Engineering Manager – Manufacturing

About Protora

Protora is formerly C Speed. We build radar and surveillance systems that give military and government customers eyes on their airspace, borders, and critical sites. Our name draws from the Praetorian Guard, elite soldiers whose job was to watch and protect. That history shapes our mission today: we take first watch, so the people we protect don't have to. We are a growing company with a new brand and a clear direction.

The Role

Protora is hiring an Engineering Manager – Manufacturing to lead the engineering activities that support the transition of complex technical products from design through production. This role partners closely with Engineering, Production Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program teams to ensure Protora products can be manufactured safely, efficiently, consistently, and in accordance with technical and customer requirements.

An immediate priority for this position will be supporting the setup and operational readiness of Protora’s new manufacturing facility, including the processes, equipment, and capabilities needed to support production.

The ideal candidate combines strong engineering fundamentals with practical manufacturing experience supporting complex electronic, mechanical, radar, and integrated systems.

What You'll Do

• Lead manufacturing engineering activities supporting new and existing products.
• Partner with design engineering teams to transition products from development into repeatable production.
• Review product designs for manufacturability, assembly, testability, and production readiness.
• Develop and improve manufacturing processes, work instructions, tooling, fixtures, standards, and best practices.
• Identify and resolve manufacturing and technical issues through root-cause analysis and corrective action, with a focus on quality, cost, schedule, and delivery.
• Support prototype builds, first-article activities, production ramp-up, and ongoing manufacturing.
• Collaborate with Quality and Engineering to ensure manufacturing processes meet applicable technical, contractual, and regulatory requirements.
• Provide technical leadership, coaching, and support to manufacturing and engineering personnel.
• Lead manufacturing engineering efforts supporting the setup of Protora’s new facility, including equipment, tooling, production processes, and manufacturing readiness.
• Travel: 20–40% initially, with travel requirements expected to decrease as the new facility becomes operational.