{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"5d601a3250511b6d07523ff5","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/5d601a3250511b6d07523ff5","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/5d601a3250511b6d07523ff5","title":"Technical Program Manager, Operations & Manufacturing","description":"About Tacit\n\nWe are an early-stage, deep tech startup based in San Francisco, developing innovative hardware that rethinks human-computer interaction. We are backed by General Catalyst, Khosla Ventures, and Greylock Partners, with a founding team from Stanford, BrainGate, Oculus, and Tesla. While we can’t reveal too much just yet, our team is tackling cutting-edge engineering challenges to bring revolutionary products to life.\n\nAbout the role\n\nWe are looking for a Technical Program Manager (TPM), Operations & Manufacturing to lead the hardware scaling transition from late-stage engineering design into high-volume manufacturing. In this role, you will serve as the primary operational bridge between internal engineering teams, global contract manufacturers (CMs), joint development manufacturers (JDMs), and component suppliers.\n\nYou will take ownership of manufacturing readiness, assembly process definition, factory test deployments, supply chain alignment, and unit economics. This is an end-to-end, hands-on program management position ideal for someone who thrives on translating engineering blueprints into scalable, repeatable, and cost-effective production systems across EVT, DVT, PVT, and mass production ramps.\n\nWhat you'll do\n\nManufacturing Ramp & Operational Execution\n\nOwn the operational and manufacturing program schedule, aligning factory readiness milestones with product development timelines and launch dates.\n\nManage NPI builds (proto, EVT, DVT, PVT) on-site and remotely with contract manufacturers to ensure zero-defect transitions into high-volume mass production.\n\nCoordinate line bring-up, capacity planning, yield tracking, and cycle-time optimizations across global manufacturing sites.\n\nStandard Operating Procedures (SOPs) & Process Control\n\nPartner with manufacturing and quality engineers to author, review, and standardize Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for mechanical assembly, functional testing, and station setups.\n\nDevelop clear, repeatable factory rework and repair workflows to handle non-conforming units safely and efficiently without impacting line output.\n\nAudit manufacturing lines and assembly steps to enforce strict process discipline, station-level safety, and ESD compliance.\n\nTest Engineering & Station Deployment\n\nCollaborate with internal hardware and test engineering teams to deploy automated assembly and test infrastructure (ICT, FCT, EOL) to factory floors.\n\nEnsure manufacturing test stations, calibration equipment, and custom fixtures are built, qualified, and correlated prior to major production builds.\n\nDrive root-cause analysis and corrective actions (8D, CAPA) for assembly line stoppages and test yields drops.\n\nSupplier Management & Supply Chain Tracking\n\nManage day-to-day engagement with key component suppliers, tier-1/tier-2 vendors, and CM account leadership.\n\nTrack critical supply chain deliveries, long-lead components, and buffer stock levels to mitigate line-down risks and material shortages.\n\nMaintain clear visibility into Bill of Materials (BOM) health, single-source risks, and component end-of-life (EOL) transition plans.\n\nCost Architecture & Unit Economics\n\nTrack, model, and optimize product BOM costs, tooling NREs, scrap costs, and factory assembly/test labor rates.\n\nIdentify and drive cost-reduction initiatives across design modifications, alternate component sourcing, and factory yield improvements without compromising quality.\n\nNegotiate manufacturing allocation fees, fixture costs, and volume-based rebates with supply partners.\n\nRequirements\n\nEducation: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related technical discipline.\n\nExperience: 5+ years of experience as a TPM, Operations Engineer, NPI Manager, or Manufacturing Engineer bringing complex hardware products to market at scale.\n\nCM/JDM Leadership: Proven track record of managing tier-1 Contract Manufacturers (CMs) and overseas vendor bases through NPI phases into mass production.\n\nProcess Documentation: Hands-on experience drafting, validating, and auditing shop-floor assembly, test, and repair SOPs.\n\nSupply Chain & BOM Management: Demonstrated experience tracking multi-tier supply chains, lead times, inventory allocations, and product BOM costs.\n\nTechnical Breadth: Strong foundational understanding of mechanical assembly methods, PCBAs, surface-mount technology (SMT), automated test stations, and quality control systems.\n\nTravel Flexibility: Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (up to 25–35%) to factory sites during key build cycles and production ramps.\n\nStrong candidates may have\n\nExperience with hardware products containing complex electro-mechanical assemblies, optics, high-density PCBAs, or battery systems.\n\nDirect experience with DFM/DFA (Design for Manufacturability / Assembly) principles and conducting line balancing and time-motion studies.\n\nProficiency with Agile, Arena, or similar PLM tools for BOM tracking and ECR/ECO execution.\n\nFluency in Mandarin, Vietnamese, or other manufacturing-hub languages is a strong plus.\n\nLean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt).\n\nSuccess in this role looks like\n\nOn-Time Ramps: Product launches hit scheduled EVT, DVT, PVT, and Mass Production gates without material delays or factory downtime.\n\nHigh Factory Yields: Assembly line yields and test pass rates consistently meet or exceed target metrics at each build stage.\n\nDocumented Consistency: Clear, foolproof SOPs allow CM operators to assemble, test, and repair hardware with minimal error and zero safety incidents.\n\nPredictable Economics: Unit costs (BOM + MVA) remain tightly controlled, with clear line-item visibility and cost-reduction roadmaps.\n\nTransparent Supply Pipelines: Clear, real-time visibility into component delivery timelines prevents part shortages during key build windows.\n\nCompensation Range\n\n$160,000 - $200,000/yr plus significant equity.\n\nBenefits\n\nCompetitive equity package\n\nComprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance\n\nCompany size: 30-50 people\n\nUnlimited PTO\n\nVisa sponsorship\n\n4% 401k matching\n\nCompensation Range: $160K - $200K","company":"Tacit","rawCompany":"tacit","city":"Millbrae","state":"CA","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-08-14T15:17:41.880Z","occupations":[{"code":"11-3051.00","title":"Industrial Production Managers","slug":"industrial-production-managers"},{"code":"11-1021.00","title":"General and Operations Managers","slug":"general-and-operations-managers"},{"code":"15-1299.09","title":"Information Technology Project Managers","slug":"information-technology-project-managers"}],"industries":[{"code":"513210","title":"Software Publishers","slug":"software-publishers"},{"code":"334111","title":"Electronic Computer Manufacturing","slug":"electronic-computer-manufacturing"},{"code":"541511","title":"Custom Computer Programming Services","slug":"custom-computer-programming-services"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Technical Program Manager, Operations & Manufacturing","description":"About Tacit\n\nWe are an early-stage, deep tech startup based in San Francisco, developing innovative hardware that rethinks human-computer interaction. We are backed by General Catalyst, Khosla Ventures, and Greylock Partners, with a founding team from Stanford, BrainGate, Oculus, and Tesla. While we can’t reveal too much just yet, our team is tackling cutting-edge engineering challenges to bring revolutionary products to life.\n\nAbout the role\n\nWe are looking for a Technical Program Manager (TPM), Operations & Manufacturing to lead the hardware scaling transition from late-stage engineering design into high-volume manufacturing. In this role, you will serve as the primary operational bridge between internal engineering teams, global contract manufacturers (CMs), joint development manufacturers (JDMs), and component suppliers.\n\nYou will take ownership of manufacturing readiness, assembly process definition, factory test deployments, supply chain alignment, and unit economics. This is an end-to-end, hands-on program management position ideal for someone who thrives on translating engineering blueprints into scalable, repeatable, and cost-effective production systems across EVT, DVT, PVT, and mass production ramps.\n\nWhat you'll do\n\nManufacturing Ramp & Operational Execution\n\nOwn the operational and manufacturing program schedule, aligning factory readiness milestones with product development timelines and launch dates.\n\nManage NPI builds (proto, EVT, DVT, PVT) on-site and remotely with contract manufacturers to ensure zero-defect transitions into high-volume mass production.\n\nCoordinate line bring-up, capacity planning, yield tracking, and cycle-time optimizations across global manufacturing sites.\n\nStandard Operating Procedures (SOPs) & Process Control\n\nPartner with manufacturing and quality engineers to author, review, and standardize Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for mechanical assembly, functional testing, and station setups.\n\nDevelop clear, repeatable factory rework and repair workflows to handle non-conforming units safely and efficiently without impacting line output.\n\nAudit manufacturing lines and assembly steps to enforce strict process discipline, station-level safety, and ESD compliance.\n\nTest Engineering & Station Deployment\n\nCollaborate with internal hardware and test engineering teams to deploy automated assembly and test infrastructure (ICT, FCT, EOL) to factory floors.\n\nEnsure manufacturing test stations, calibration equipment, and custom fixtures are built, qualified, and correlated prior to major production builds.\n\nDrive root-cause analysis and corrective actions (8D, CAPA) for assembly line stoppages and test yields drops.\n\nSupplier Management & Supply Chain Tracking\n\nManage day-to-day engagement with key component suppliers, tier-1/tier-2 vendors, and CM account leadership.\n\nTrack critical supply chain deliveries, long-lead components, and buffer stock levels to mitigate line-down risks and material shortages.\n\nMaintain clear visibility into Bill of Materials (BOM) health, single-source risks, and component end-of-life (EOL) transition plans.\n\nCost Architecture & Unit Economics\n\nTrack, model, and optimize product BOM costs, tooling NREs, scrap costs, and factory assembly/test labor rates.\n\nIdentify and drive cost-reduction initiatives across design modifications, alternate component sourcing, and factory yield improvements without compromising quality.\n\nNegotiate manufacturing allocation fees, fixture costs, and volume-based rebates with supply partners.\n\nRequirements\n\nEducation: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related technical discipline.\n\nExperience: 5+ years of experience as a TPM, Operations Engineer, NPI Manager, or Manufacturing Engineer bringing complex hardware products to market at scale.\n\nCM/JDM Leadership: Proven track record of managing tier-1 Contract Manufacturers (CMs) and overseas vendor bases through NPI phases into mass production.\n\nProcess Documentation: Hands-on experience drafting, validating, and auditing shop-floor assembly, test, and repair SOPs.\n\nSupply Chain & BOM Management: Demonstrated experience tracking multi-tier supply chains, lead times, inventory allocations, and product BOM costs.\n\nTechnical Breadth: Strong foundational understanding of mechanical assembly methods, PCBAs, surface-mount technology (SMT), automated test stations, and quality control systems.\n\nTravel Flexibility: Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (up to 25–35%) to factory sites during key build cycles and production ramps.\n\nStrong candidates may have\n\nExperience with hardware products containing complex electro-mechanical assemblies, optics, high-density PCBAs, or battery systems.\n\nDirect experience with DFM/DFA (Design for Manufacturability / Assembly) principles and conducting line balancing and time-motion studies.\n\nProficiency with Agile, Arena, or similar PLM tools for BOM tracking and ECR/ECO execution.\n\nFluency in Mandarin, Vietnamese, or other manufacturing-hub languages is a strong plus.\n\nLean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt).\n\nSuccess in this role looks like\n\nOn-Time Ramps: Product launches hit scheduled EVT, DVT, PVT, and Mass Production gates without material delays or factory downtime.\n\nHigh Factory Yields: Assembly line yields and test pass rates consistently meet or exceed target metrics at each build stage.\n\nDocumented Consistency: Clear, foolproof SOPs allow CM operators to assemble, test, and repair hardware with minimal error and zero safety incidents.\n\nPredictable Economics: Unit costs (BOM + MVA) remain tightly controlled, with clear line-item visibility and cost-reduction roadmaps.\n\nTransparent Supply Pipelines: Clear, real-time visibility into component delivery timelines prevents part shortages during key build windows.\n\nCompensation Range\n\n$160,000 - $200,000/yr plus significant equity.\n\nBenefits\n\nCompetitive equity package\n\nComprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance\n\nCompany size: 30-50 people\n\nUnlimited PTO\n\nVisa sponsorship\n\n4% 401k matching\n\nCompensation Range: $160K - $200K","datePosted":"2026-08-14T15:17:41.880Z","dateModified":"2026-08-14T15:17:41.880Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Tacit","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Millbrae","addressRegion":"CA","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"5d601a3250511b6d07523ff5"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/5d601a3250511b6d07523ff5"}}