Melbourne Robotics Manufacturing Lead

Luminous; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 175,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Luminous Robotics seeks a Head of Manufacturing in Melbourne to build and lead the factory, supply chain and production team for scalable robot manufacturing. You will own readiness, execution, quality and cost targets, collaborating with the GM, Australia, and cross‑functional teams to deliver high‑quality robots on schedule.

You will recruit and develop technicians and supply chain staff, manage capacity, and drive continuous improvements using data and digital tools, with travel to US

Qualifications

• Experience running manufacturing for complex equipment with cost targets.
• Knowledge of mechanical and electrical assembly, BOMs, tooling and testing.
• Experience hiring and developing production staff on the shop floor.
• Experience establishing or scaling production layouts, tooling, staffing and material flow.
• Strong production planning and cost control, including labour, capacity and purchasing.
• Experience managing suppliers, inventory, long‑lead items and corrective actions.
• Practical quality management covering inspection, acceptance testing and traceability.
• Sound judgement on factory safety and technician competence.
• Ability to resolve production issues with engineering and delivery teams and implement controlled changes.
• Comfort building practical processes using data and digital tools.

Responsibilities

• Deliver accepted robots at cost and rate. Own production scheduling, staffing, capacity and material planning.
• Track work in progress, accepted output, on‑time completion and unit cost; resolve constraints before commitments slip.
• Establish factory readiness. Set up layouts, workstations, storage, tooling and test areas.
• Ensure approved instructions and equipment are ready for use, and plan capacity investment within budget.
• Lead safe factory operations. Own safe production practices, technician competence and equipment readiness.
• Transfer of approved tooling, instructions, training and quality checks to US operations and verify execution.

Skills

Leadership

Production planning

Cost control

Supplier management

Quality management

Data analytics

Safety

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Location: Melbourne, Australia. On-site.

Reports To: General Manager, Australia

Compensation: AUD $175,000–$220,000 per annum plus superannuation. Equity available.

Travel: Occasional travel to suppliers, deployment sites and US operations.

Role Summary

The Head of Manufacturing turns approved LUMI designs into accepted robots, delivered safely to the agreed schedule and cost. You will build the team, factory and supply chain needed for reliable production as demand grows.

Reporting to the General Manager, Australia, you will lead manufacturing technicians and supply chain staff in Melbourne. This is a hands-on leadership role, with hiring and investment agreed with the GM.

You own factory readiness, production execution, build quality, purchasing and inventory, and the transfer of common manufacturing practices to US operations.

Production Engineering develops and validates production methods and owns product engineering, configuration changes and technical release. You implement approved methods and changes. Site Production & Delivery owns fleet maintenance, repairs and refurbishment, including workshop work; Business Operations coordinates facilities and business services.

Responsibilities

Deliver accepted robots at cost and rate. Own production scheduling, staffing, capacity and material planning. Track work in progress, accepted output, on-time completion and unit cost; resolve constraints before commitments slip. Establish factory readiness. Set up layouts, workstations, storage, tooling and test areas. Ensure approved instructions and equipment are ready for use, and plan capacity investment within budget. Lead safe factory operations. Own safe production practices, technician competence and equipment readiness. Stop unsafe work and close out hazards and incidents.

Own suppliers and materials. Manage purchasing, supplier performance, inbound logistics and inventory against approved specifications. Maintain stock accuracy, traceability and material availability, including critical spares planned with Delivery. Maintain build quality and acceptance. Own incoming and in-process inspections, final testing, defect closure and build records. Hand over machines that meet engineering acceptance requirements and approved configurations, with complete traceability. Improve build performance. Reduce build hours, rework and cost. Resolve production problems with Engineering and implement new products and approved engineering changes without losing configuration control.

Develop and transfer common manufacturing capability. Work with Production Engineering to develop repeatable methods, with Engineering owning technical validation. Transfer approved tooling, instructions, training and quality checks to US operations and verify consistent execution.

Build and lead the team. Recruit and develop technicians and supply chain staff. Set clear expectations for competence, workmanship and follow-through; coach on the floor and address performance gaps.Maintain useful operating systems. Keep planning, purchasing, inventory and quality records accurate. Use data, AI tools and automation to improve execution, checking outputs against approved information and factory conditions.

Requirements

• A record of running manufacturing or assembly for complex equipment, delivering output, quality and cost targets.
• Practical knowledge of mechanical and electrical assembly, drawings, bills of materials, tooling and testing, gained through manufacturing, engineering or a trade.
• Experience hiring, leading and developing production staff while staying close to the work.
• Experience establishing or scaling production layouts, tooling, staffing and material flow.
• Strong production planning and cost control, including labour, capacity, purchasing requirements and variance analysis.
• Experience managing suppliers, inventory, long-lead items and supplier corrective actions.
• Practical quality management covering inspection, acceptance testing, non-conformance and configuration traceability.
• Sound judgement on factory safety and technician competence.
• Ability to resolve production issues with engineering and delivery teams and implement controlled changes.
• Comfort building practical processes in an evolving operation, using data and digital tools without unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Australian working rights and availability for full-time, on-site work in Melbourne and occasional travel.

Nice to Haves

• Robotics, industrial automation, heavy equipment or other complex machinery.
• Moving from prototype or pilot builds to repeatable, low-volume production.
• Transferring production between facilities or countries and training receiving teams.
• ERP/MRP systems and lean or Six Sigma methods.
• Manufacturing quality systems, including ISO 9001.

About Luminous

Luminous Robotics develops autonomous robots for utility-scale solar installation. With teams in Australia and the US, we connect engineering, manufacturing and field deployment.

You will build the manufacturing capability behind real robots, lead a strong team and see the results leave the factory ready for work.