Head of Hardware Manufacturing Operations

Applied Intuition • Sunnyvale, CA

3d • $275,000 - $335,000 • Onsite

About The Position

As the Head of Hardware Manufacturing Operations, you will lead a 0 to 1 effort to establish and build out Applied Intuition's hardware operations department. You will own the full hardware manufacturing operations function, selecting and driving domestic and international manufacturing suppliers to deliver physical AI hardware products across automotive, trucking, defense, construction, mining, and agriculture sectors. In this role, you will recruit, scale, and lead a multidisciplinary team spanning Operations Program Managers, Manufacturing Engineers, and Reliability / Quality Engineers to execute on committed hardware deliverables across multiple industries.

Requirements

• BS or MS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related technical field
• 12+ years of experience in hardware operations and supply chain management
• 7+ years of direct experience building and leading engineering and operations teams (OPMs, MEs, Quality/Reliability Engineers)
• Experience managing consumer electronics manufacturing alongside experience in one or more of the following: automotive, trucking, defense, construction, mining, or agriculture
• Deep technical expertise in contract manufacturing management, printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), final assembly, test execution (FATE/ATE), and yield optimization
• Hands-on proficiency managing global supplier pipelines, bill of materials (BOM) costing, vendor audits, and quality control systems (ISO 9001/IATF 16949)

Nice To Haves

• Experience shipping complex hardware products from early prototyping (0 to 1) through high-volume production
• Deep domain experience handling dual-use or defense hardware operational compliance and export requirements
• Track record of working directly with global tier-1 suppliers and contract manufacturers across domestic and international regions

Responsibilities

• Own the full hardware manufacturing operations function and build out the department from 0 to 1
• Select, manage, and drive domestic and international manufacturing suppliers and global supply chains
• Build and lead a high-performing team of Operations Program Managers, Manufacturing Engineers, and Reliability / Quality Engineers
• Drive NPI, DFx, quality assurance, and mass production setups for physical AI hardware across diverse industries
• Oversee committed hardware product deliverables across automotive, trucking, defense, construction, mining, and agriculture verticals
• Manage global supplier selection, yield optimization, contract negotiation, and factory audit processes

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior