Contract Manufacturing Manager

The Opportunity: Scale the Future of Data Center Infrastructure

Our client is redefining thermal management. While the rest of the industry relies on century-old designs, Uses proprietary AI to design 3D-printed heat exchangers that outperform incumbents by an order of magnitude. We are specifically targeting the 500–1000 kW range—a high-demand space for modern data centers where no one else is currently operating.

As a seed-stage company with investors "beating down the door" and active contracts with major data center OEMs, this is a rare chance to join as a single-digit hire. You will be at the epicenter of the three most explosive sectors in tech: AI, Additive Manufacturing, and Clean Energy.

The Role

We are seeking a Contract Manufacturing Manager (3–10 years of experience) to own the end-to-end relationship with international manufacturing partners as we scale from prototype to mass production. This is a high-autonomy operations role where the playbook doesn't exist yet—you will be the one writing it.

Sitting at the intersection of engineering and manufacturing, you will ensure our AI-designed components are built on time, on spec, and on budget. Reporting directly to the VP of Operations, you will be the primary bridge between our US-based engineering team and our partners in China.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Relationship Management: Lead daily operations with international contract manufacturers (CMs), managing schedules, milestone tracking, capacity planning, and navigating 12–15 hour time zone gaps.

• Bridge Engineering & Production: Facilitate the resolution of build issues and ensure designs are optimized for additive manufacturing without overstepping into the engineering domain.

• System Building: Create production systems, quality gates, and documentation from scratch as we transition from prototypes to thousands of units.

• Commercial Ownership: Negotiate production costs with a granular understanding of the cost stack; track and report on KPIs (yield, cycle time, OTD, and cost per unit).

• Strategic Planning: Translate CM insights—process capabilities, failure modes, and cost drivers—into requirements for future domestic factory buildout.

Requirements

• 3–10 years of experience in manufacturing operations or CM management.

• International Experience: Proven track record of managing Chinese CMs and navigating the associated cultural and logistical nuances.

• High EQ: Ability to build trust across borders and keep teams aligned under tight deadlines.

• Operational Grit: Comfortable in a "seed-stage" environment where you are both the strategist and the executor.

• Availability: Ability to work East Coast (EST) hours regardless of your physical location to ensure overlap with both the US team and international partners.