Position OverviewThe Director of Advanced Manufacturing will lead the manufacturing strategy for complex data center infrastructure products, overseeing the transition from prototype to full-scale production. This role is responsible for manufacturing footprint decisions, automation strategy, production scalability, quality, and partner selection while ensuring products are delivered efficiently, cost-effectively, and at the highest quality standards. The position works closely with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Operations, and external manufacturing partners to support rapid growth and operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities:Manufacturing Strategy & Scale- Define end-to-end manufacturing strategy, including make-vs-buy decisions, manufacturing footprint, partner selection, capacity planning, and regional deployment strategy.
- Evaluate tradeoffs across cost, quality, lead time, logistics, supply chain risk, automation opportunities, and customer requirements.
- Develop manufacturing roadmaps supporting new product introduction, production ramp-up, and long-term scaling.
Process, Automation & Industrialization- Establish manufacturing methods, tooling, fixtures, test systems, production flows, and equipment strategies.
- Lead adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies including robotics, automation, machine vision, digital work instructions, and data-driven process controls.
- Partner with engineering teams to ensure products are designed for manufacturability, testability, serviceability, and production scale.
Operations & Performance- Build production systems that achieve throughput, cycle time, labor efficiency, and capacity targets.
- Lead pilot builds, process validation, production readiness, staffing plans, and volume production transitions.
- Implement KPIs and dashboards to monitor yields, schedule attainment, bottlenecks, and overall manufacturing performance.
Quality & Continuous Improvement- Define manufacturing quality strategies, in-process controls, testing requirements, and acceptance criteria.
- Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for manufacturing, supplier, and field quality issues.
- Drive improvements in first-pass yield, defect reduction, process capability, and operational discipline.
Workforce & Partner Leadership- Develop scalable training programs, work instructions, certification requirements, and operating procedures.
- Lead relationships with contract manufacturers, OEMs, integrators, equipment suppliers, and automation partners.
- Drive partner performance across quality, cost, capacity, responsiveness, and delivery metrics.
Cross-Functional Leadership- Serve as the manufacturing leader across Product Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Program Management, Operations, and Customer Delivery.
- Provide executive-level recommendations on manufacturing investments, risks, sourcing strategies, and scaling opportunities.
Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or a related field.
- 10+ years of manufacturing, operations, industrialization, or advanced manufacturing experience.
- 5+ years leading manufacturing strategy, process development, or production scale-up for complex hardware products.
- Proven experience with manufacturing footprint decisions, automation strategies, contract manufacturing, OEM partnerships, and production system design.
- Track record of improving quality, throughput, capacity, and on-time delivery.
- Experience launching products from prototype or pilot production into volume manufacturing.
Preferred:- Master's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or Business.
- Experience with data center infrastructure, thermal systems, liquid cooling, HVAC, power distribution, or mission-critical equipment.
- Experience implementing robotics, automation, and advanced manufacturing technologies.
- Knowledge of global manufacturing strategies, supply chain risk management, and multi-site production scaling.
- Experience in highly regulated, safety-critical, or uptime-sensitive environments.
Travel:Required travel to manufacturing facilities, supplier sites, test labs, and deployment locations. This role requires strong strategic judgment, operational rigor, and the ability to shape the long-term manufacturing model of a rapidly growing digital infrastructure business.
Expected Salary Range$200,000 - $300,000 base salary plus discretionary bonus.
Tract Capital EmploymentTract Capital employees enjoy competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits, including 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401K program, standard paid holidays, and unlimited PTO.
NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties to meet the organization's ongoing needs.
