Production Manager - Electrical Components

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and highly accountable Production Manager – Electrical Components to build and lead our wire harness and PCBA manufacturing operations in Austin, TX.

What You'll Do

• Team & Facility Build-Out — Hire, train, and lead a team of harness assemblers, PCBA rework technicians, and production planners; design and stand up the physical layout, workstations, and tooling needed to support high-volume Class 3 harness production.
• Harness Process Development — Design and implement repeatable, documented processes — cutting, stripping, crimping, soldering, lacing/braiding, potting, and continuity/hipot testing — that meet IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 workmanship standards at scale.
• PCBA Rework & Processing — Own rework, repair, and reprocessing of PCBAs that fail test or inspection, applying IPC-7711/7721 and J-STD-001 standards to determine repair vs. scrap and to drive down recurring failure modes.
• Production Execution — Drive the daily manufacturing schedule to meet aggressive delivery milestones for defense and commercial partners.
• Team Leadership — Embody our "hire slow, fire fast" methodology — ensuring we only have the best talent on the line and maintaining a culture of extreme ownership.
• ERP & Workflow Mastery — Own the digital production flow within Odoo, ensuring all manufacturing orders, work centers, travelers/routings, and inventory movements are tracked with 100% accuracy.
• Quality & Accountability — Implement and enforce rigorous QA/QC protocols alongside the Quality Manager, including IPC Class 3 inspection criteria and rework/repair traceability.
• Identify underperformance in the process — or the team — and correct it immediately.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration — Bridge the gap between Engineering, Supply Chain, and Production to resolve harness and PCBA bottlenecks and implement DFM/DFA feedback in real time.

What You'll Need

• Experience — 8+ years in manufacturing or production management, specifically with wire harness/cable assembly and/or PCBA manufacturing and rework.
• Standards Expertise — Deep, hands-on knowledge of IPC/WHMA-A-620 (harness) and IPC-7711/7721 & J-STD-001 (PCBA rework); IPC Class 3 experience required, CIS/CIT certification a plus.
• Leadership — Proven track record of managing production teams in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment. You should be comfortable making difficult personnel and operational decisions.
• Systems Expertise — Deep experience with ERP systems (Odoo highly preferred) for managing BOMs, inventory, travelers, and work orders.
• Build-From-Scratch Experience — A track record of standing up or scaling a harness and/or PCBA production line — including facility layout, tooling selection, and workforce training/certification.
• Operational Grit — A "no-excuses" approach to meeting deadlines and solving equipment or supply chain stalls on the fly.
• Education — Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, a related field, or equivalent years of experience.

Startup Scaling

You have experience taking a production floor from "hand-built prototypes" to "standardized, high-volume, Class 3 output."

Defense Industry Knowledge

You understand the rigors required for hardware deployed to the tactical edge, including relevant quality and traceability expectations.

Certifications

• IPC J-STD-001 and/or IPC/WHMA-A-620 Certified IPC Trainer (CIT) or Certified IPC Specialist (CIS) credentials.
• Practical application of lean manufacturing principles without the corporate bureaucracy.