Director, Manufacturing Operations

Cobot•Santa Clara, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Collaborative Robotics is a team of innovators and builders redefining the future of human-robot interaction. We are working to realize a world where robots are a trusted extension of your surroundings. They work, adapt, and react around you. Not the other way around. This role is located at our Santa Clara, CA headquarters.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering or operations, with at least 3–5 years in a leadership role.
Hands-on experience transitioning products to contract manufacturers and scaling production.
Strong technical foundation in manufacturing process development, DFM/A, and quality systems.
Proven ability to manage builds, resolve production issues, and lead cross-functional collaboration with design, test, and supply chain.
Demonstrated success building and mentoring technical teams.
Highly motivated teammate with excellent oral and written communication skills.
Enjoy working in a fast-paced, collaborative, and dynamic start-up environment as part of a small team.
Willing to occasionally travel.
Must have and maintain US work authorization.

Nice To Haves

Experience with MES, SPC, or similar production tracking systems.
Background in robotics or complex electromechanical hardware.
Familiarity with regulatory requirements and certifications (CE, UL, ISO9001, ISO13485).
Demonstrated ability to drive cost, yield, and quality improvements in manufacturing.
Advanced degree in engineering, operations, or related field.

Responsibilities

Lead the day-to-day manufacturing function as we transition from in-house builds to volume production with a contract manufacturer (CM).
Drive smooth knowledge transfer to the CM, including documentation, tooling, and test systems.
Monitor CM performance against quality, yield, and throughput KPIs; escalate and drive corrective actions when issues arise.
Conduct DFM/A reviews with engineering teams to ensure designs are manufacturable and cost-effective.
Own pilot builds and early production runs, ensuring process validation and readiness for volume ramp.
Implement and improve core manufacturing processes, quality systems, and reporting tools.
Build and manage a small but growing manufacturing engineering team focused on NPI
Travel to contract manufacturer and vendor facilities to support builds and delivery.