---
title: 'Senior Manager of Manufacturing at Venus Aerospace'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-of-manufacturing-venus-aerospace-houston-v9nfawynvtp6'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-06'
---

# Senior Manager of Manufacturing at Venus Aerospace

- **Company:** Venus Aerospace
- **Location:** Houston, TX
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-25
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-06
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/venusaero/67994615-04f8-4687-8b23-7241161a2e61

## Job description

Who We Are: Venus Aerospace is revolutionizing rocket engine propulsion. With the first generational leap in rocket engine technology since Apollo, our proprietary Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine and Venus Detonation Ramjets deliver historic efficiency and performance across aerospace applications. We are building the next generation of propulsion platforms that enable breakthrough capabilities in space, defense, and commercial high-speed flight. Our team thrives on solving the toughest engineering challenges and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in aerospace. At Venus, we’re looking for bold engineers and innovators who want to make history and redefine the future of propulsion.

The role: Senior Manager of Manufacturing

This senior leader drives the integration of engineering intent into scalable, high‑quality manufacturing execution. The role ensures that designs, drawings, and manufacturing strategies reflect real production constraints, additive and conventional processes, and company-wide integration needs.

## What You'll Get To Do

1. Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM):

- Champion DfAM practices across propulsion, structural, and flight hardware programs.
- Partner with engineering to ensure CAD models, GD&T, tolerances, and manufacturing notes align with additive process capabilities (e.g., LPBF, novel materials) – consistent with additive expectations noted in internal machine shop leadership requirements.
- Evaluate components for additive suitability, cost drivers, post‑processing flow, and quality requirements.
- Drive build setup development and coordinate handoff to production teams.

1. Drawing Reviews & Quoting Expertise:

- Lead cross-functional drawing reviews, particularly focusing on manufacturability, tolerance stack‑ups, and ambiguity removal.
- Provide quoting-level insight into part cost drivers, machining complexities, additive build risk, and supplier capability
- Ensure BOM accuracy, MBOM structure integrity, and completeness of manufacturing documentation.

1. Translation Between Engineering & Manufacturing:

- Act as the primary integrator between design engineering, manufacturing engineering, machining, test, and integration teams.
- Convert engineering requirements into actionable manufacturing plans, build sequences, traveler requirements, and inspection steps.
- Maintain tight coordination with engineering programs
- Drive clarity for handoffs across Integration → Test → Integration cycles.

1. Broad Ownership of Manufacturing Technology & Capability:

- Maintain a broad understanding of machining, additive, composites, tooling, fixtures, automation, inspection, and qualification processes.
- Identify and implement emerging technologies that expand capability breadth  in line with expectations from the Senior Manager of Machine Shop role about assessing new technologies and scaling production capability.
- Oversee process development, continuous improvement initiatives, and production readiness (DFX assessments, capability roadmaps).
- Partner with Facilities & Maintenance when manufacturing dependencies arise (e.g., water systems, utility upgrades, equipment installs).

Leadership & Collaboration

- Lead a multi-disciplinary manufacturing team spanning additive, machining, manufacturing engineering, and integration.
- Provide mentorship, technical guidance, and structured development paths for manufacturing personnel.
- Build strong partnerships with Engineering, Test, Program Management, Supply Chain, and Quality.
- Participate in manufacturing priority-setting sessions

## What You Have

Technical:

- 10–15+ years in aerospace or high-performance hardware manufacturing.
- Expertise in DfAM, CNC machining, GD&T, and manufacturing process development.
- Strong judgment in manufacturability assessments and quoting methodology.
- Familiarity with additive technologies such as LPBF and advanced post‑processing workflows.
- Ability to interpret complex engineering data packages and drive MBOM accuracy.

Leadership:

- Demonstrated success scaling manufacturing capabilities.
- Experience managing multi-functional manufacturing teams.
- Strong communication skills, especially in bridging engineering and manufacturing cultures.

ITAR Requirements This position involves access to technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Any job offer made will be contingent upon the applicant’s capacity to serve in compliance with U.S. export controls. To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be able to meet ITAR requirements (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). You can learn more about ITAR here.

Venus Aerospace is an Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation, please email careerassistance@venusaero.com or call (281) 203-0027.This email and phone number were created exclusively to assist job seekers whose disability prevents them from being able to apply online. Messages or any other purposes, such as following up on an application, third party staffing agencies, website technical issues, or any other issues not related to a disability, will not receive a response. Messages will be returned within five business days.

For additional information about our Equal Opportunity Employment Policy, please visit our EEOP page.

## About Venus Aerospace

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Venus Aerospace is developing the first generational leap in rocket engine technology since the Apollo era, using a rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) to power hypersonic flight for space, defense, and commercial applications.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series A; Total Funding: $46M)
- **Headquarters**: Houston, Texas, United States
- **Founded**: 2020
- **Founders**: Sassie Duggleby (CEO) and Dr. Andrew Duggleby (CTO)

## Core Business
- Primary industry/industries: Aerospace & Defense – Hypersonic propulsion, rocket engine manufacturing, high-speed flight systems.
- Target customers: Government (defense, space agencies), commercial aerospace (satellite launch, high-speed transport), and private industry partners.
- Mission/Purpose: “Connect the world and make it safer” by enabling one-hour global transport through revolutionary hypersonic technology.

## Products & Services
- **Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE)**: A breakthrough rocket engine that uses detonation waves for combustion, offering historic efficiency and low cost. Successfully test-flown in May 2025 – the first high-thrust RDRE flight ever.
- **Venus Detonation Ramjet (VDR)**: An air-breathing engine combining RDRE with ramjet technology, designed to power vehicles from take-off to sustained hypersonic cruise (Mach 5+). Intended for both defense and commercial high-speed platforms.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (private company).
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding – **$46M** across multiple rounds; Annual Revenue – **$2.8M** (estimated).
- **Notable Investors/Partners**:
  - Prime Movers Lab (led Series A, $20M, April 2022)
  - Airbus Ventures (led $15.9M venture round, June 2023)
  - Texas Space Commission ($3.9M grant, April 2025)
  - Other partners include NASA, Virgin Orbit alumni team.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - 28.7% headcount growth YoY (69 employees; +28 from previous year)
  - 27,085 LinkedIn followers (+36% YoY)
  - Successful first flight test of high-thrust RDRE in May 2025
  - Actively hiring for 14 open positions (engineering, manufacturing, test, finance)

## Competitive Advantages
- **First fundamental improvement in rocket engine technology in 60+ years** – RDRE eliminates complex turbopumps, reduces part count, and increases efficiency.
- **Affordable by design** – Simple construction, standard materials, and reusability allow lower production and operating costs compared to traditional rocket engines.
- **Proven flight test** – On May 14, 2025, Venus executed the world’s first high-thrust RDRE test flight, validating the technology.
- **Scalable platform** – The same core engine architecture can be used for space launch, hypersonic missiles, and commercial air travel.

## Strategic Focus
- Scale the RDRE and VDR engines for production and integration into defense platforms (e.g., hypersonic vehicles, drones) and commercial applications.
- Secure additional government contracts and strategic partnerships.
- Continue capital-efficient development while growing the team and infrastructure in Houston.
- Pursue flight testing of the VDR air-breathing engine.

## Why Work Here
- **Impact**: Join a small but fast-growing team working on the most significant propulsion breakthrough since the Apollo missions.
- **Culture**: The company emphasizes “curiosity, collaboration, and balance,” trusting engineers to take bold swings and solve tough problems.
- **Environment**: On-site work in Houston, Texas – a hub for aerospace innovation (Space City). Offices near major space players.
- **Team**: Composed of alumni from Virgin Orbit, SpaceX, Blue Origin, NASA, and top engineering schools. Flat structure with high ownership.
- **Growth**: Ability to shape the future of propulsion from an early stage; exposure to full product life cycle from design to flight test.

## Sources
1. [venusaero.com](https://www.venusaero.com/)  
2. [venusaero.com/careers](https://www.venusaero.com/careers)  
3. [venusaero.com/team](https://www.venusaero.com/team)  
4. [linkedin.com/company/venusaero](https://www.linkedin.com/company/venusaero)  
5. [jobs.lever.co/venusaero](https://jobs.lever.co/venusaero)

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