Manufacturing Operations Lead

Job description

## The Opportunity: Seneca is looking for a Manufacturing Operations Lead to build and run the manufacturing system required to produce our aircraft reliably at increasing volume. You turn production goals into an executable production plan: material requirements, procurement, inventory, build schedules, staffing, work instructions, assembly, testing, and aircraft release. You will help transition final assembly and test into a dedicated production operation, ensuring that materials, tooling, documentation, people, and quality controls are ready when needed. This is a hands-on role. You will perform aircraft assembly and test yourself, using firsthand build experience to create practical work instructions, improve production processes, and give Engineering actionable design-for-assembly and design-for-test feedback. You will also right-size manufacturing processes for our stage. The goal is to introduce enough structure to improve safety, quality, traceability, and predictability without imposing high-volume manufacturing processes on a product that is still evolving rapidly. You will be the single source of truth for production readiness and status, coordinating across Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Test, Launch, and external suppliers. You will also build the manufacturing operating system—including our MES, inventory controls, production schedules, standard work, readiness gates, and metrics—that makes each aircraft build more repeatable and scalable. ## What You’ll Do: - Own manufacturing operations from the production plan through final assembly, test, and aircraft release to flight test. - Translate company delivery and launch commitments into an integrated production schedule, including milestones, dependencies, owners, risks, and critical path. Maintain clear, current communication on production status, material readiness, risks, decisions, and open actions. - Establish and maintain a manufacturing execution system appropriate to our scale and product maturity, including production records, routings, work instructions, travelers, part and serial-number traceability, test results, rework, and aircraft configuration history. - Own inventory management and material readiness. - Work hands-on in aircraft assembly and test to develop production flow, workstation layout, tooling, fixtures, work instructions, and standard processes. Translate build-floor observations into actionable design-for-assembly and design-for-test feedback for Engineering. - Build, train, and lead a dedicated final assembly and test team. - Establish appropriate incoming inspection, in-process checks, end-of-line testing, and release criteria. - Drive timely resolution of nonconformances, rework, recurring defects, and production blockers. - Coordinate a defined handoff of completed and tested aircraft to the Launch Program Manager and customer deployment team. - Feed recurring manufacturing issues and lessons learned back into Product, Engineering, Quality, and supplier decisions. ## Background and Experience: - 7+ years of experience in manufacturing operations, production management, supply chain, industrial operations, or a similar role. - Experience scaling a complex physical product from prototype or low-rate production into a repeatable manufacturing operation, with the willingness and ability to work hands-on in assembly and test. - Hands-on experience with production planning, inventory management, procurement, and manufacturing systems such as MES or ERP. - Strong cross-functional planning, risk management, and execution skills. - The ability to turn ambiguous production goals into detailed, actionable processes and operating rhythms. - Experience building and leading teams of assemblers, technicians, or other production personnel. - A practical understanding of manufacturing quality, configuration control, traceability, process documentation, and end-of-line testing—and the judgment to apply the right level of process for a low-rate, rapidly evolving product. - A high level of ownership, attention to detail, and follow-through. - Comfort working in a fast-moving environment where both the product and the manufacturing process are still evolving. Experience in aviation, drones, robotics, aerospace, complex electromechanical assembly, battery systems, high-voltage systems, production test, supplier management, or lean manufacturing is helpful but not required. ## What Success Looks Like: - Every aircraft build has a clear plan, accountable owners, and defined readiness criteria. - Materials, tooling, documentation, facilities, personnel, and test equipment are ready when needed. - Leadership and functional teams have one reliable view of production status and risk. - Final assembly and test are performed by a trained production team rather than relying on ad hoc engineering support. - Completed aircraft are built to the correct configuration, fully tested, traceable, and ready for customer launch. - Production reliably scales toward five aircraft per month without sacrificing safety or quality. - Build time, first-pass yield, inventory accuracy, schedule attainment, and production quality improve over time. - Each aircraft build improves both the product and a repeatable manufacturing system ehile preserving the team’s ability to iterate quickly. ## What We Offer: - **Competitive Salary** – Reflective of your skills and experience - **Equity Compensation** – Be a part-owner in the company’s future - **Comprehensive Health Coverage** – Medical, dental, and vision plans - **Health Savings Account (HSA)** – Optional pre-tax savings for medical expenses - **Unlimited PTO** – Flexible time off to recharge, plus paid company holidays **About Us** Seneca is building cutting-edge drone and sensor technology for wildfire suppression, aiming to eliminate wildfire risk across 500 million acres of high-risk U.S. + allied territory. Backed by top-tier investors, including Convective Capital, Caffeinated Capital, First Round Capital, Slow Ventures, Nextview Ventures, Transition Capital, Bullpen Capital, Stepstone Group, Roar Capital, Offline Ventures, and leaders from Palantir, Google, Meta, and many others, the company has raised $110M in Series A funding and is valued over $500 million. Founded by Stu Landesberg (former Founder & CEO of Grove Collaborative — IPO in 2022 at $1.7B) and fire industry experts, Seneca is a mission-driven company dedicated to climate resilience and fire prevention. **Don’t meet every single requirement?** If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply — you may still be the right fit for our team.