Facilities Manager

Company Overview

Fortastra designs and delivers resilient, high-performance spacecraft that safeguard critical orbital assets and ensure freedom of action in space. We integrate advanced autonomy, sensing, and control into systems engineered for reliability, speed, and scale. Our culture values simplicity, accountability, and disciplined execution. We expect leaders to think systemically, act decisively, and take ownership of mission outcomes.  Aggressive innovation. Disciplined execution. Strength among the stars.

 

Our Engineering Team

You’ll join Fortastra’s Engineering Division, supporting engineering and business operations by ensuring our facilities, labs, and test spaces are safe, reliable, and ready to support rapid development, production, and test of flight hardware. Facilities at Fortastra are critical infrastructure that enable fast iteration on real hardware, including the installation and operation of CNC and other large capital equipment.

The Role

Fortastra is seeking a Facilities Manager to own both the strategic build-out and the day to day operation of our Torrance site. You will lead new facility and expansion projects that support product ramp-up, stand up labs and manufacturing spaces, and provide technical leadership for facilities engineering, maintenance, and critical utilities.

This role is a mix of capital project leadership and operational ownership. You will deliver new infrastructure, oversee construction and commissioning, manage contractors and budgets, and ensure our building systems and utilities enable reliable, high tempo hardware work. The ideal candidate has experience on large capital facilities projects in manufacturing, semiconductor, aerospace, or similar environments and is comfortable being directly accountable for cost, schedule, and reliability.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver new facilities and expansion projects to support product ramp-up, from concept through handover to operations.
• Oversee construction and commissioning activities, including FAT and SAT, and ensure integration with building management systems and other operational technology.
• Plan and stand up labs, integration areas, and shop or manufacturing spaces, including infrastructure for CNC and other large machines (power, foundations, utilities, safety).
• Manage permitting, inspections, and approvals for construction and major equipment installations.
• Provide leadership for facilities engineering, maintenance, and critical utilities, including HVAC, chilled water, compressed air, and life safety systems.
• Drive reliability and business continuity through preventive maintenance, vendor management, and clear procedures for critical systems.
• Own facilities cost governance: develop and manage budgets, track expenses, and maintain audit-ready documentation for capital and operating spend.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, facilities management, construction management, related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of experience in facilities construction, commissioning, and operations for manufacturing, R&D, aerospace, semiconductor, or similar environments.
• Track record of delivering large capital facilities projects, including infrastructure for CNC or other major equipment.
• Experience with construction management, contractor oversight, and scheduling.
• Familiarity with building systems such as HVAC, electrical distribution, chilled water, and life safety.
• Experience with permitting and regulatory compliance for industrial or technical facilities.
• Strong organizational skills and comfort owning cost, schedule, and reliability for the site.

Requirements

• 5 days on-site in Torrance, CA
• U.S. Citizenship required
• Ability to obtain or hold an active TS/SCI clearance

 

Why Fortastra

We are a small, high-impact team building the next generation of autonomous orbital control systems for national security space. At Fortastra, leaders own outcomes from first principles through flight and directly shape the future of resilient, mission-critical spacecraft autonomy.

FORTASTRA TALENT & CULTURE PRINCIPLES

Values Driven by First Principles

We value engineers and operators who prioritize sound judgment, candor, technical rigor, bias for action, and intellectual honesty over corporate consensus. We care about the caliber of the system you build and the speed at which you solve problems.

Talent Density Over Headcount

A high-performing startup is built on dense talent, not organizational bloat. A single exceptional engineer designs, tests, and delivers faster than a bloated committee. We intentionally maintain a lean, elite engineering crew where every contributor directly moves the needle on the mission. 

High Autonomy, High Ownership

We hire domain experts to execute, not to micromanage them. You own your systems end-to-end, from initial architecture and hardware design to testing and deployment. With absolute ownership comes the responsibility to deliver mission critical reliability. 

Mission Context Over Bureaucracy

The best execution happens when teams are provided clear technical objectives, constraints, and operational context, rather than rigid top-down policies. We strip away red tape so builders can iterate, make decisions, and push hardware and flight software forward rapidly. 

Disciplined Speed & Flight Rigor

We move fast because we test often and kill artificial bottlenecks, not because we cut corners. Rapid iteration on the test stand and in simulation is how we learn; an uncompromising flight-readiness bar is how we earn trust. Precision without friction, speed without recklessness.

Direct Impact, Not Career Bureaucracy

You don’t come to Fortastra to climb a corporate ladder or manage slide decks; you come to build complex, flight-ready systems from day one. Growth here is organic, driven by the magnitude of technical challenges you solve and the trust you build across the team. 

Benefits

We take care of our employees so they can focus on what matters most: family, well-being, and life outside of work.

Unlimited Paid Time Off so that you have the time you need to rest and recharge.

Comprehensive Healthcare: Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents, because peace of mind starts with feeling cared for.

Equity: Share in Fortastra's success with equity in the company you're helping build.

401(k): A 401(k) plan to help you invest in your future and plan for what's ahead.

Social Events: Regular social events, team outings, and company-sponsored activities that make this a place people are glad to be part of.

 

The pay range for this role is $120,000.00 - $150,000.00. Where an offer falls within that range depends on factors like your qualifications, experience, location, and interview performance, which we weigh against the market rate for the position.

 

Recruiters & Agencies: Fortastra does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from recruiters, agencies, or third parties. Any candidate submitted without a signed agreement and prior written authorization from Fortastra will not be subject to any fee, and no relationship is implied. Please do not contact Fortastra employees, hiring managers, or recruiting team directly.