Vice President of Operations

We’re Solestial, and we are building cutting-edge silicon solar power for space. Our tech is designed to survive the extremes—radiation, vacuum, launch shock—and deliver reliable energy to satellites, lunar missions, and beyond. We are a fast-growing startup backed by strategic, experienced investors in the Space and High Tech sectors, and we’re on a mission to make off-world energy as scalable and dependable as it is here on Earth.

We are seeking a strategic and execution-focused Vice President of Operations to lead and continue scaling our manufacturing, supply chain, and production operations. You will be responsible for overseeing the end-to-end operations of our space solar manufacturing facility in Tempe, AZ ensuring that systems, processes, and people are aligned to deliver efficient and scalable production for commercial and government customers.

This is a senior leadership role that requires deep expertise in high-precision manufacturing (preferably aerospace or silicon technology), ability to build from the ground-up, and strong cross-functional team leadership and collaboration.

Your Mission

• High-Volume Manufacturing Leadership: Partner with technology team to continue to scale production from engineering validation and initial production line development to full-rate manufacturing of space-ready solar cells and solar power modules – achieving the company goal of 1 mega-watt per year capacity.
• Operational Strategy & Execution: Design and implement manufacturing operations strategies aligned with company growth goals and customer requirements.
• ERP System Deployment: Lead the end-to-end implementation of an enterprise ERP system to unify operations, drive workflow efficiency, and enable accurate, data-driven decision-making.
• Factory and Production Line Development: Work in partnership with R&D and technology teams to manage facility expansion, line layout, equipment selection, and automation strategies to support reliable and repeatable high-throughput manufacturing.
• Process Optimization: Develop and implement best-in-class manufacturing processes using Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement principles to maximize yield, quality, and throughput.
• Supply Chain Management: Build and manage a resilient global supply chain tailored to aerospace-grade components and long-lead materials. Ensure supplier reliability and cost performance.
• Quality Assurance: Maintain and scale quality systems (e.g., AS9100, ISO 9001) to ensure production meets rigorous aerospace and mission-critical standards.
• Cost and Efficiency Management: Drive operational KPIs including cost per unit, cycle time, and OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) while managing CapEx and OpEx budgets.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Interface with engineering, test, and program teams to ensure manufacturability, timely product handoff, and alignment between design and operations.
• Team Leadership: Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing team across manufacturing, materials management, and facilities operations.

What You Bring

• 15+ years in manufacturing and operations leadership, including experience with high-volume production of precision hardware.
• Demonstrated success in scaling from low-rate to high-rate manufacturing environments, ideally within aerospace, defense, semiconductor, or high-precision hardware sectors.
• Proven experience leading successful ERP system selection, configuration, and implementation.
• Strong background in lean manufacturing, production systems design, and quality assurance.
• Experience with capital project planning, factory setup, and automation integration.
• Familiarity with aerospace manufacturing standards and regulatory compliance.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or a related technical discipline; Master’s or MBA preferred.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and cross-functional coordination skills.

Our Benefits

• Competitive salary + equity - we want you to grow with us
• Generous, high-quality medical, dental, and vision coverage on day one of employment
• PTO of 15 days + annual Holiday Break and 10 paid holidays annually
• 401K with employer match up to 4% of salary
• Employer-paid short-term and long-term disability and employer-sponsored life insurance
• Your work will literally go to space!