About Arkeus

Arkeus is a world leader in the provision of wide-area autonomous optical search systems in the Search, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance space for Defence, Civil Defence and Environmental Sustainment applications. We specialise in the design, fabrication, manufacture and distribution of these innovative systems.

Backed by the billion-dollar deep-tech and industry expert investors Main Sequence, Beaten Zone Venture Partners, and Salus Ventures we are scaling the deployment of our next-generation hardware-enabled software platform to help our customers improve security and save lives.

We are a small yet fast-growing company with energy, passion and ambition. Our inclusive, transparent and merit-based culture focuses on building a diverse and capable workforce - one that attracts skilled individuals who share our purpose and values.

About the role:

Arkeus is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Manager to strengthen and scale our manufacturing capability as we transition into our next phase of growth.

This role is critical in formalising production systems, embedding Defence-aligned regulatory standards and ensuring our manufacturing operations evolve in line with increasing product complexity and customer demand.

You will guide and optimise manufacturing processes, strengthen supply chain capability and establish robust quality assurance frameworks.
Reporting directly to the COO, you will be a key member of the operations team and work closely with Engineering and the C-Suite to support Arkeus’ ambitious growth.

About you:

• An experienced Manufacturing Manager and/or Engineer with a strong interest in scaling production capability within a high-technology environment.
• A confident communicator who can collaborates effectively with engineering, suppliers and cross-functional teams.
• A structured and disciplined operator who understands the importance of compliance, documentation and traceability in regulated industries such as Defence and aerospace.
• Passionate about technology and high-value products, you take pride in building systems that deliver precision, reliability and quality at scale.

Key responsibilities:

• Design and manage production cells for aerospace sensor products, ensuring efficient layouts repeatability and scalability.
• Develop and formalise manufacturing processes across assembly, integration and testing, embedding structured documentation and quality controls.
• Define and manage Bills of Materials (BOM), coordinate with local suppliers to support domestic sourcing, and implement structured stock and inventory management processes.
• Define tools, metrics and KPIs to track manufacturing output, yield, efficiency and continuous improvement.
• Source and maintain production equipment, including installation, validation and preventive maintenance programmes.
• Lead recruitment, training and supervision of production staff while promoting a culture of safety, accountability and operational excellence.

Your experience and skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Manufacturing, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a manufacturing / production engineering role.
• Experience operating in small-scale, high-value or complex product environments.
• Proficiency in manufacturing systems and tools such as ERP, PLM or production tracking systems.
• Experience in Defence, aerospace or other regulated industries is highly regarded.
• Experience with electronics assembly, PCB manufacture and testing.
• Experience improving or scaling manufacturing processes within a growing organisation.

What we offer:

• We make incredible things – you will be working in a company at the forefront of innovation in Australia.
• You will collaborate with experienced leaders, with backgrounds in aerospace, Defence and academic research and development – and just as much passion and energy as you have.
• You will become a part of a close-knit, inclusive, and connected team, immersed in a dynamic startup culture. We focus on recruiting the best – this is the opportunity to surround yourself with other like-minded professionals who enjoy working in an environment where we are inspired by the passion and capability of the very people we work with.
• You will benefit from workplace flexibility and work-life balance.
• You have an opportunity to get in on the ground floor with our Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP)
• We will give you the chance to make a real difference.

If this sounds like you, please apply even if you don't check every box listed above and join our growing team in improving security and saving lives!