Motivo
Prototype-to-Production Manager
Rancho Dominguez, CA
Sponsorship not specified$130k-$160kDetected 14 days ago
Computer VisionSupply ChainProcess ImprovementERPRoboticsLeadershipLean Manufacturing
About the role
- At Motivo, "Launch" isn't about closing the gap between mankind and the moon, it's about closing the gap between prototypes and production.
- This leader will sit at the critical intersection of engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and client delivery, ensuring that manufacturability, operational readiness, and unit economics are built into product decisions early rather than solved late.
- The role is intentionally scoped with a clear path to broader independence and ownership as the capability matures.
Responsibilities
- Launch Operations Leadership: Lead a matrixed team spanning manufacturing, engineering, sourcing, fabrication, and program execution to ensure products are designed with manufacturability, quality, and production readiness in mind from the outset.
- Building Production Readiness into the Design Process: Establish review gates, pilot build manufacturing objectives, and production handoff standards that move programs from concept validation to reliable execution.
- Proposal and Opportunity Assessment: Partner at the proposal stage to evaluate whether a client program requires design-only support or an integrated Launch approach - shaping scope, risk posture, and commercial strategy.
- Develop and improve batch-build and production readiness cost estimation models and rules of thumb.
- Supply Chain Architecture: Expand a resilient supply base and sourcing model that supports prototyping, pilot builds, and low-volume production, including vendor qualification, make-buy decisions, lead-time strategy, and commercial negotiation.
- Operational Systems Roadmap: Define the roadmap for fit-for-purpose systems and tools - including spreadsheets where appropriate, and over time right-sized ERP, PLM, PDM, MES, or related systems - to support Launch maturity without introducing unnecessary overhead too early.
- Establish review gates, pilot build manufacturing objectives, and production handoff standards that move programs from concept validation to reliable execution.
- Partner at the proposal stage to evaluate whether a client program requires design-only support or an integrated Launch approach - shaping scope, risk posture, and commercial strategy.
- Strong command of DFM, DFA, process validation, PFMEA, production line design, test strategy, and manufacturing tradeoff decision-making.
- About Motivo Motivo is a project-based company delivering excellence in mechanical and electrical system design and prototype builds.
Nice to have
- Strong grasp of supplier qualification, sourcing strategy, cost structure, negotiations, and operational planning.
- Familiarity with quality and regulated manufacturing environments, including standards such as ISO 9001, AS9100, or IATF 16949.
- Maybe you're an operations leader at an established technology company and feel weighed down by bureaucracy and a lack of imagination.
Compensation
- $130,000 - $160,000 Salary is dependent on experience, knowledge, and interview performance.
Company info
- We are passionate about solving complex engineering challenges, striving for excellence within every unique project constraint, and believe in having fun while we do it!
This listing is sourced directly from Motivo's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.