiness, layout optimization, and production scaling for satellite manufacturing. Reporting to the Sr. IPT Lead – CDH Production, the Sr. Industrial Engineer role focuses on creating efficient production systems, enabling smooth transition from development to rate production, and ensuring Terran Orbital’s hardware is manufactured predictably, efficiently, and at scale. 

The Sr. Industrial Engineer will design integrated material and workflow systems, develop factory models and simulation tools, optimize layout and takt-driven flow, and collaborate across Design Engineering, Systems, Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain to achieve world-class production performance. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities  

Analyze and optimize factory workflows, takt time, labor use, and WIP levels; perform time studies and bottleneck analysis; maintain accurate labor standards and routings for satellite production.

Design and refine factory layouts, workstations, and integration cells, improving ergonomics and material flow; update layout models using CAD tools.

Build and maintain factory simulation models to analyze throughput, constraints, and scaling; run scenario simulations to support rate-readiness and factory decision-making.

Develop capacity models for labor, equipment, and floor space; forecast tooling, facilities, and workforce needs to support production scaling.

Lead Lean initiatives, including Kaizen, 5S/6S, and standard work improvements; identify waste and implement changes to improve cycle time, takt alignment, and overall flow.

Coordinate with Design Engineering, Systems, Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain; represent Industrial Engineering in planning sessions, standups, and production reviews; communicate clearly using data-driven insights.

Create and maintain work instructions, standardized process documentation, and routing details to ensure stable, repeatable satellite assembly processes.

Resolve production issues using structured analysis; support technicians during builds, pilot runs, and troubleshooting; collaborate with Quality and Design to address integration and assembly concerns. 
Work directly with avionics, harnessing, and electromechanical assembly teams; support testing, data review, and flow improvements for CDH hardware.

Required Qualifications and Skills  

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.

5+ years of experience in industrial/manufacturing engineering, with at least one (1) year supporting electronics, avionics, electrical hardware, or spaceflight hardware production.

Demonstrated expertise in factory layout, simulation, capacity modeling, and workflow optimization.

Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to translate engineering intent into accurate and usable work instructions.

Track record of driving process improvements that increase productivity, reduce defects, and enhance reliability through methods such as design for manufacturability, Lean practices, PFMEA, errorproofing, and scalable production line development.

Strong analytical background using data tools (e.g., Power BI, SQL).

Experience creating or maintaining factory simulation models (e.g., Simio, FlexSim, Siemens Plant Simulation, or equivalent).

Ability to work cross-functionally and communicate clearly at all levels. 
U.S. Person or lawful permanent resident to comply with U.S. government space technology export regulations.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills 

Aerospace Electronics experience. Familiarity with PCB assembly, avionics modules, PCBAs, harnessing, and electromechanical assemblies.

Experience developing PFMEAs, control plans, and process flow diagrams. 
Understanding of Key Characteristics (KC), capability studies (Cp/Cpk), and validation plans.

Familiarity with AS9145 production-readiness levels or other phasegated quality systems.

Knowledge of SPC, DOE, MSA, and process capability measurement methods.

Proficiency in structured RCCA tools such as 5Why, Fishbone, and faulttree analysis.

Experience with AEGIS FactoryLogix is strongly preferred. Also desired experience with Microsoft D365.

Your actual level and base salary will be determined case-by-case and may vary based on the job-related qualification, knowledge, skills, education, and experience. In addition to base salary, we offer 100% covered medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) match, Flexible Time Off (FTO), covered life insurance, maternity and paternity leave, tuition reimbursement, employee referrals, and lots of swag!

Salary Range

$120,000—$160,000 USD

Full-time positions only:

Benefits

100% Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
401(k) Match
Flexible Time Off (FTO)
Education Reimbursement
Competitive Paid Parental Leave

About Terran Orbital

Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of satellite products primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries. Terran Orbital provides end-to-end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and on-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers. Learn more at www.terranorbital.com

Physical Demands

An employee must meet the physical demands described to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. In performing the duties of this job, the employee is routinely required to sit or stand for long durations of time, in addition to bending, reaching, and walking. This would require the ability to lift or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift or move objects up to 25 pounds. This position is generally sedentary, with substantial computer usage.

Work Environment

The job operates in a professional office environment but in a manufacturing company. This job routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and scanners.

Disclaimers

To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, the applicant 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. In addition, please note that this position may require a current United States National Security clearance or eligibility for such a clearance.

Terran Orbital is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or membership in any other group protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at hr@terranorbital.com.

Terran Orbital does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing firms. To conduct business with Terran Orbital, a Master Services Agreement (MSA) must be executed and confirmed prior to submitting any information relating to a potential candidate. Without a signed MSA, Terran Orbital shall not be responsible to any individual or entity for any payment relating to any form of fee or compensation.

And, in the event that a resume or candidate is submitted by a recruiter, an employment agency, or a staffing firm without a fully executed MSA, Terran Orbital has the unrestricted right to pursue and hire any of those candidate(s) without any legal or financial responsibility to the recruiter, agency, and/or firm.