Director of Manufacturing Operations

LOCATION Ridgefield, CTJOB TYPE Full-Time, On-SiteCOMPANY DESCRIPTIONVibrant Building Technologies is building the next generation of home health technology — hardware and software designed to actively manage the environment people live in.Our first product is an intelligent HVAC platform. We are transitioning from product development into manufacturing and building the operational foundation to produce our systems at scale. Our commitment is to American manufacturing and uncompromising product quality.ROLE DESCRIPTIONWe are looking for a Head of Manufacturing & Test Operations to build Vibrant's manufacturing organization from the ground up. This role is full-time and on-site in Ridgefield, CT.This is not a maintenance role inside an established factory. This is a 0 to 1 build.You will design the production floor, implement manufacturing systems, develop testing infrastructure, and establish the quality processes that ensure every system leaving the facility performs reliably in the field. You will work directly with executive leadership to define how our products are built, tested, and delivered.The right person is both strategic and hands-on — comfortable defining manufacturing architecture and stepping onto the floor to debug hardware and solve problems. Your work will directly determine Vibrant's ability to scale.RESPONSIBILITIESManufacturing System ArchitectureDesign and build Vibrant's manufacturing operations from the ground upDefine production line architecture, workstation layouts, and assembly flowEstablish SOPs, assembly instructions, and process controlsImplement systems for inventory, traceability, and production trackingProduction OperationsOwn throughput, yield, and reliability across all manufacturing linesLaunch and stabilize new production stations and assembly processesIdentify and eliminate bottlenecks affecting cycle time and outputDrive continuous improvement across efficiency and cost structureTest Infrastructure & QADesign and deploy production testing infrastructure for every manufactured unitDevelop automated and manual test procedures to validate system performanceEstablish root cause analysis processes for production failures and field returnsPartner with engineering on validation testing and product verificationSupply Chain & Component QualityManage vendor performance and component quality with supply chain leadershipEstablish incoming quality control processes for critical componentsMaintain feedback loops between production, suppliers, and product developmentTeam Building & LeadershipRecruit, train, and develop Vibrant's early manufacturing teamBuild a culture of ownership, accountability, and operational excellenceServe as the escalation point for all manufacturing and quality issuesCross-Functional ExecutionClose feedback loops between design and production with hardware, firmware, and software teamsSupport prototype builds, pilot runs, and engineering validation cyclesPartner with executive leadership on scaling strategy and facility expansionWHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE — FIRST 12 TO 18 MONTHSA stable, repeatable manufacturing line running at consistent throughputProduction testing infrastructure validating every unit before shipmentQA processes that significantly reduce field failures and service escalationsThroughput increased without sacrificing qualityOperational foundation in place to scale production significantlyA high-ownership manufacturing team performing at a high levelYOU MIGHT BE A FIT IFYou enjoy building systems from scratch rather than maintaining existing onesYou have taken a hardware product from prototype into real production and understand what scaling physical products actually requiresYou move comfortably between strategic planning and hands-on execution — process design, production debugging, test fixture improvementYou believe great manufacturing leaders belong on the production floorYou are motivated by ownership and want to directly shape how a company builds and delivers its productsYou are energized by environments where the playbook is still being writtenYou take pride in eliminating operational chaos through durable systems, not constant firefightingYou will likely thrive here if you are the type of person who looks at an empty production floor and immediately starts thinking about the systems, processes, and team required to bring it to life.QUALIFICATIONSRequired:5+ years in manufacturing, production engineering, or industrial engineeringExperience scaling hardware production in fast-moving environmentsStrong technical understanding of electromechanical systemsAble to operate across strategy and execution — from system design to shop floorTrack record of building durable processes, not just solving immediate firesStrongly Preferred:Experience at an early-stage hardware companyBackground designing production test systems for complex hardwareFamiliarity with HVAC or similar electromechanical productsExperience with MES or manufacturing analytics systems