Senior Manager, Autonomous Vehicle Assembly Operations

About the role

The Senior Manager, Autonomous Vehicle Assembly Operations will lead and scale the operations that transform base electric truck platforms into production-ready Outrider autonomous vehicles. Based at Outrider's headquarters in Henderson, Colorado, this role involves owning end-to-end vehicle upfit, assembly, integration, inspection, test, and verification, including sensors, compute and electrical systems, wiring and harnesses, mechanical assemblies, and robotic systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead & Scale Assembly Operations
• Own the end-to-end conversion of base electric trucks into fully integrated Outrider autonomous vehicles.
• Develop and execute the assembly roadmap for scaling from low-volume builds to efficient, repeatable, high quality commercial production.
• Lead daily assembly operations and a high-performing team of vehicle assembly and integration technicians to achieve safety, quality, schedule, and cost objectives.
• Design and optimize process flow, line layout, workstations, tooling, material presentation, staffing, capacity, and manufacturing footprint.
• Establish standard work, technician instructions, training and qualification programs, inspection criteria, production controls, and build documentation.
• Develop internal-versus-external manufacturing strategies and establish scalable processes with OEM and contract manufacturing partners.
• Work closely with commercial, engineering and operations cross-functional teams on production planning and cost efficiency.
• Drive Quality & Operational Excellence
• Manage and drive KPIs for safety, quality, delivery, cost, throughput, first-pass yield, rework, cycle time, WIP, and labor efficiency.
• Build quality into each stage of assembly through process controls, qualifications, measurement systems, in-process inspection, and end-of-line acceptance.
• Apply core lean and quality methods — root-cause analysis, statistical process control, and failure-mode risk analysis (PFMEA) — along with general familiarity with standard lean/quality tools (5S, Value Stream Mapping, Gauge R&R, APQP, etc.).
• Partner with Engineering and Test to develop robust component, subassembly, and final-vehicle test processes, including failure analysis, repair, retest, and vehicle release.
• Drive continuous improvement in vehicle quality, reliability, throughput, labor efficiency, build time, footprint, and manufacturing cost.
• Build Production Systems & Partnerships
• Deploy MES and manufacturing data systems supporting digital work instructions, work orders, routing, WIP, traceability, quality records, and production reporting.
• Partner with Supply Chain, Finance, and IT to implement and improve ERP/MRP, inventory management, material planning, and production-control processes.
• Maintain accurate vehicle configuration, build, inspection, test, and non-conformance records.
• Partner with Engineering on DFM/DFA/DFT, new product introduction, engineering changes, production readiness, tooling, fixtures, error-proofing, and automation.
• Ensure parts, kits, tools, and consumables support production requirements.
• Develop manufacturing processes and documentation that can be effectively transferred to external manufacturing partners as Outrider scales.
• Manage assembly-related vehicle repairs and modifications using the appropriate cross-functional resources.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Operations Research, or a related technical discipline.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in assembly, production, manufacturing engineering, or advanced manufacturing of vehicles, complex hardware, or electromechanical systems, including 3+ years leading manufacturing or technician teams.
• Demonstrated success taking an assembly or manufacturing operation from concept or low-volume production through commercial scale.
• Experience in automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, autonomous vehicles, robotics, aerospace, industrial automation, or similarly complex hardware.
• Deep knowledge of assembly process design, line balancing, manufacturing layout, tooling, material flow, capacity planning, and production optimization.
• Experience establishing standard work, process qualifications, inspection processes, manufacturing control plans, and production documentation.
• Experience building or upfitting autonomous, electric, commercial, or other highly complex vehicles (e.g., experience with integrating LiDAR, radar, cameras, GNSS, compute/networking hardware, robotics, or other vehicle sensing and control systems).
• Experience with ERP/MRP production processes including work orders, routings, WIP, inventory, material planning, and production control using systems such as NetSuite, SAP, or equivalent.
• Experience implementing or operating MES and manufacturing quality data systems.
• Experience implementing and sustaining ISO 9001-compliant manufacturing and quality processes, including participation in a successful certification or recertification audit.
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, lead, coach, and develop high-performing technician and production teams.
• Strong cross-functional leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Comfortable working hands-on in a fast-moving production environment characterized by frequent change, urgency, and evolving requirements.
• Ability to travel as needed (although majority of work based in CO HQ).

Bonus Skills And Experience

• Master's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or a related discipline.
• Experience managing OEMs, contract manufacturers, or outsourced manufacturing and transferring processes from pilot to external production.
• Experience in supply chain management and vendor negotiation.
• Experience in facilities management.
• Experience implementing ISO 9001-compliant processes from the ground up through successful certification.
• Experience with manufacturing test automation, digital work instructions, genealogy/traceability systems, and production test platforms.
• ASQ, CMfgE, CPIM, Lean, Six Sigma, or similar manufacturing, quality, or supply-chain certification.

Compensation & Benefits

Salary range of $155,000 - $215,000. Actual compensation is based on several factors, including but not limited to job-related skills, qualifications, experience, and specific work location due to differences in the cost of labor. In addition to a base salary, this role is also eligible for benefits, and equity bonus.

Equity: A significant equity/stock option package, commensurate with experience and level.

Health Insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Parental Leave

401(K) Retirement

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Short-Term Disability

Long–Term Disability

Life insurance

Vision insurance

Wellness programs

Mental health benefits

Professional Development Benefits

Flexible Time Off