About the company
Our client is a technology company.
The role
Raydar is recruiting for this role on behalf of our client. Lead a hands-on production organization that is moving a complex hardware product from early prototypes to steady, repeatable output. The role covers people management, day-to-day build oversight, process design and the creation of a growing operations function. It suits someone who enjoys setting up new systems rather than running an established one.
What you'll do
- Manage assembly technicians and manufacturing engineers, and expand the operations team over time.
- Oversee builds already underway, deciding daily priorities, working around material shortages and raising issues early when work is blocked.
- Bring down the labor hours needed to assemble each unit by refining processes, shortening cycle times and developing fixtures and tools.
- Lead new product introduction from the first engineering release through pilot runs to production-ready builds.
- Provide design engineers with clear, practical input on how easily their designs can be built.
- Maintain build documentation, work instructions and manufacturing data systems, ensuring they stay current as designs evolve.
- Serve as the primary liaison to the manufacturing plant as it scales.
Requirements
What we're looking for
- 7+ years in manufacturing or new product introduction engineering.
- Experience supervising assembly technicians and engineers, either in a formal management role or as a team lead.
- A record of setting up production lines and the operations teams that support them.
- Background with complex electromechanical products built in small batches with high variety.
- Hands-on experience moving a product from prototype stage to stable production.
- Practical process development skills, including fixture design, assembly methods and selecting tooling.
- Comfort working with product lifecycle and bill of materials systems.
- Ability to work on-site 5 days per week.
Bonus points
- Scripting skills for handling manufacturing data, such as Python.
- Experience with wire harness and cable assembly.
- Skill at collaborating with mechanical and electrical engineers and taking a clear stance on buildability.
Benefits
Compensation and benefits
- Base salary: USD 150,000 to 250,000 per year
- Relocation support
Location and work model
- San Mateo, California, United States
- On-site, 5 days per week in the office
- Full-time
Skills Required
- 7+ years of experience in manufacturing or new product introduction engineering
- Experience supervising assembly technicians and manufacturing engineers in a management or team lead capacity
- Experience setting up production lines and supporting operations teams
- Experience with complex, high-variety, small-batch electromechanical products
- Hands-on experience moving products from prototype stage to stable production
- Practical process development experience, including fixture design, assembly methods, and tooling selection
- Experience with product lifecycle and bill of materials systems
- Ability to work on-site five days per week in San Mateo, California
- Scripting experience for manufacturing data, such as Python
- Experience with wire harness and cable assembly
- Ability to collaborate with mechanical and electrical engineers and assess product buildability
What We Do
Raydar is a talent acquisition and business consulting firm that connects world-class and emerging talent with growing organizations. It supports companies through team development, strategic hiring, and customized growth solutions, helping clients recruit roles such as engineers, product managers, executives, legal counsel, and quantitative traders. Raydar focuses on understanding each organization’s needs, culture, and long-term goals to build high-impact teams.
