Serene Mandel
Serene Mandel is a quality inspection and compliance professional in the aerospace and aviation manufacturing industry whose career reflects a unique blend of military service, technical expertise, and unwavering dedication to safety. Her professional foundation was built during 13 years of active-duty service in the U.S. Navy, followed by seven years as a civilian Navy contractor, where she developed extensive training in electronics, systems operations, and precision-driven technical work. Seeking a new challenge outside the military sector, she transitioned into manufacturing, first gaining experience at Johnson & Johnson Vision before discovering her passion for quality assurance and compliance.
Today, Serene serves as a Quality Inspector III with SpaceX Starlink Aviation, where she plays a critical role in certifying aircraft components that must meet rigorous aerospace standards before entering service. Working alongside a team responsible for inspecting hundreds of parts and assemblies each day, she specializes in physical compliance inspections for both incoming and outgoing materials. Her previous experience with aerospace manufacturer Isovolta further strengthened her expertise in FAA-regulated quality systems, compliance testing, and manufacturing standards. Throughout her career, she has earned a reputation for diligence and integrity, taking tremendous pride in ensuring that nonconforming products never reach customers and that safety is never compromised for the sake of production speed.
Beyond her technical accomplishments, Serene is recognized for her perseverance and determination to excel in highly specialized industries where representation remains limited. She considers earning the respect of colleagues and advancing to her current level of responsibility as one of her proudest achievements. Guided by a philosophy of persistence and self-belief, she encourages others to pursue ambitious goals without self-imposed limitations, often sharing the advice, “Make them tell you no.” Whether protecting the integrity of aerospace products, supporting her colleagues, or pursuing creative projects outside of work, Serene approaches every challenge with professionalism, resilience, and a commitment to excellence.
• Regent University
American Government and Politics (United States)
• Florida State College at Jacksonville
Associate of Arts - AA
• Navy Awards
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Make them tell you no. Always take the shot and aim as high as you possibly can, and make them tell you no. Because it's not a no until they say it. So often, we doubt ourselves before we even get there and never actually take the shot. That's always been my philosophy. If I'm on the fence about something, I'm gonna make them tell me no. You take it as a yes until they tell you no.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Probably the biggest challenge is the unending kind of war that goes on between production and quality. Production's whole goal is to make parts and get them out, and to a certain degree, quality can sometimes be seen as conflictory with that goal. But we have to make sure that planes stay in the sky. We don't need an aeroshell ripping off the top of an airplane and taking out the tail in mid-flight. That'd be bad.
Locations
SpaceX
Renton, WA 98055