Knightscope

Director Manufacturing

Sunnyvale, California · Director · Full-time

Sponsorship not specified$250k-$275kDetected 4 days ago

Supply ChainProcess ImprovementProcurementRoboticsMedical DevicesLeadershipCommunicationOSHADemand Planning

About the role

The Director Manufacturing is Knightscope's senior-most manufacturing leader and a direct report to the CEO, accountable end-to-end from supplier to shipped machine: manufacturing engineering, production, and supply chain.
This is an industrialization mandate, not a caretaker role.
The immediate mission: reconfigure facility to manufacture the K7 ASR and H1 ASA while sustaining current K5 ASR, K1 Hemisphere and Emergency Communication Device (ECD) production

Own the facility reconfiguration: layout, station design, tooling, fixtures, test capability, and capacity planning
Lead advanced manufacturing engineering through New Product Introduction alongside the Chief Program Engineers (K7, K1/H1): DFM/DFA reviews, process FMEAs, pilot builds, launch readiness, and the transition from prototype to repeatable production.
Drive assembly-hour and unit-cost reduction to automotive standards across all product lines using time studies, standard work, and design change proposals.
Enforce the Knightscope Product Development System (KPDS) and formal ECO discipline with Engineering: no production builds without released drawings, accurate BOMs, and validated work instructions.
Own daily production output, quality, and on-time fulfillment across ASR and ECD lines, including daily/weekly fulfillment reporting.
Own quality systems and continuous improvement on the floor: standard work, 5S, first-pass yield, scrap/rework reduction, and 8D/CAPA closure with Engineering and Service.
Own the supply chain through the Supply Chain Manager: supplier strategy, early supplier involvement in design, negotiated agreements, and material availability.
Drive make/buy decisions and domestic sourcing resilience consistent with an exclusively U.S.-focused business.

Proven track record standing up, relocating, or reconfiguring a production facility, including layout, equipment, tooling, and test.
Experience directing supply chain and procurement functions, including supplier development and material planning.
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
Report manufacturing KPIs (shipment value, assembly hours per unit, labor utilization, first-pass yield, material availability, cost per unit, on-time delivery) to the CEO, executive team, and Board as required.

AI-first mindset
Robotics, autonomous vehicle, drone, or defense manufacturing experience.
Toyota Production System training or experience in a high-growth vehicle production ramp.
Lean/Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent process-improvement certification.
Experience in a public company or capital-disciplined scale-up where processes were built from the ground up.
Multi-site and contract-manufacturing operations experience.
PLM implementation experience and fluency with analytics tools

Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off
Own environmental health and safety on the manufacturing floor, including Cal/OSHA compliance, incident prevention, and investigation.
Establish a finished-goods operating model so orders ship from stock, not from the end of the line, in support of company shipment targets.
Equity: Stock options

KSCP) is a security technology company building the nation's first Autonomous Security Force - autonomous machines, AI-driven software, and elite security professionals operating as one integrated managed service.
The Company is on a mission to make the United States of America the safest country in the world.
The Director Manufacturing is Knightscope's senior-most manufacturing leader and a direct report to the

This listing is sourced directly from Knightscope's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.