Position SummaryThe Director, Production Partner Management leads the strategy, development, and management of the company's external partner network. This role is responsible for identifying, qualifying, and onboarding new partners to our new organization; negotiating and structuring joint venture (JV) and other strategic capacity partnerships, including co-investment arrangements with equipment providers, staffing partners, and customers; building education and government partnerships that support talent pipelines and manufacturing incentive programs; and ensuring partners meet the quality, capacity, and cost commitments required to support the business. The ideal candidate combines hands-on manufacturing operations expertise with strong commercial and negotiation skills and is comfortable operating at both the strategic (partnership structuring, JV governance) and tactical (plant floor, supplier performance) levels.
Key ResponsibilitiesPartner Network Development- Build and execute a strategy for expanding the company's partner network across target processes, geographies, and capacity tiers.
- Source, evaluate, and qualify new partners through capability audits, quality system reviews, and on-site assessments.
- Lead onboarding of new partners, including capability mapping, pricing frameworks, quality agreements, and production ramp plans.
Joint Venture & Strategic Partnership Structuring- Identify and evaluate joint venture, co-investment, and dedicated-capacity opportunities that expand manufacturing capabilities or secure strategic capacity.
- Lead due diligence, business case development, and deal structuring for JV and strategic partnerships to our organization, in partnership with Finance, Legal, and executive leadership.
- Negotiate partnership agreements, including terms, governance structures, IP and exclusivity provisions, and commercial terms; represent the company on JV governance or steering committees.
- Manage the ongoing partner and JV relationship post-signing, including performance reviews, capital planning, and expansion decisions.
Equipment, Staffing & Customer Co-Investment Partnerships- Build and negotiate partnerships with capital equipment manufacturers and suppliers to secure financing, leasing, or co-investment arrangements that expand partner facility capacity.
- Develop strategic relationships with staffing and workforce partners to scale labor at partner facilities in line with production ramp and capacity plans.
- Structure and negotiate joint investment agreements with key customers to co-fund dedicated capacity, equipment purchases, or facility expansions in exchange for committed volume or preferred terms.
- Evaluate the financial and operational terms of equipment, staffing, and customer co-investment deals, partnering with Finance and Legal on deal structure and risk allocation.
Education & Government Partnerships- Develop and negotiate partnership agreements with technical colleges, universities, and vocational/trade programs to build manufacturing talent pipelines, apprenticeships, and co-op programs.
- Build relationships with federal, state, and local government agencies to identify and secure manufacturing incentive programs, grants, tax credits, and reshoring/onshoring initiatives.
- Represent the company with workforce development boards, economic development organizations, and industry associations to advance manufacturing partnership and talent strategy.
- Track policy and funding developments relevant to domestic manufacturing capacity and advise leadership on opportunities to pursue.
Partner Performance & Operations Management- Establish and track partner scorecards covering quality, on-time delivery, cost, capacity utilization, and responsiveness.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives with partners, including lean manufacturing, yield improvement, and cost-down programs.
- Manage capacity planning and allocation across the partner network to meet forecasted demand.
- Resolve escalated quality, delivery, or commercial issues with partners; lead root-cause and corrective action processes.
Cross-Functional Leadership- Partner closely with Business Development, Engineering, Quality, Finance, Legal, and Commercial teams to align partner strategy with product roadmaps and business goals.
- Provide regular reporting to executive leadership on partner network health, JV performance, education/government partnership progress, and capacity risk.
- Build, mentor, and lead a team of partner managers / supplier development engineers.
- Own risk management for the partner portfolio, including geographic concentration, financial health of partners, and supply continuity planning.
QualificationsRequired- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field; MBA or advanced technical degree a plus.
- 8-12+ years of experience in manufacturing operations, supplier/partner development, strategic sourcing, or supply chain management, with meaningful exposure to contract manufacturing or outsourced production.
- Demonstrated experience structuring, negotiating, or managing joint ventures, strategic alliances, or major capacity partnerships in a manufacturing context.
- Deep understanding of manufacturing processes (e.g., CNC machining, injection molding, sheet metal, casting, additive manufacturing, or similar) and quality systems (ISO 9001, IATF 16949, AS9100, or equivalent).
- Strong commercial acumen - experience with contract negotiation, pricing models, and partnership economics.
- Track record of leading cross-functional teams and managing complex, multi-stakeholder relationships.
- Willingness and ability to travel 30-50%, including internationally, to partner and prospective partner facilities.
Preferred- Prior experience in a director-level or equivalent role leading a partner management, strategic sourcing, or manufacturing operations function.
- Experience in digital manufacturing, industrial equipment, automotive, aerospace, medical device, or a comparably regulated manufacturing sector.
- Familiarity with capital planning and investment evaluation for joint venture or co-investment structures.
- Experience working with globally distributed manufacturing networks, including partners in Asia, the Americas, and/or Europe.
- Experience negotiating agreements with educational institutions (e.g., technical colleges, universities) and/or government agencies (e.g., economic development, workforce boards) in support of manufacturing or workforce initiatives.
- Experience negotiating co-investment or joint funding arrangements with equipment suppliers, staffing partners, or customers.
Success Metrics- Growth and diversification of qualified partner capacity against strategic priorities.
- Successful execution of joint venture / strategic partnership deals from evaluation through signed agreement and operational ramp.
- Partner network performance against quality, delivery, and cost scorecards.
- Reduction of single-source and geographic concentration risk across the partner portfolio.
- Number and value of education and government partnerships established, including talent pipeline agreements and secured incentive/grant funding.
- Value of co-investment secured through equipment, staffing, and customer partnership agreements.
Salary Range:$130,000 base salary per year, plus a variable compensation potential of $130,000We're actively seeking teammates who:
- Bring diverse perspectives and experience to our culture and company.
- Excel at being part of a strong, empathetic team.
- Thrive in an environment emphasizing respect, honesty, collaboration, and growth.
- Have an 'always learning' mindset that celebrates learning, not just wins.
- Help us continue to build a world-class organization that values the contributions of all of our teammates
