Operations Program Manager, Manufacturing Readiness

Mill is a waste prevention technology company reimagining what it means to eliminate waste, starting with food. We build smart systems and infrastructure for homes, businesses, and municipalities that transform food scraps from landfill-bound waste into valuable resources, including chicken feed. Tens of thousands of Mill’s residential food recyclers are already helping households divert millions of pounds of food scraps every year, paving the way for our upcoming launch of Mill Commercial—the industry’s first end-to-end solution for managing, understanding, and preventing food waste in commercial environments (e.g. grocery, restaurants, food services). At Mill, we are passionate about building easy-to-use, beautifully designed technologies that keep food in the food system and out of landfills.

Role Description: Mill is expanding into commercial production, and we need one person to own manufacturing and operations readiness from the first builds through mass production. You will be accountable for getting EVT, DVT and PVT done on time, and for the results of both our contract manufacturer and our own operations team.

This is a hands-on, high-change role in a startup. You will spend your days chasing, checking and aligning every workstream, not managing from a distance. Plans, quantities and designs change often, and we need someone who stays structured, makes decisions quickly with incomplete information, and communicates clearly under pressure.

What you will own

• End-to-end readiness:

  Own manufacturing and operations readiness for each build gate (EVT, DVT and PVT) through mass production. Define what “ready” means for each gate and drive every team to it.

• Cross-functional alignment:

  Work daily with Manufacturing, Logistics, Quality, Test, Engineering, Supply Chain and BOM owners. Make sure each team has what it needs, knows its deadlines, and is on track.

• Master schedule and readiness tracking:

  Own and maintain the master manufacturing readiness schedule, including dependencies, risks and open items. Run the core team cadence and report status up to leadership.

• Clear to Build (CTB):

  Collaborate with Material Program Manager and Global Supply Managers to drive CTB for each build. This includes part status, drawing and BOM completeness, order ownership, and visibility across a small supply team.

• Contract manufacturer performance:

  Be the Mill owner for the contract manufacturer relationship. Hold the CM accountable for their results and hold Mill’s own teams accountable for what we owe the CM.

• Demand and ramp:

  Work with Demand/Planning to match production capacity and ramp to demand. Give early notice of the lead time needed for any change to the plan of record.

• Supply:

  Work with Global Supply Managers so procurement and long-lead material support build plans.

• Builds and certification:

  Plan and run development builds and the testing required for certification with Engineering.

• Change management:

  Communicate changes to the CM and internal teams quickly and clearly, with the reason, the impact and a proposed way forward.

• Risk and escalation:

  Keep a live risk register. Flag issues early with a recommended solution, not just a problem.

• Commercial agreements:

  Support the MSA and related agreements as needed. This is a small part of the role.

What we’re looking for

• 10+ years in manufacturing operations or manufacturing program management for hardware products, with direct ownership of results at a third-party manufacturer (CM, JDM or OEM).

• A track record of taking products through EVT, DVT, PVT and ramp to mass production, with specific examples you can describe in detail, including what you owned, what went wrong and the outcome.

• Hands-on experience with Logistics, Quality, Test and BOM or supply readiness, not just coordinating them from the side.

• Experience bringing up a new factory, line or manufacturing location is strongly preferred.

• Strong operational discipline, with a structured approach and the ability to move fast and decide with incomplete information.

• Clear, concise communication with the CM, executives and cross-functional teams.

• Startup or small-company experience strongly preferred, and comfort building process as you go.

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.

• Spanish language skills are a plus.

The estimated base salary range for this position is $195k to $225k, which does not include the value of benefits or a potential equity grant. A wide range of factors are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to skill sets, market conditions, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and business and organizational needs.