Head of Operations

Reframe Systems · Andover, MA · 2 mo ago

On-siteManagementFull-time

About Us

Reframe Systems is a Physical AI and robotics company dedicated to making high-performance housing accessible and abundant in communities worldwide. We deliver climate-resilient homes and buildings through our vertically integrated delivery model and highly automated microfactories. Our modular buildings are produced in our Andover, MA microfactory, with plans for expansion across North America and a new microfactory in progress. Our cross-disciplinary team combines architecture, robotics, design engineering, software, factory operations, and field delivery to innovate the housing industry.

What We're Looking For

We are seeking a Head of Operations to join our executive team and lead the scaling of our manufacturing and field operations. This role requires someone with extensive experience launching and scaling complex operations, particularly in environments where physical systems, software tools, and high-velocity teams must evolve together.

Responsibilities

Own the launch and ramp of our next factory, from first article through full production capacity, including facility setup, process design, and staffing.
Drive factory P&L, including throughput targets, labor efficiency, quality metrics, and cost per unit.
Build the management infrastructure and organizational playbook to scale from our current team to a full production workforce, and design the repeatable system for replicating that at future facilities.
Develop and execute a multi-facility scaling strategy, including standards propagation, culture transfer, and knowledge management across sites.
Build the CI function that systematically drives efficiency, waste reduction, and quality improvement across production.
Own operational reporting and performance metrics, and partner with our engineering and software teams to ensure production data is actionable in real time.
Own materials procurement and logistics, including inventory management and vendor relationships.
Partner with Finance to build real-time cost accounting by project and work cell, enabling accurate project margin visibility.
Reduce supply chain fragility as throughput increases and new products are introduced.
Recruit, develop, and retain the plant leadership team, including Plant Manager(s), Shift Supervisors, and functional operations leads.
Define the operational org structure for new facilities and own the hiring plan to staff them on an accelerated timeline.
Partner with HR and Recruiting to build the talent pipeline and onboarding infrastructure required for high-volume hourly hiring.
Serve as a strategic sponsor and power user of our factory floor software, design-to-manufacturing pipeline, and operational data systems.
Translate operational requirements into actionable product priorities for our software and engineering teams.
Champion a data-driven operations culture. If it isn’t measured, it isn’t managed.

Qualifications

10+ years of operations leadership, including at least one large-scale facility launch or ramp in a manufacturing, fulfillment, or industrial environment.
Demonstrated ability to scale teams and operations, not just manage existing ones.
Deep experience operating in technology-enabled environments where software, automation, and physical operations are tightly integrated.
Track record of building operational infrastructure from the ground up, including org design, process development, and management systems.
Strong data orientation, building systems that generate the metrics you need and making decisions based on them.
Executive presence and communication skills; comfortable in investor-facing and board-level contexts.

Nice to Have

Background in high-velocity advanced manufacturing, or logistics operations.
Experience with continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, TWI, Six Sigma) applied in a startup or scale-up context.
Has navigated the “first facility to second facility” transition and understands what breaks.
Comfortable operating in a company where the product is still evolving and the playbook gets rewritten regularly.

30 / 90 / 1 Year Outcomes

First 30 days: Build trust and operating rhythm with key leaders across factory, field, product, and finance; establish cadence for weekly operating reviews and decision-making. Assess current-state performance at FAB0 and identify top 3 constraints driving missed targets. Align with the CEO and exec team on 3–5 operating metrics for the year, including clear owner/accountability and reporting cadence. Produce an initial “Factory(s) scaling plan” outline covering FAB1 launch/ramp, hiring ramp assumptions, and highest-risk unknowns requiring fast resolution. Baseline the operational excellence system and quality system: audit current standard work, training, QA/QC gates, defect taxonomy, and corrective action loops; identify top 3 gaps to close immediately.
First 90 days: Establish a durable operating system: weekly S&OP / production plan process, daily management rhythms, visual management, and standardized KPI dashboard used by leadership. Deliver measurable performance lift at FAB0 against primary constraint (e.g., improved cycle time, labor efficiency, quality escape reduction, or schedule adherence), with repeatable CI mechanism behind it. Stand up FAB1 launch program with integrated plan (facility readiness, staffing/hiring, training, commissioning, quality, safety, and supply chain) and clear go/no-go gates. Implement safety and compliance program scaling with hourly workforce (training, audits, incident management, corrective actions). Stand up production-ready Operational Excellence + Quality cadence: tiered daily management, standardized problem solving, and closed-loop CAPA system reducing top recurring defects and preventing reoccurrence.
First year: Successfully launch and ramp FAB1 to stable production with predictable throughput, quality, and labor efficiency, supported by scalable management structure and training system. Build repeatable “1 → 2 → N” operational playbook enabling replication of facilities, including standards, staffing models, performance management, and knowledge transfer. Deliver step-change improvement in unit economics and operational reliability (cost per unit down, on-time delivery up, quality escapes down), enabling confident customer delivery and multi-site growth. Establish world-class supply chain and cost accounting visibility by work cell and project, enabling consistent margin management and rapid decision-making as product and volume evolve. Achieve sustained quality step-change: clear quality standards by work cell, robust in-process checks, and materially fewer escapes/rework, with quality performance reviewed as rigorously as throughput and cost.