Head of Manufacturing
Location
Redwood City, CA
Level
Manager / Director
Department
Energy
Type
Salary
$100,000 - $200,000
Job Description
Posted on:
2026-04-22
Responsibilities
- Own the end-to-end manufacturing function: production planning, process development, quality, facilities, and team management.
- Scale balloon production from hundreds to thousands per month while balancing cost, quality, and flexibility.
- Drive design-for-manufacturability by collaborating with R&D and engineering.
- Lead the manufacturing team, setting goals and fostering a culture of ownership and improvement.
- Define and maintain quality systems that scale with production volume.
- Develop and manage manufacturing schedules in coordination with flight operations.
- Identify and manage supplier relationships while maintaining in-house manufacturing advantages.
Job Requirements
- Strong instinct for appropriate process formalization at various growth stages.
- Comfort with ambiguity and rapid design iteration; experience with actively engineered products.
- Excellent communication skills to collaborate across engineering, operations, and leadership.
- Hands-on manufacturing engineering skills for diagnosing process issues and training technicians.
- Experience with lightweight structures, composites, or flexible materials manufacturing (nice to have).
- Familiarity with electromechanical assembly and rapid prototyping tools (nice to have).
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
