Associate Director, Manufacturing

Who we are:  

We're transforming one of the world’s oldest industries with cutting-edge technology and an innovative approach. Backed by top-tier investors and recognized by Time as one of the "best Inventions of 2024" and Fast Company as one of 2024's "Next Big Things in Tech", Electra is scaling rapidly and we're looking for bold, driven individuals to help us reshape the future of iron production. If you're ready to make a real impact in a company that's redefining heavy industry for a cleaner, smarter world, we want to hear from you.

What you will do:  

The Associate Director, Manufacturing, reporting to the Vice President of Industrial Engineering & Automation. This Associate Director will build and lead a team of manufacturing engineers, while serving as the technical authority for outsourced manufacturing. Early-stage development, custom builds, and rapid iteration are led by the Rapid Prototyping organization; this role assumes ownership once product designs transition into demonstration, and production execution. 

This role translates product and process requirements into scalable manufacturing solutions, qualifies and recommends capable contract manufacturers, and ensures manufacturing readiness for demonstration-scale operations. The Associate Director partners closely with Supply Chain—including Supplier Quality Engineering—to align technical execution with commercial and contractual activities, while retaining direct responsibility for internal inspection and product specification compliance. 

This role exists to transform proven Electra designs into reliable, repeatable manufacturing systems that enable confident demonstration operations and scalable production. 

Responsibilities include:

Manufacturing execution & scale-up 

• Lead execution of the manufacturing strategy from demonstration readiness through ongoing production (~30,000 units) 
• Own structured handoff from Rapid Prototyping into Manufacturing, including transfer of process intent, key learnings, tooling concepts, and known technical risks. 
• Drive the transition of Electra product designs from development into manufacturable, scalable, and cost-effective production solutions 
• Own ongoing production and availability of product and spares in support of Demonstration Plant operations, ensuring reliable execution while Rapid Prototyping focuses on next-generation development. 
• Execute make/buy decisions, capacity plans, and manufacturing roadmaps in alignment with VP-level direction 
• Ensure manufacturing execution meets performance, quality, safety, cost, and schedule objectives for Electra’s operating plants 
• Serve as the technical authority for outsourced manufacturing of subcomponents.
• Identify, evaluate, and recommend qualified and capable contract manufacturers based on technical capability, process maturity, quality systems, and scalability 
• Lead supplier technical assessments, manufacturing readiness reviews, and process capability evaluations 
• Define manufacturing requirements, process controls, inspection strategies, and acceptance criteria for external suppliers based on industrialization and demonstration-scale learnings 
• Partner with Supply Chain to support supplier selection and onboarding, with Supply Chain owning commercial negotiations, financial terms, and legal contracts 
• Collaborate with Supplier Quality Engineering to ensure supplier processes, controls, and corrective actions align with Electra’s technical and quality requirements 
• Provide technical risk assessments and escalation for supplier-related manufacturing issues 

Quality, metrology & inspection ownership 

• Serve as the Manufacturing functional owner for metrology and inspection capabilities supporting demonstration and production manufacturing 
• Define manufacturing inspection requirements, measurement system needs, and validation expectations aligned with product, supplier, and manufacturing execution requirements 
• Partner with Rapid Prototyping, Cell Design, Engineering, and Quality to define acceptance criteria, control plans, inspection strategies, and handoff requirements as products transition into Manufacturing ownership 
• Ensure inspection methods, measurement systems, and test protocols supporting Manufacturing are capable, validated, and fit for purpose 
• Leverage inspection and metrology data to support supplier qualification, demonstration readiness, ongoing performance evaluation, and corrective action efforts 
• Ensure traceability, documentation, and data integrity for manufacturing and quality records required to support demonstration and production operations 

 Team leadership & development 

• Build, lead and develop a multidisciplinary team of manufacturing engineers 
• Set execution priorities, technical direction, and performance expectations aligned with departmental objectives 
• Coach and mentor team members to enable independent ownership of complex manufacturing and process development efforts 
• Foster a safety-first culture focused on accountability, continuous improvement, and execution excellence 

Cross-functional collaboration 

• Partner closely with Rapid Prototyping to ensure effective transfer of designs, process knowledge, and lessons learned as products transition into demonstration and manufacturing readiness. 
• Represent Manufacturing execution priorities in cross-functional product development, operations, and readiness forums 
• Provide DFM/DFA guidance to Cell Design and Engineering to support manufacturable, cost-effective Electra product designs 
• Work closely with Supply Chain, Quality, and Operations to align supplier technical readiness, inspection strategy, and manufacturing output with plant startup and commissioning needs 
• Provide manufacturing readiness updates, technical risk assessments, and execution status to senior leadership 

Operational excellence & problem solving 

• Lead resolution of complex manufacturing, quality, yield, and supplier issues across internal and external production environments 
• Apply structured problem-solving and root cause analysis methods for high-impact issues 
• Establish and track manufacturing KPIs and performance metrics across internal operations and external suppliers 
• Ensure all manufacturing activities comply with safety, environmental, and company policies 

What we need you to bring to the team:   

• Bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience considered 
• 12+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing engineering, with 4 to 8 years in an industrial production operations setting 
• Demonstrated success scaling products beyond prototype or pilot stages into outsourced or hybrid-volume manufacturing 
• Strong experience qualifying and managing contract manufacturers for precision plastic and metal components and assemblies 
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing technical teams 
• Deep understanding of DFM, DFA, and design-for-scalability principles 
• Experience defining manufacturing requirements, acceptance criteria, and inspection strategies 
• Familiarity with metrology systems, measurement system analysis (MSA), and validation of inspection methods 
• Track record of solving complex, cross-functional manufacturing and supply chain challenges 
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders 
• Highly organized, decisive, and effective in a fast-paced startup environment 
• Experience owning manufacturing execution