Prototype-to-Production Manager

Motivo 36•Rancho Dominguez, CA, CA

38d•$130,000 - $160,000

About The Position

Motivo is seeking a Prototype-to-Production Manager to lead and scale our newly formalized “Launch” division. At Motivo, “Launch” isn’t about closing the gap between mankind and the moon, it's about closing the gap between prototypes and production. This leader will sit at the critical intersection of engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and client delivery, ensuring that manufacturability, operational readiness, and unit economics are built into product decisions early rather than solved late. The role is intentionally scoped with a clear path to broader independence and ownership as the capability matures.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, industrial engineering, operations, NPI, or product realization, ideally in electromechanical hardware.
Demonstrated success owning the transition from development builds to pilot production, low-volume or scaled manufacturing, with responsibility for planning, risk, and cross-functional execution.
Proven ability to build or formalize operating systems, processes, and governance from the ground up in environments that are scaling quickly or moving from prototype toward production.
Strong command of DFM, DFA, process validation, PFMEA, production line design, test strategy, and manufacturing tradeoff decision-making.
Strong grasp of supplier qualification, sourcing strategy, cost structure, negotiations, and operational planning.

Nice To Haves

Experience in automotive, aerospace, robotics, autonomous systems, energy, or other advanced hardware sectors where design-to-production transitions are complex and high stakes.
Familiarity with quality and regulated manufacturing environments, including standards such as ISO 9001, AS9100, or IATF 16949.
Familiarity with Lean Six Sigma principles, with a specific focus on value stream mapping, root cause analysis (e.g., 5 Whys), and eliminating process waste
Experience working in high-mix, low-volume settings and building the bridge from engineering agility to operational discipline.
Comfort operating as a senior individual leader today, while building toward broader organizational leadership responsibilities over time.

Responsibilities

Lead a matrixed team spanning manufacturing, engineering, sourcing, fabrication, and program execution to ensure products are designed with manufacturability, quality, and production readiness in mind from the outset.
Define, deploy, and continuously improve Motivo’s Minimum Viable Line approach; a manual-first, right-sized production system that enables low-rate initial production, process learning, and repeatable output before scale capital is committed for high-volume scale manufacturing.
Establish review gates, pilot build manufacturing objectives, and production handoff standards that move programs from concept validation to reliable execution.
Serve as a senior decision-maker when technical requirements and scalable manufacturing realities conflict - driving pragmatic tradeoff decisions that protect product intent while enabling production success.
Partner at the proposal stage to evaluate whether a client program requires design-only support or an integrated Launch approach - shaping scope, risk posture, and commercial strategy. Develop and improve batch-build and production readiness cost estimation models and rules of thumb.
Expand a resilient supply base and sourcing model that supports prototyping, pilot builds, and low-volume production, including vendor qualification, make-buy decisions, lead-time strategy, and commercial negotiation.
Define the roadmap for fit-for-purpose systems and tools - including spreadsheets where appropriate, and over time right-sized ERP, PLM, PDM, MES, or related systems - to support Launch maturity without introducing unnecessary overhead too early.