Vice President, Manufacturing

Saildrone • Alameda, CA

3d • $280,000 - $330,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Saildrone is seeking a Vice President, Manufacturing to join our executive leadership team. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will play a critical role in evolving our manufacturing and supply chain footprint from a specialized assembly shop to a world-class, global production organization capable of meeting stringent commercial and defense demands. We are looking for a proven operational leader who combines strategic vision with tactical grit - someone who can design a 5-year operational roadmap but is equally willing to roll up their sleeves on the factory floor to solve an immediate bottleneck.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical), Supply Chain Management, or a related technical field; an MBA or advanced degree is a significant plus.
• 20 years of progressive leadership experience in hardware manufacturing, supply chain, and procurement operations within complex, high-reliability industries (e.g., aerospace, autonomous systems, robotics, defense, or clean-tech).
• Proven success scaling a hardware company from low-rate initial production (LRIP) to high-rate, global scaled production utilizing external contract manufacturers.
• Deep experience navigating US Department of Defense (DoD) procurement, Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR/DFARS), defense prime contractors, and managing cleared/secure supply chains.
• Demonstrated proficiency in financial acumen, with a deep understanding of COGS, capex planning, inventory turn optimization, and margin expansion levers.
• Success serving as a key operator of a senior executive team in providing input to the CEO or board of directors, to drive business decisions and strategic objectives.

Nice To Haves

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, APICS/CPIM, or equivalent operational and supply chain certifications are highly preferred.
• Direct experience in shipbuilding, naval architecture production, or advanced marine hardware manufacturing, including working knowledge of composite materials, marine-grade electronics, and hull fabrication processes would be nice.
• Possession of, or the ability to obtain, a U.S. Security Clearance is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead Saildrone's end-to-end manufacturing strategy: optimize in-house production for prototyping, core IP, and low-volume/high-complexity builds while global scaling contract partners for additional subsystems and platform requirements.
• Implement rigorous Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5S, and Continuous Improvement methodologies across all internal and external production lines to maximize throughput, optimize space utilization, and eliminate waste.
• Lead Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) initiatives in close partnership with Engineering and New Product Introduction (NPI) teams to actively reduce unit economics and assembly complexity.
• Build and manage a resilient global supply chain architecture capable of supporting rapid scaling and unpredictable global logistics environments.
• Oversee global sourcing strategies for all direct and indirect materials, leading high-value contract negotiations with tier-1 suppliers to achieve aggressive cost-reduction targets without compromising on quality or lead times.
• Establish and enforce world-class quality management systems (QMS) across internal facilities and CM sites, ensuring production methodologies align with maritime hull, mechanical, and electrical (HM&E) reliability standards.
• Drive manufacturing processes, IT systems, and supply chain operations to comply with defense and regulatory standards, which may include ITAR, EAR, FAR/DFARS, NIST SP 800-171, and CMMC requirements.
• Partner cross-functionally with Engineering, Finance, and Government/Defense Relations to bridge teams and seamlessly align corporate OKRs with manufacturing execution.
• Build and mentor a high-performing, multidisciplinary manufacturing and supply chain team while fostering a culture of accountability, ownership, collaboration, and operational excellence.

Benefits

• Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual plus a robust annual holiday schedule and paid sick leave
• Premium, multi-tier Medical, Dental, and Vision plans with significant company contributions for employees and dependents
• Equity grants
• 401(k) retirement plan with flexible pre-tax and Roth payroll contribution options
• Annual professional development reimbursement program
• Relocation assistance

What This Job Offers

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