Head of Autonomous Manufacturing & Ramp-Up

SDFM; Rock Hill (SC); On-site; USD 240,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Powerus is seeking a VP of Manufacturing to lead a fast-paced ramp in a startup-style environment focused on defense-grade autonomous systems. You will own strategy, planning, and execution of facilities and production lines, partnering with engineering, supply chain, and program leadership to translate delivery requirements into reliable output.

The role requires a visible factory-floor leader capable of rapid decision-making, removing constraints, and building capable teams that deliver on

Qualifications

• Experience building manufacturing capability in an early-stage business.
• Ability to explain starting point, output, timeframe, team size, and decisions you owned.
• Understanding of defense hardware production at pace and scale.
• Leadership in complex hardware assembly, integration, and test."],
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Responsibilities

• Own the ramp and align facilities, equipment, materials, workforce, and processes with delivery commitments.
• Scale assembly, integration, and test operations from initial builds to repeatable production.
• Create capacity plans and production schedules based on materials, labor, cycle times.
• Recruit and develop manufacturing managers, supervisors, technicians, and teams.
• Establish shift structures, training, and frontline leadership.
• Ensure factory readiness: layout, tooling, fixtures, equipment, and material flow.
• Lead daily manufacturing reviews with targets, escalation routes, and constraints resolution.
• Collaborate with engineering to improve manufacturability and manage changes during ramp.
• Coordinate with supply chain to secure materials and align supplier capacity.
• Embed quality, safety, traceability, and configuration control into processes.
• Own budgets, capital needs, labor productivity, and cost improvements.
• Track throughput, first-pass yield, schedule attainment, rework, and unit cost.
• Leverage AI tools, automation, and data for planning, visibility, problem-solving, and execution.
• Develop repeatable practices to support growth across products and facilities.

Skills

Startup experience

Ramp leadership

Defense manufacturing

Assembly operations

Production planning

Team leadership

Capital investment

Data/AI in manufacturing

Job description

Powerus is seeking a VP of Manufacturing to lead a fast-paced ramp in a startup-style environment focused on defense-grade autonomous systems. You will own strategy, planning, and execution of facilities and production lines, partnering with engineering, supply chain, and program leadership to translate delivery requirements into reliable output.

The role requires a visible factory-floor leader capable of rapid decision-making, removing constraints, and building capable teams that deliver on