Head of Assembly & Integration

Air Q Limited is looking for a Head of Assembly & Integration to build and lead our Assembly & Integration function from the ground up.

This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for establishing the assembly organization, building the team, setting production standards, and ensuring efficient, high-quality assembly operations across multiple production streams.

Key Responsibilities

Build and lead the Assembly & Integration organization, including hiring and developing Assembly Leads and Technicians.

Establish work standards, staffing plans and shift structures ahead of facility go-live.

Own assembly line performance across Low Volume, High Volume (S2), and Ad-Hoc/Launcher production streams.

Monitor production throughput, quality, manpower utilization and schedule adherence.

Ensure compliance with work instructions, quality standards and production schedules.

Work closely with Industrialization and Process Engineering teams on work instructions, tooling and production readiness.

Coordinate with component/tooling suppliers, subcontractors and contract manufacturers.

Identify and escalate material, tooling, quality and production issues affecting line readiness.

Drive Lean manufacturing, line balancing and continuous improvement initiatives.

Ensure the Assembly & Integration function achieves required go-live and production readiness targets.

Report assembly performance, staffing and quality KPIs to the VP of AIT.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Mechatronics, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.

8+ years of experience in assembly or production leadership.

Experience in aerospace, defense, UAV, or other regulated manufacturing environments is highly preferred.

Proven experience in building, establishing or scaling a production/assembly organization.

Strong experience in production planning, line balancing, manpower planning and industrialization.

Knowledge of ISO 9001 / AS9100 quality principles.

Experience developing work instructions, staffing structures and shift plans.

Strong understanding of Lean/production principles and continuous improvement.

PMP, Six Sigma or other manufacturing leadership certification is an advantage.

What We're Looking For

Strong people leadership and team-building capability.

Hands-on and quality-focused approach.

Ability to work effectively in a fast-moving, pre-launch environment.

Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Ability to coordinate effectively with engineering, quality, supply chain and production teams.

Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills.

Key Performance Indicators

Assembly Lead/Technician hiring completion against plan.

Production schedule adherence of 90–95%+.

Rework and defect rate of less than 3%.

On-time facility and production go-live readiness.