Production Manager →

WindBorne Systems; Redwood City (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Health, Dental, and Vision insurance

Unlimited PTO

Incentive Stock Option Plan

Job summary

WindBorne Systems in Redwood City, CA is seeking a Production Manager to oversee the manufacturing line and technician team, ensuring daily operations run smoothly and monthly targets are met.

You will lead process improvements, manage safety and quality, hire and train technicians, and partner with engineering to scale production of our balloon-based weather data platform in a fast-moving, collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Manufacturing is required.
• At least 2 years of manufacturing experience.
• Management experience with diverse teams is expected.
• Solid knowledge of quality management principles and tools.
• Ability to multitask and meet production targets.
• Strong communication with technicians to align goals.

Responsibilities

• Team Management: oversee the technician team, conduct reviews, and guide performance.
• Production: drive progress toward monthly targets and optimize output.
• Problem-Solving & Troubleshooting: diagnose and resolve production issues.
• Quality & Process Oversight: enforce standards and improve procedures.
• Hiring & Recruitment: participate in hiring for production roles.
• Training & Development: support training and update documentation.
• Safety: maintain a safe and organized production environment.

Skills

Manufacturing experience

Management experience

Communication with technicians

Quality management principles

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Manufacturing

Tools

Quality management software

Document control systems

Job description

Lead WindBorne’s manufacturing line and technician team, manage daily production, troubleshoot challenges, and improve quality, workflow, and output.

About this role

WindBorne Systems is supercharging weather models with a unique proprietary data source: a global constellation of next-generation smart weather balloons targeting the most critical atmospheric data. We design, manufacture, and operate our own balloons, using the data they collect to generate otherwise unattainable weather intelligence.

Our mission is to eliminate weather uncertainty, and in the process help humanity adapt to climate change, be that predicting hurricanes or speeding the adoption of renewables. We are building a future in which the planet is instrumented by thousands of our microballoons, eliminating gaps in our understanding of the planet and giving people and businesses the information they need to make critical decisions. The founding team of Stanford engineers was named Forbes 2019 30 under 30 and is backed by top investors including Khosla Ventures.

WindBorne is looking for a Production Manager to oversee the manufacturing line, ensuring smooth daily operations and meeting production targets. In this role, you will lead the technician team, proactively manage workflow efficiency, and serve as the first point of contact for troubleshooting and resolving production challenges. Your leadership will be essential in maintaining quality, optimizing processes, and driving the team toward achieving monthly production goals.

We're dedicated to helping humanity adapt to climate change as fast as possible, and you can be a part of our mission to make this global societal impact. If you like the idea of working on cutting-edge technology, and working with a fast-moving team, WindBorne is the place for you.

Responsibilities

• Team Management: Oversee the technician team, handling daily questions, performance reviews, and disciplinary actions to maintain a productive and engaged workforce.
• Production: Monitor and drive progress toward monthly production targets, implementing strategies to optimize output.
• Problem-Solving & Troubleshooting: Serve as the first line of defense for technical issues across all assemblies, possessing a deep understanding of processes and tools to quickly diagnose and resolve problems.
• Quality & Process Oversight: Enforce adherence to quality standards and best practices, confidently correcting and guiding team members to ensure proper execution of procedures.
• Hiring & Recruitment: Play an active role in hiring future technicians, assessing candidates for skills, cultural fit, and alignment with production needs.
• Training & Development: Maintain a strong understanding of manufacturing processes to support training efforts, answer questions, and provide retraining as needed, supplementing documentation-based learning.
• Safety: Maintain a safe and organized production environment, ensuring compliance with safety protocols.

Skills and qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Manufacturing.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working in Manufacturing.
• Prior experience in management and working within a diverse team.
• Strong knowledge of quality management principles, tools, and methodologies.
• Capable of managing multiple tasks, responding to urgent issues, and ensuring production targets are met.
• Ability to effectively communicate with technicians to align on goals and resolve issues.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with PCB and PCBA manufacturing processes.
• Experience communicating with external vendors, or in supply chain management
• Understanding of electro-mechanical system design and functionality.
• Experience with quality management software and document control systems

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance 100% covered
• Unlimited PTO
• Incentive Stock Option Plan

Location

1600 Bridge Pkwy, Redwood City, CA. In-person required.

Base pay: $100,000–$150,000 / year

We are considering a range of backgrounds and experience levels for this position and will adjust our offers accordingly to be competitive with market rates.

Employment type: Full time

Work arrangement: On-site