Joblaze summary

The Manufacturing Design Program Manager at Etched is responsible for ensuring technical manufacturing readiness for new AI hardware products, guiding them from design reviews through to mass production. This role requires a strong background in hardware engineering, particularly in managing complex electromechanical systems and leading cross-functional teams through various manufacturing phases. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in program management and a solid understanding of design-for-manufacturing principles. Etched emphasizes a collaborative environment where engineering and research intersect, fostering a hands-on approach to product development.

Joblaze insights

Listed about a month ago — first seen on Joblaze September 21, 2026. Last confirmed on Etched's careers page November 8, 2026.
AI/ML appears in 18.6% of 1050 comparable senior management roles in United States; supply chain appears in 0.3% of 1050 comparable senior management roles in United States.

Quick facts

Is the Manufacturing Design Program Manager role remote?: No — this is an on-site role in San Jose.
How much experience is required?: At least 7 years of relevant experience for this Manufacturing Design Program Manager role.
Where is the role based?: Etched is hiring for this position in San Jose.
What's the tech stack?: Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: AI/ML, Design Engineering, Hardware Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, supply chain.
What seniority level is this role?: Etched targets senior candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?: Full-time for this Manufacturing Design Program Manager role at Etched.

From the original posting

Job Summary

Etched is seeking a Manufacturing Design Program Manager to drive technical manufacturing readiness across new product introduction and mass production for our transformer-specific AI systems. This highly cross-functional individual contributor role sits at the intersection of design engineering, test engineering, SMT, FATP, supply chain, and operations. You will lead manufacturing execution from early design-for-manufacturing (DFM) reviews through production ramp, ensuring products are designed for manufacturability and successfully transitioned into high-volume production.

Key Responsibilities

Drive manufacturing technical readiness across NPI and mass production in close partnership with hardware design, test engineering, SMT engineering, FATP process engineering, supply chain, and operations teams.
Lead DFM reviews across L6, L10, and L11 assemblies, identifying manufacturability risks, integration challenges, and process constraints early in the product development cycle.
Own manufacturing readiness for assigned programs, tracking build readiness, factory execution, process capability, yield, schedule, and key manufacturing risks.
Coordinate cross-functional execution across prototype, EVT, DVT, PVT, and production builds, ensuring manufacturing deliverables remain on schedule.
Partner with contract manufacturers and supply chain teams to develop production plans, line bring-up schedules, tooling readiness, and factory ramp strategies.
Drive issue resolution during engineering and production builds through structured root cause analysis and cross-functional coordination.
Monitor manufacturing KPIs including yield, cycle time, quality, and factory readiness while driving continuous improvement initiatives.
Prepare and communicate manufacturing status, risks, mitigation plans, and execution updates to engineering leadership and executive stakeholders.
Partner closely with design engineering to ensure manufacturing considerations are incorporated throughout the product development lifecycle.
Travel to domestic and international manufacturing partners as needed to support production readiness and critical builds.

You may be a good fit if you have (Must-have qualifications)

7+ years of experience in hardware engineering, with experience transitioning into Technical Program Management, Design Program Management, or Manufacturing Program Management.
Strong preference for candidates with a background in mechanical, electrical, systems, or manufacturing engineering who have led cross-functional hardware programs through NPI and production.
Experience managing manufacturing readiness for complex electromechanical systems or high-performance compute hardware.
Strong understanding of manufacturing development phases including EVT, DVT, PVT, and production ramp.
Experience leading DFM reviews and partnering closely with hardware engineering throughout product development.
Experience working directly with contract manufacturers, FATP partners, or ODM/OEM manufacturing operations.
Excellent cross-functional program management skills with the ability to coordinate engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and operations teams.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience driving manufacturing issue resolution.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presenting program status, risks, and tradeoffs to senior leadership.
Willingness to work in-person from our San Jose office and travel internationally to manufacturing partners as needed.

Strong candidates may also have experience with (Nice-to-have qualifications)

Experience building AI servers, accelerator systems, networking hardware, storage systems, or other high-performance compute platforms.

Familiarity with SMT manufacturing, factory operations, automated test systems, or final system integration.

Experience with manufacturing yield analytics, SPC methodologies, process capability metrics, or manufacturing data systems.

Experience with liquid-cooled systems, advanced packaging, or high-density compute platforms.

Experience partnering closely with ASIC, systems, thermal, reliability, or validation engineering teams.

Experience working in fast-paced startup environments bringing first-generation hardware products into production.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage
- $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits
Housing subsidy of $2,500 per month for those living within walking distance of the office
Daily lunch and dinner in our office
Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification

Standard company text repeated across Etched's postings is omitted here.

Manufacturing Design Program Manager

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