Director Manufacturing
About the role
The Director Manufacturing is Knightscope's senior-most manufacturing leader, directly responsible for industrializing the manufacturing process, production, and supply chain. This role is critical to Knightscope's mission of making the United States the safest country in the world by managing the entire lifecycle of its Autonomous Security Robots (ASRs) and Emergency Communication Devices (ECDs).
Key Responsibilities
Own the facility reconfiguration: layout, station design, tooling, fixtures, test capability, and capacity planning.
Lead advanced manufacturing engineering through New Product Introduction alongside the Chief Program Engineers: DFM/DFA reviews, process FMEAs, pilot builds, launch readiness, and the transition from prototype to repeatable production.
Drive assembly-hour and unit-cost reduction to automotive standards across all product lines using time studies, standard work, and design change proposals.
Enforce the Knightscope Product Development System (KPDS) and formal ECO discipline with Engineering: no production builds without released drawings, accurate BOMs, and validated work instructions.
Own daily production output, quality, and on-time fulfillment across ASR and ECD lines, including daily/weekly fulfillment reporting.
Establish a finished-goods operating model so orders ship from stock, not from the end of the line, in support of company shipment targets.
Own quality systems and continuous improvement on the floor: standard work, 5S, first-pass yield, scrap/rework reduction, and 8D/CAPA closure with Engineering and Service.
Own environmental health and safety on the manufacturing floor, including Cal/OSHA compliance, incident prevention, and investigation.
Own the supply chain through the Supply Chain Manager: supplier strategy, early supplier involvement in design, negotiated agreements, and material availability.
Eliminate shortage-driven line stoppages: demand planning, min/max discipline, zero-quantity fail-safes, and BOM/data accuracy in NetSuite.
Drive make/buy decisions and domestic sourcing resilience consistent with an exclusively U.S.-focused business.
Own outside-processing relationships (build partners, paint, fabrication, cable assembly): performance, capacity flex, and the make-versus-buy roadmap as volume grows.
Build, develop, and hold accountable the manufacturing organization; establish a promote-from-within career ladder for technicians and supervisors.
Own the manufacturing budget, cost of goods sold, and capital planning: equipment, tooling, automation, and in-house prototyping investments with clear payback.
Own and grow the operations analytics capability already in place — labor-hours-per-build by technician, dashboards, backlog-coverage-by-inventory reporting — as the management operating system of the factory.
Report manufacturing KPIs (shipment value, assembly hours per unit, labor utilization, first-pass yield, material availability, cost per unit, on-time delivery) to the CEO, executive team, and Board as required.
Model Knightscope values on the floor every day: Own It. Work the Problem. Improve Every Day. In Data We Trust.
Required Qualifications
15+ years of progressive manufacturing experience, including 5+ years leading a manufacturing organization, with a foundation in automotive OEM or comparably disciplined production environments (automotive supplier, aerospace, medical device, high-volume electromechanical).
Demonstrated advanced manufacturing engineering depth: has personally industrialized a vehicle or complex electromechanical product from prototype through production launch — line design, DFM/DFA, PFMEA, APQP or equivalent launch discipline.
Proven track record standing up, relocating, or reconfiguring a production facility, including layout, equipment, tooling, and test.
Deep command of standard work, work instructions, time studies, and engineering change control in a low-volume, high-mix environment.
Experience directing supply chain and procurement functions, including supplier development and material planning.
A hands-on builder of systems and teams — someone who removes the organization’s dependence on any single person, including themselves.
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
Preferred Qualifications
AI-first mindset
Robotics, autonomous vehicle, drone, or defense manufacturing experience
Toyota Production System training or experience in a high-growth vehicle production ramp
Lean/Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent process-improvement certification
Experience in a public company or capital-disciplined scale-up where processes were built from the ground up
Multi-site and contract-manufacturing operations experience
PLM implementation experience and fluency with analytics tools
Compensation & Benefits
Base Salary: $250,000 – $275,000 (DOE)
Equity: Stock options
Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off
Location Requirement
Full-time, on-site at Knightscope HQ (KHQ), Sunnyvale, CA