Head of Manufacturing Design Program Manager

Etched • San Jose, CA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Etched is seeking a Head of Manufacturing Design Program Manager to lead technical manufacturing readiness across new product introduction and mass production for our transformer-specific AI systems. This role sits at the intersection of design engineering, test engineering, SMT, FATP, and operations, driving cross-functional execution from early DFM reviews through production ramp and yield optimization. You will own manufacturing program health, supplier readiness, capacity planning, and executive-level manufacturing reporting for some of the highest performance AI hardware systems ever deployed.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience leading manufacturing operations, NPI, or technical program management for complex hardware systems in high-volume electronics or compute infrastructure environments.
• Deep expertise in one or more manufacturing disciplines including mechanical integration, test engineering, industrial engineering, SMT process engineering, or factory operations.
• Experience driving DFM and production readiness reviews for complex electromechanical assemblies and multi-board systems.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing development phases including EVT, DVT, PVT, and production ramp.
• Proven experience managing contract manufacturers, FATP partners, and cross-functional factory execution.
• Ability to communicate manufacturing status, risks, and tradeoffs clearly to executive leadership and engineering stakeholders.
• Willingness to work in-person from our San Jose office and travel internationally to manufacturing partners as needed.

Nice To Haves

• Experience scaling AI servers, accelerator systems, networking hardware, or other high-performance compute platforms.
• Familiarity with factory yield analytics, SPC methodologies, process capability metrics, and manufacturing data systems.
• Experience with liquid-cooled systems, high-density compute integration, or advanced packaging technologies.
• Hands-on experience with automated test infrastructure, board validation, or system-level manufacturing diagnostics.
• Background working closely with ASIC, systems, thermal, or reliability engineering teams.
• Experience building manufacturing organizations or operational frameworks from the ground up in fast-scaling environments.

Responsibilities

• Drive manufacturing technical readiness across NPI and mass production phases in close partnership with test engineering, FATP process engineering, SMT engineering, and hardware design teams.
• Lead DFM reviews with design engineering teams across L6/L11 assemblies, identifying manufacturability risks, integration bottlenecks, and process constraints before production ramp.
• Own manufacturing readiness reviews, including weekly executive reporting on build readiness, factory status, process capability, yield trends, risk mitigation, and supplier execution.
• Partner with contract manufacturers and supply chain teams to develop production capacity plans, line bring-up schedules, tooling readiness, and ramp strategies.
• Drive process capability improvements and yield optimization initiatives across SMT, mechanical integration, and final assembly/test operations.
• Coordinate engineering issue resolution during prototype, EVT, DVT, PVT, and mass production builds, ensuring rapid root-cause analysis and closure.
• Establish manufacturing KPIs, escalation frameworks, and operational review mechanisms to improve production predictability and execution quality.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage
• $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits
• Housing subsidy of $2k per month for those living within walking distance of the office
• Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)
• Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more
• Daily lunch and dinner in our office

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed