Vice President, Manufacturing

What You'll Do:

• Production Initialization: Lead the transition from prototype to full-scale manufacturing, leveraging your expertise to refine and establish scalable processes, infrastructure, and systems to support delivery of our first customer vehicles and beyond.
• Team Leadership: Build and lead a high-performing, cross-functional manufacturing organization, creating an environment that fosters collaboration, innovation, and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Facility Development: Take ownership of building out manufacturing infrastructure and systems, ensuring that all facilities are equipped to support high-volume, high-precision production.
• Supply Chain & Vendor Management: Oversee the end-to-end supply chain strategy, ensuring material availability, vendor quality, and cost control across critical vehicle systems.
• Process Optimization & Quality Control: Ensure the development of robust, scalable manufacturing processes that prioritize efficiency, quality control, and compliance with relevant safety and environmental standards.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner closely with engineering, product development, and operations teams to ensure alignment across all functions and seamless integration of the manufacturing process into the product lifecycle.
• Data-Driven Leadership: Utilize data and KPIs to drive decision-making, continuously improving manufacturing processes and performance metrics to meet ambitious production targets.

What We’re Looking For:

• End to End Production Leadership: Deep experience standing up manufacturing capabilities from scratch, including successful transitions from prototype to low-rate initial production, and ultimately to high-throughput manufacturing in demanding hardware environments.
• High-Impact, Team-Oriented Organizational Leadership: A highly engaged leader with proven experience setting a clear vision and direction while staying deeply engaged with the team’s work. Leads by example - rolling up sleeves and working alongside the team, stepping in when needed to unblock challenges, and setting the tone through humility, urgency, and shared accountability. Passionate about building and empowering high-performing teams, with a proven track record of building, leading, and scaling manufacturing organizations across engineering, supply chain, quality, and operations. Known for developing talent, fostering strong team dynamics, and creating environments where people thrive.
• Composites Manufacturing Knowledge: Solid understanding of carbon fiber structure manufacturing, including the unique challenges and cost, schedule, quality, and equipment implications compared to metallic primary structures.
• Experience with Complex, Regulated Hardware Systems: A background in regulated industries such as aerospace, defense, maritime, or automotive, with experience delivering high-performance, safety-critical hardware.
• Vehicle System-Level Understanding: A working knowledge of seaglider-relevant systems - composite structures, electric propulsion (motors/batteries), avionics, actuation, sensors, and thermal/HVAC systems.
• Process Engineering & Optimization: A track record of optimizing manufacturing processes - driving cost reduction, quality improvement, and operational efficiency. Skilled in deploying automation technologies (e.g., robotics, CNC machining, industrial automation), applying core manufacturing processes (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma), and implementing digital manufacturing systems (ERP, PLM, MES) to enable scalable, data-driven production.
• Quality Control & Testing:  Experience implementing quality systems and product validation programs aligned with certification and industry standards - ensuring first-article success and high-reliability manufacturing.
• Facility Development & Optimization: Hands-on involvement in designing, standing up, and optimizing manufacturing facilities, from layout and equipment to throughput modeling and day-to-day operations.
• Agile Problem-Solving and Strong Communication: A creative problem-solver who thrives in dynamic environments. Brings a growth mindset, strategic adaptability, and the communication skills needed to lead through change, align diverse stakeholders, and drive progress across all levels of the organization.

Great-to-Haves

• Expertise in manufacturing vehicles designed to carry people, with a focus on quality control, regulatory oversight, and comfort features like interiors, paint, and HVAC.
• Experience manufacturing complex systems on the order of 10-100 per year, with a focus on scaling from prototype to multi-unit delivery.
• Experience managing multiple production sites, especially in scaling international operations to meet growing customer demand.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation including a robust equity incentive plan to reward your contributions to our success.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance - we cover 100% of your premiums (including dependents!).
• 401(k) with company matching, so you can plan for the future.
• Generous flexible time off, paid parental leave, and company-wide holiday breaks.
• Relocation packages available for those moving to join our team.
• Daily, free catered lunches
• Learning & professional development opportunities with the chance to make a direct impact on the company’s growth and success.