Head of Hardware Manufacturing Operations
Lead the establishment of Applied Intuition's hardware manufacturing operations department in a full-time onsite role.
Posted by employer 15 hours ago
First seen on Joblaze 6 hours ago
Last verified on the company career page 6 hours ago
Skills & Technologies
What you'll build
- Own the full hardware manufacturing operations function
- Select and manage domestic and international manufacturing suppliers
- Build and lead a high-performing team
- Drive NPI, DFx, quality assurance, and mass production setups
- Oversee committed hardware product deliverables
Must have
- BS or MS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related technical field
- 12+ years of experience in hardware operations and supply chain management
- 7+ years of direct experience building and leading engineering and operations teams
- Experience managing consumer electronics manufacturing
- Deep technical expertise in contract manufacturing management
Nice to have
- Experience shipping complex hardware products from early prototyping through high-volume production
- Deep domain experience handling dual-use or defense hardware operational compliance
- Track record of working directly with global tier-1 suppliers
Practical constraints
- In-office expectation of 5 days a week
Requirements
- Experience
- 12+ years
- Education
- Bachelor's degree
Not disclosed in this posting: compensation, visa sponsorship.
Joblaze summary
The Head of Hardware Manufacturing Operations at Applied Intuition is responsible for establishing and leading the hardware operations department from the ground up. This role requires expertise in managing domestic and international manufacturing suppliers while overseeing the production of physical AI hardware across various industries, including automotive and defense. Ideal candidates will have over a decade of experience in hardware operations and a strong background in leading engineering teams. The position is pivotal as the company scales its operations to meet the demands of its diverse client base.
Joblaze insights
- Listed today — first seen on Joblaze October 15, 2026. Last confirmed on Applied Intuition's careers page October 15, 2026.
- Mechanical Engineering appears in 2% of 150 comparable director other roles in United States; Supply Chain Management appears in 0.7% of 150 comparable director other roles in United States.
Quick facts
- Is the Head of Hardware Manufacturing Operations role remote?
- No — this is an on-site role in Sunnyvale, California, United States.
- How much experience is required?
- At least 12 years of relevant experience for this Head of Hardware Manufacturing Operations role.
- Where is the role based?
- Applied Intuition is hiring for this position in Sunnyvale, California, United States.
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Supply Chain Management.
- What seniority level is this role?
- Applied Intuition targets director candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Head of Hardware Manufacturing Operations role at Applied Intuition.
From the original posting
About the role
As the Head of Hardware Manufacturing Operations, you will lead a 0 to 1 effort to establish and build out Applied Intuition's hardware operations department. You will own the full hardware manufacturing operations function, selecting and driving domestic and international manufacturing suppliers to deliver physical AI hardware products across automotive, trucking, defense, construction, mining, and agriculture sectors. In this role, you will recruit, scale, and lead a multidisciplinary team spanning Operations Program Managers, Manufacturing Engineers, and Reliability / Quality Engineers to execute on committed hardware deliverables across multiple industries.
At Applied Intuition, you will:
Own the full hardware manufacturing operations function and build out the department from 0 to 1
Select, manage, and drive domestic and international manufacturing suppliers and global supply chains
Build and lead a high-performing team of Operations Program Managers, Manufacturing Engineers, and Reliability / Quality Engineers
Drive NPI, DFx, quality assurance, and mass production setups for physical AI hardware across diverse industries
Oversee committed hardware product deliverables across automotive, trucking, defense, construction, mining, and agriculture verticals
Manage global supplier selection, yield optimization, contract negotiation, and factory audit processes
We're looking for someone who has:
BS or MS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related technical field
12+ years of experience in hardware operations and supply chain management
7+ years of direct experience building and leading engineering and operations teams (OPMs, MEs, Quality/Reliability Engineers)
Experience managing consumer electronics manufacturing alongside experience in one or more of the following: automotive, trucking, defense, construction, mining, or agriculture
Deep technical expertise in contract manufacturing management, printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), final assembly, test execution (FATE/ATE), and yield optimization
Hands-on proficiency managing global supplier pipelines, bill of materials (BOM) costing, vendor audits, and quality control systems (ISO 9001/IATF 16949)
Nice to have:
Experience shipping complex hardware products from early prototyping (0 to 1) through high-volume production
Deep domain experience handling dual-use or defense hardware operational compliance and export requirements
Track record of working directly with global tier-1 suppliers and contract manufacturers across domestic and international regions
Standard company text repeated across Applied Intuition's postings is omitted here.