Operations Manager

Operations Managers at Bright Machines oversee daily factory operations, managing both automated and manual assembly lines to meet production targets in safety, quality, output, efficiency, and on-time delivery. This role involves leading supervisors, operators, and technicians, collaborating with engineering, quality, and customer success teams. Success requires strong experience in automation-enabled manufacturing, a data-driven approach to scaling production, and thriving in fast-paced, high-tech, innovative environments.

Must Have

• Lead end-to-end factory operations, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient production.
• Translate customer demand into executable production plans, aligning capacity, labor, and automation.
• Drive operational performance across KPIs—OEE, on-time delivery, cost, labor efficiency, scrap, and throughput.
• Optimize equipment, staffing, materials, and quality systems; lead NPI, line expansions, and automation ramp-ups.
• Maintain SOPs, MES documentation, and training materials while promoting Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement.
• Build organizational capability, set expectations, and foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and safety.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Engineering, Supply Chain, and Quality to ensure alignment and compliance.
• Ensure clear communication across shifts, teams, leadership, and customer-facing stakeholders.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or related field.
• 8+ years of operations or manufacturing leadership, with 3–5 years in automated or high-volume production environments.
• Proven experience managing cross-functional teams across Production, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Maintenance.
• Track record of driving operational KPIs and delivering measurable results.
• Experience leading NPI, line expansions, and ramp-up of automated or semi-automated manufacturing cells.
• Strong knowledge of automated manufacturing systems, MES/ERP, Lean, Six Sigma, and structured problem-solving.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop teams while fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Exceptional communication and cross-functional collaboration skills with a focus on results and operational excellence.
• Commitment to safety, quality, and delivering reliable customer outcomes in a fast-paced, innovative environment.

Good to Have

• Experience in electronics, electro-mechanical, or high-tech manufacturing environments.
• Exposure to high-mix, low-volume, or configurable manufacturing operations.
• Knowledge of A3/8D problem-solving, Kaizen, or other continuous improvement frameworks.
• Prior experience implementing design-for-manufacturing (DFM) or design-for-automation (DFA) practices.
• Global or multi-site operations leadership experience.

RETHINK MANUFACTURING

The only way to ignite change is to build the best team. At Bright Machines®, we’re innovators and experts in our craft who have joined together to create a new category of manufacturing that will help transform the industry. We believe software and data are the answer, thoughtfully applied to solve our customers’ unique challenges. Through intelligent automation, we give factories newfound flexibility, scalability, and resilience. We deliver products to meet the demands of today while building a platform to take advantage of what comes next.

Working with us means you’ll have the opportunity to make lasting, impactful changes for our company and our customers. If you’re ready to apply your exceptional skills to create the factory of the future, we’d love to speak with you.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Operations Managers at Bright Machines oversee day-to-day factory operations, including both automated and manual assembly lines. This role ensures production targets are met across safety, quality, output, efficiency, and on-time delivery. You will lead a team of supervisors, operators, and technicians while partnering closely with Automation Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Customer Success teams. Success requires strong experience in automation-enabled manufacturing, a data-driven approach to scaling production, and the ability to excel in fast-paced, high-tech, innovative environments.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING

• Lead end-to-end factory operations, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient production.
• Translate customer demand into executable production plans, aligning capacity, labor, and automation.
• Drive operational performance across KPIs—OEE, on-time delivery, cost, labor efficiency, scrap, and throughput.
• Optimize equipment, staffing, materials, and quality systems; lead NPI, line expansions, and automation ramp-ups.
• Maintain SOPs, MES documentation, and training materials while promoting Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement.
• Build organizational capability, set expectations, and foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and safety.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Engineering, Supply Chain, and Quality to ensure alignment and compliance.
• Ensure clear communication across shifts, teams, leadership, and customer-facing stakeholders.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 8+ years of operations or manufacturing leadership, with 3–5 years in automated or high-volume production environments.
• Proven experience managing cross-functional teams across Production, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Maintenance.
• Track record of driving operational KPIs (OEE, on-time delivery, cost, labor efficiency, throughput, scrap) and delivering measurable results.
• Experience leading NPI, line expansions, and ramp-up of automated or semi-automated manufacturing cells.
• Strong knowledge of automated manufacturing systems, MES/ERP, Lean, Six Sigma, and structured problem-solving.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop teams while fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Exceptional communication and cross-functional collaboration skills with a focus on results and operational excellence.
• Commitment to safety, quality, and delivering reliable customer outcomes in a fast-paced, innovative environment

IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU HAD

• Experience in electronics, electro-mechanical, or high-tech manufacturing environments.
• Exposure to high-mix, low-volume, or configurable manufacturing operations.
• Knowledge of A3/8D problem-solving, Kaizen, or other continuous improvement frameworks.
• Prior experience implementing design-for-manufacturing (DFM) or design-for-automation (DFA) practices.
• Global or multi-site operations leadership experience

BE EMPOWERED TO CHANGE AN INDUSTRY

Bright Machines is a next-generation, AI-enabled manufacturer focused on data center infrastructure assembly operations. Bright Machines uses its proprietary AI-based robotics and software to assemble AI infrastructure hardware products (i.e., data center servers) for hyperscalers and leading Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). With its new AI factory, Bright Machines addresses increasing market demands for computing power due to the surge of AI and the U.S. national mandate to reshore manufacturing by building data center infrastructure at scale with higher quality and shorter time-to-market.

Bright Machines is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with an integration center in Guadalajara, Mexico. The company has been recognized as one of Forbes’ AI 50, awarded “Best AI-based Solution for Manufacturing” by AI Breakthrough, named a “Technology Pioneer” by the World Economic Forum, and highlighted by several other leading technology and innovation organizations.