Prototype Operations Lead - End-to-End Hardware Shop

Etched; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision packages

Housing subsidy of $2k per month

Relocation support to San Jose (Santnа

Daily lunch and dinner in office

Unlimited compute budget

Job summary

Etched is building hardware for frontier intelligence and is standing up an in-house prototyping division at our Milpitas facility. You will own the entire outcome—from hiring and shop setup to process execution—delivering same-day or next-day prototype parts for engineering.

You will lead machinists, fabricators, and assembly technicians, and manage the division budget while coordinating closely with mechanical, electrical, and thermal teams to optimize manufacturability and throughput.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related engineering discipline, or 4+ years of professional manufacturing/prototype ops experience in lieu of a degree.
• 3+ years in manufacturing, machine shop, or hardware prototyping operations.
• 2+ years leading technicians, machinists, or manufacturing teams.
• Hands-on experience with CNC machining and/or sheet metal fabrication processes.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end stand-up of the prototyping division: space planning, equipment selection, facility improvements, permits, and commissioning.
• Hire, lead, and develop a team of machinists, fabricators, and assembly technicians.
• Run day-to-day operations to achieve same-day or next-day turnaround on prototype parts for engineering.
• Build systems for shop operations: intake, quoting, scheduling, traceability, inventory, and maintenance.
• Own the division budget (capex and opex) and manage vendor relationships.
• Stand up quality infrastructure: first-article inspection, calibration, and inspection criteria.
• Partner with mechanical, electrical, and thermal engineering to close design-for-manufacturability feedback loops.

Skills

Leadership experience

CNC milling

Sheet metal fabrication

Project management

Hire and develop technicians

Education

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CNC machines

Sheet metal equipment

ERP/MES systems

Job description

Etched is building hardware for frontier intelligence and is standing up an in-house prototyping division at our Milpitas facility. You will own the entire outcome—from hiring and shop setup to process execution—delivering same-day or next-day prototype parts for engineering.

You will lead machinists, fabricators, and assembly technicians, and manage the division budget while coordinating closely with mechanical, electrical, and thermal teams to optimize manufacturability and throughput.