Director of Technical Operations

LEAP Space - We are hiring a Director of Technical Operations Role:
Director of Technical Operations Working model:
Hybrid About LEAP

LEAP is transforming space logistics with rapid-response, mass producible launch solutions designed to eliminate bottlenecks in space access. Leveraging proprietary propulsion technology and modern manufacturing techniques, LEAP delivers scalable and cost-effective, launch solutions for national security, commercial payload deployment, and global point-to-point logistics applications.

The Director of Technical Operations owns the execution, safety, and quality of all technician-led work across LEAP’s manufacturing, testing, and launch operations. This role is accountable for how work is physically performed, establishing clear standards, enforcing safety and compliance, building technician capability, and ensuring work is executed consistently and correctly every time. By translating engineering intent into disciplined, repeatable operational execution, you will ensure technician teams deliver reliable, flight-worthy hardware and test outcomes while meeting schedule, safety, and quality requirements critical to mission success.

• Own the end-to-end operations engineering strategy from initial hardware build through flight, ensuring manufacturing, test, and launch execution are aligned, repeatable, and capable of delivering safe, flight-worthy outcomes on schedule
• Translate vehicle design requirements into manufacturable, testable, and operable systems, ensuring engineering intent is executed safely, consistently, and repeatably across manufacturing, test, and launch operations
• Partner closely with Vehicle, Propulsion, Avionics, and Systems Engineering to ensure operational realities are incorporated early, reducing downstream rework and enabling designs that can be safely and consistently executed on the floor
• Drive design for manufacturability, testability, operability, and safety, resulting in improved first-pass build success, reduced operational and safety risk, and consistent, scalable execution across manufacturing, test, and launch operations
• Lead and manage all technicians supporting manufacturing, test, and launch operations ensuring technician teams operate with clear standards, strong safety culture, and predictable performance
• Establish and maintain clear work instructions, standard operating procedures, and workmanship standards across all technical operations to ensure operational consistency and compliance as manufacturing, test, and launch activities scale
• Build a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement in high-hazard environments, reducing incidents and near-misses while strengthening disciplined execution and learning across manufacturing, test, and launch operations
• Scale technician teams, shifts, and facilities to support aggressive development and launch cadence resulting in reduced bottlenecks, improved schedule reliability, and resilient operations under peak demand

• 10+ years of experience in aerospace, launch vehicles, propulsion, or similarly complex high-hazard technical operations. (Required)
• Demonstrated leadership of large technician teams in manufacturing, test, or flight operations environments. (Required)
• 12+ years of experience in aerospace engineering with significant exposure to manufacturing, test, and flight operations. (Required)
• Strong background in operational safety and procedural discipline.
• Experience operating under aggressive schedules with flight-critical hardware.

• Experience at a launch vehicle or spacecraft manufacturer (orbital class preferred).
• Prior experience with launch vehicle manufacturing, test stands, or launch operations.
• Familiarity with advanced manufacturing processes (additive, laser welding, CNC machining).
• Experience supporting FAA-licensed launch operations.
• Background working in startup or rapid-development environments.

The estimated salary range for this role reflects various compensation factors. The final offer depends on factors such as work experience, education, training,…