Head of Manufacturing & Ramp — Autonomous Systems

Powerus; Rock Hill (SC); On-site; USD 260,000 - 460,000; Full time

Job summary

Powerus is seeking a VP of Manufacturing to lead a fast-moving, high-intensity assembly operation through a substantial ramp in output, workforce, and manufacturing capacity. You will own manufacturing strategy, planning, and execution, including the establishment, ramp-up, optimization, and operation of manufacturing facilities and production lines.

Working closely with engineering, supply chain, quality, and program leadership, you will turn delivery requirements into executable plans and

Qualifications

• Startup experience building and operating manufacturing in an early-stage business.
• Proven ramp leadership with defined outputs, timeframe, and team size.
• Defense manufacturing experience in high-speed hardware.
• Strong assembly, integration and test for electromechanical or autonomous systems.
• Experience establishing new facilities or production lines and sustaining operations.
• Expertise in capacity planning, line balancing, scheduling, material flow, and workforce readiness.
• Record of improving delivery, quality, productivity, and cost.
• Experience managing new product introduction and engineering changes during a manufacturing ramp.
• Ability to build teams and develop supervisors who take ownership of performance.
• Commercial judgment on capital investment, staffing, inventory, and manufacturing economics.
• Confidence using manufacturing systems, data, AI, and automation to improve operating performance.

Responsibilities

• Own the manufacturing ramp, aligning facilities, equipment, materials, workforce, and processes with customer delivery commitments.
• Establish and scale assembly, integration, and test operations, taking products from initial builds into repeatable production.
• Build capacity plans and production schedules grounded in material availability, labor requirements, cycle times, and test capacity.
• Recruit, develop, and lead manufacturing managers, supervisors, technicians, and assembly teams.
• Establish effective shift structures, workforce training, skills coverage, and frontline leadership.
• Own factory readiness, including layout, tooling, fixtures, equipment commissioning, work instructions, and material flow.
• Run daily manufacturing reviews with clear targets, escalation routes, and accountability for resolving constraints.
• Partner with engineering to improve manufacturability, introduce new products, and manage engineering changes across active production.
• Work with supply chain to secure material readiness, address shortages, and align supplier capacity with the ramp.
• Embed quality, safety, traceability, configuration control, and applicable customer requirements into manufacturing processes.
• Own manufacturing budgets, capital requirements, labor productivity, and cost improvement.
• Track and improve throughput, first-pass yield, schedule attainment, rework, scrap, and unit cost.
• Use AI tools, automation, and manufacturing data where they improve planning, visibility, problem-solving, and execution.
• Establish repeatable operating practices that support growth across additional products, lines, and facilities.

Skills

Startup experience

Ramp leadership

Defense manufacturing

Assembly operations

Production scheduling

Capital investment judgment

AI/automation in manufacturing

Job description

Powerus is seeking a VP of Manufacturing to lead a fast-moving, high-intensity assembly operation through a substantial ramp in output, workforce, and manufacturing capacity. You will own manufacturing strategy, planning, and execution, including the establishment, ramp-up, optimization, and operation of manufacturing facilities and production lines.

Working closely with engineering, supply chain, quality, and program leadership, you will turn delivery requirements into executable plans and