Automotive Technical Director

Machina Labs•Los Angeles, CA

5h•$180,000 - $230,000

About The Position

Machina Labs is seeking an Automotive Technical Director will serve as our senior technical leader for the automotive sector, translating deep automotive OEM and Tier 1 manufacturing expertise into a new, first-of-a kind customization offering by Machina Labs. This role bridges advanced robotics with automotive manufacturing rigor, ensuring our technology meets industry standards for quality, manufacturability, and throughput. You will act as the technical face of Machina Labs with automotive customers while partnering internally with Engineering and Operations to embed automotive workflows and processes into our factories. This is a strategic and hands-on role focused on shaping our automotive offering, supporting customer engagements, and driving the evolution from early concepts to repeatable and scalable production.

Requirements

15+ years of experience within the automotive industry at an OEM and/or Tier 1 supplier.
Deep hands-on experience with BIW, stamping and forming, welding, and paint systems.
Demonstrated success transitioning manufacturing programs from pilot to full production.
Strong working knowledge of automotive quality systems and production standards.
Ability to operate effectively at both plant-floor and executive strategy levels.
Established credibility and reputation within the automotive ecosystem.
Bachelorâs or Masterâs degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or related STEM field.
Willingness to travel approximately 25 percent.

Nice To Haves

Experience in startup or high-growth environments.
Experience introducing innovative or non-traditional manufacturing technologies.
Background in advanced manufacturing, robotics, or automation systems.

Responsibilities

Lead the evolution of Machina Labsâ automotive solutions from early production programs to scaled, repeatable deployment.
Apply deep expertise in BIW, stamping and forming, welding, painting, and final assembly to ensure manufacturability, quality, and production readiness.
Establish and institutionalize production readiness frameworks that meet or exceed OEM and Tier 1 standards.
Act as the senior customer-facing technical authority for OEM and Tier 1 engagements.
Support RFQs, technical reviews, manufacturing assessments, and executive-level discussions.
Build long-term customer trust through technical credibility, clarity of communication, and disciplined execution.
Represent Machina Labs in strategic automotive engagements, conferences, and industry forums.
Translate external automotive trends and customer feedback into actionable input for product development, process maturity, and roadmap priorities.
Partner cross-functionally with Engineering, Operations, and Factory Deployment teams to integrate automotive-grade standards into scalable systems.
Mentor internal teams on automotive expectations, structured decision-making, and production discipline.