Manufacturing Operations Manager
On-siteBoston, Massachusetts, United States
Job Summary
Execute manufacturing execution and labor planning by establishing weekly build plans, managing WIP visibility, and removing blockers. Lead two manufacturing operators through staffing, onboarding, and performance management while partnering with Engineering and Quality on release criteria. Run in-process and final inspection end-to-end, driving continuous improvement on yield, cycle time, and variation through standard work and 5S. Own inventory systems and critical build-vendor purchasing, including quotes, POs, and delivery tracking to ensure parts arrive on time. Manage shipping, receiving, and fulfillment discipline while maintaining an early order-to-ship workflow. Build lightweight dashboards to track throughput and vendor status, reducing rework and expedites.
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years in operations/manufacturing in medtech (startup preferred) or a closely regulated hardware environment
- A track record of moving fast under constraint — hitting aggressive timelines and driving cross-functional work to closure
- Hands-on experience owning in-process and final inspection end-to-end and process optimization in a hardware/manufacturing setting (yield, cycle time, standard work, in-process quality checks)
- Demonstrated experience taking at least one product from development into production (or an equivalent production ramp)
- Strong working knowledge of inventory control and vendor/purchasing management for manufacturing inputs in a hardware setting
- Comfortable being the close-to-the-floor lead for a small operation (1-2 direct reports), running inspection and process work directly — not just managing people
- High attention to detail and disciplined execution (revisions, parts, traceability basics)
- On-site in Cambridge/Somerville, MA
Desired Qualifications
- Medical device startup experience (or similarly resource-constrained, high-ambiguity setting)
- Familiarity with ISO 13485 / design controls / basic quality system concepts — you won't be the QE, but you operate inside the system and run inspection within it
- Experience with early-stage MRP/ERP tools, or building MRP-light processes in spreadsheets and translating build plans into purchasing actions
- Local Boston/Cambridge vendor and staffing network
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