Head of Manufacturing – Autonomous Freight Vehicles

Gatik; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

Gatik, the leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics, seeks a Head of Manufacturing in Santa Clara, CA to scale production of our autonomous freight vehicles. You will own end-to-end manufacturing operations, ramp, quality systems, and supplier management to ensure safety and reliability across the fleet.

You’ll build a high-performing team, collaborate with contract manufacturers, and implement repeatable, cost-efficient processes for a safety-critical platform already deployed in active

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership for vehicle or hardware scaling.
• Experience with contract manufacturing networks and multi-vendor ecosystems.
• Proven ability to scale production, ensure quality, and meet safety standards.
• Hands-on background with vehicle electronics integration and harnessing.
• Experience leading quality teams and implementing robust quality management systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead production ramp and high-volume execution for Gatik’s autonomous freight fleet.
• Oversee contract manufacturers, optimize cost, quality, and schedules.
• Plan factory floor layouts and production processes for efficiency.
• Develop long-term manufacturing and quality strategies.
• Lead retrofit programs and support service escalations.
• Define build documents and manufacturing procedures per industry best practices.
• Collaborate with Autonomy, Hardware, Programs, Fleet Ops, Supply Chain, and Safety.
• Drive improvements in cost, yield, cycle time, reliability, and field performance.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Contract manufacturing

Vehicle electronics

Quality systems

Cost optimization

NPI ramp

Project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Hands-on execution

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering/Manufacturing

Job description

Gatik, the leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics, seeks a Head of Manufacturing in Santa Clara, CA to scale production of our autonomous freight vehicles. You will own end-to-end manufacturing operations, ramp, quality systems, and supplier management to ensure safety and reliability across the fleet.

You’ll build a high-performing team, collaborate with contract manufacturers, and implement repeatable, cost-efficient processes for a safety-critical platform already deployed in active