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Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company

Manufactures high-reliability payload release systems

Manufacturing Engineering Lead - Supervisor

Full-TimePosted on 9/14/2026
No salary listed
Senior
Bachelor's, Master's
Simsbury, CT, USA
In Person
No H1B Sponsorship
US Top Secret Clearance Required

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in Engineering is required; a master's degree is a plus.
  • At least 5 years of relevant manufacturing, product, or project engineering experience.
  • Experience with structured problem solving, root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action, and failure investigation.
  • Ability to lead cross-functional technical teams through complex engineering and manufacturing challenges.
  • Experience with project management, technical writing, and cost estimating.
  • Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, or similar operational excellence methodologies.
  • Strong technical judgment with the ability to balance engineering rigor with production, customer, schedule, and business requirements.
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across Engineering, Operations, Quality, Programs, and other functions.
  • Must have or be able to obtain a U.S. Department of Defense security clearance and be eligible to work on U.S. Department of Defense and International Traffic in Arms Regulations-restricted programs.
Responsibilities
  • Lead and develop a team of Manufacturing Engineers by providing coaching, technical guidance, prioritization, and ongoing development.
  • Own the technical performance of assigned product lines and serve as a key engineering resource throughout the product lifecycle.
  • Partner with Production and cross-functional teams to prioritize engineering support based on business, customer, quality, and operational needs.
  • Drive structured problem solving and lead technical teams through root cause analysis, failure investigations, corrective actions, and risk mitigation.
  • Champion Design for Manufacturability and ensure manufacturing considerations are incorporated into new product development and design decisions.
  • Support risk assessments, Technical Data Package reviews, design reviews, bids and proposals, and technical investigations.
  • Drive continuous improvement across assigned product lines through Lean manufacturing, process optimization, statistical process control, single-minute exchange of die, cell design, and other improvement methodologies.
  • Identify opportunities to improve product quality, manufacturability, cost, delivery, and overall operational performance.
  • Partner with customers and internal stakeholders to resolve technical challenges and provide timely engineering support.
  • Build the technical depth and capability of the Product Engineering organization to support current priorities and future business growth.
  • Foster a collaborative, accountable, and continuous-improvement-focused team environment.
Desired Qualifications
  • Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
  • Experience developing or improving manufacturing processes.
  • Experience with energetic systems, ordnance devices, missile systems, launch vehicles, or other aerospace and defense products.

About the company

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company

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Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense provides high-reliability payload release and spacecraft deployment solutions for space and defense missions. Its main products, Multi Point Payload Release Mechanisms (PRM) and Hold Down Release Mechanisms (HDRM), are precision mechanical systems that hold payloads securely during launch and release them on command to enable safe satellite deployment. The company differentiates itself with decades of aerospace heritage dating back to 1836, plus tailored engineering, rigorous testing, and strong collaboration with government and private sector clients to ensure safety and performance. The goal is to deliver dependable, proven hardware that helps customers achieve mission success while supporting STEM education and community initiatives.

Company Size

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Company Stage

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Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Simsbury, Connecticut

Founded

N/A

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • January 2026 Falcon 9 Twilight mission proved PRM9103 flight success.
  • March 2026 Navy MK8 order and January 2026 MK68 sourcing show sticky demand.
  • EBAD's 2026 hiring and Top Workplace status signal continued production expansion.

What critics are saying

  • Beyond Gravity's 2024 suit exposed pricing leverage fights tied to Amazon Kuiper deliveries.
  • EBAD's customer concentration in NASA, SpaceX, and Navy programs ties revenue to few winners.
  • A failed Artemis III, PRM9106, or Kuiper qualification cycle would crush credibility.

What makes Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company unique

  • EBAD's NEA heritage still wins sole-source DoD awards in 2026.
  • Artemis II validated EBAD separation hardware across NASA's 2026 lunar mission.
  • PRM family spans 150-kilogram to 2,000-kilogram spacecraft, unlike narrow-point competitors.

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Benefits

Professional Development Budget

Health Insurance

Paid Vacation