Director, Contract Manufacturing Operations

Aether Biomachines•Menlo Park, CA

1h•$140,000 - $200,000

About The Position

Aether is seeking a Director, Contract Manufacturing Operations to own the day-to-day performance of its contract manufacturing organization (CMO) network. The network spans multiple sites and production stages, from chemical synthesis through compounding and finished material production. The VP of Manufacturing selects and qualifies CMO partners; this role ensures each partner delivers on its commitments for schedule, specifications, and cost. The Director will represent Aether on site at partner facilities, oversee production plans, uphold supply agreements, and address problems directly with site and plant leadership. The role works at the plant and site leadership level, complementing process engineers who coordinate with CMO engineering teams on technical details. It also aligns manufacturing execution with commercial demand so the network’s production plans reflect what Aether sells. As one of the first hires in a new manufacturing organization, this person will help establish how Aether manages its CMO partners over the long term. The role requires travel 30 to 50% of the time. Compensation is $140,000 to $200,000 per year plus equity, with final compensation based on skills and experience.

Requirements

10+ years in manufacturing operations, with significant time managing contract manufacturers or outsourced production.
Experience in chemicals, polymers, specialty materials, or similar process industries.
A track record of holding external partners to commitments, with the ability to escalate to plant leadership while maintaining relationships.
Working fluency in supply agreements, production scheduling, and manufacturing cost drivers.
Strong organizational and program management skills across multiple sites.
Willingness to travel 30 to 50% of the time.

Nice To Haves

Experience working at a CMO or tolling facility.
Experience at an early-stage or fast-growing company.
Familiarity with ISO 9001 quality systems.

Responsibilities

Own day-to-day performance of Aether’s CMO network across multiple sites and production stages.
Ensure each partner has credible production plans that meet Aether’s schedule, specifications, and cost targets.
Hold partners accountable to supply agreements, and escalate and resolve issues directly with site and plant leadership.
Be on site for production campaigns and new CMO onboarding, and support the VP of Manufacturing in standing up new partners.
Coordinate schedules and handoffs between partners where different stages of production happen at different sites.
Translate commercial demand into production plans the CMO network can execute, in partnership with the commercial and supply chain teams.
Track partner performance on delivery, cost, and output, and report it to manufacturing leadership.
Work with quality and process engineering so that CMO execution reflects Aether’s specifications and process requirements.