Contract Manufacturing Manager

About EtchedEtched is building the world’s first AI inference system purpose-built for transformers - delivering over 10x higher performance and dramatically lower cost and latency than a B200. With Etched ASICs, you can build products that would be impossible with GPUs, like real-time video generation models and extremely deep & parallel chain-of-thought reasoning agents. Backed by hundreds of millions from top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers, Etched is redefining the infrastructure layer for the fastest growing industry in history.Job SummaryEtched is looking for a Contract Manufacturing Manager to lead our global contract manufacturing strategy as we scale production of advanced AI hardware systems.You will own the selection, management, and performance of Etched’s CM, ODM, JDM, and EMS partners across NPI, pilot builds, production ramps, and sustaining operations. This role is highly cross-functional, working closely with hardware engineering, manufacturing, quality, test, supply chain, finance, legal, and executive leadership.Key ResponsibilitiesDevelop and execute Etched’s contract manufacturing strategy across L6, L10, and L11Identify, evaluate, select, and onboard global CM, ODM, JDM, and EMS partnersOwn executive-level supplier relationships, business reviews, escalations, and long-term partnership planningLead contract manufacturing capacity planningNegotiate product costing, manufacturing value add, NRE, CapEx, tooling, payment terms, warranty, and capacity commitmentsLead contract manufacturing (CM/JDM) engagement process, which includes RFQ/RFP processes, contracting (MSA/SOW/SLA/etc.), and cost negotiationsDrive supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery, flexibility, yield, capacity, and responsivenessPartner with engineering, manufacturing, test, and quality teams to ensure factory readiness for NPI and production rampsBuild cost models, lead should-cost analysis, and drive cost reduction programsIdentify and mitigate manufacturing risks related to capacity, quality, tooling, regional concentration, and supply continuityPresent supplier strategy, cost tradeoffs, capacity plans, and risks to executive leadershipYou may be a good fit if you have (Must-have qualifications)Bachelor’s degree in engineering, supply chain, operations, business, or a related technical field10+ years of experience in supply chain, manufacturing operations, sourcing, or contract manufacturingSignificant experience managing contract manufacturers for complex hardware productsExperience with PCBAs, systems, servers, networking, compute, datacenter infrastructure, or similar hardware platformsProven ability to negotiate complex supplier agreements and scale global manufacturing partnershipsStrong understanding of NPI, pilot builds, production ramps, sustaining operations, factory readiness, and supplier qualityExperience building cost models, managing supplier scorecards, and driving operational improvementStrong cross-functional leadership and executive communication skillsExperience managing suppliers across Asia and working across global time zonesAbility to operate with urgency, ownership, and sound judgment in fast-moving environmentsStrong candidates may also have experience withAI infrastructure, datacenter hardware, rack-level integration, or high-performance compute systemsExperience at a hyperscaler, OEM, semiconductor company, contract manufacturer, or high-growth hardware startupDeep familiarity with EMS cost structures, factory operations, labor models, yield, test, and line utilizationMBA or master’s degree in engineering, operations, supply chain, or a related fieldBenefitsMedical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage$500 per month credit for waiving medical benefitsHousing subsidy of $2k per month for those living within walking distance of the officeRelocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and moreDaily lunch and dinner in our officeHow We’re DifferentEtched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We think most of the progress in the AI field has come from using more FLOPs to train and run models, and the best way to get more FLOPs is to build model-specific hardware. Larger and larger training runs encourage companies to consolidate around fewer model architectures, which creates a market for single-model ASICs.We are a fully in-person team in San Jose and Taipei, and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both as needed.