Saildrone’s manufacturing and R&D headquarters are located in Alameda, CA, with business development and sales operations in Washington, DC, and deployment hubs in Europe and the Middle East. By combining proven autonomous operations, edge computing, advanced sensing, renewable power, and the most advanced and robust unmanned surface technology on the planet, Saildrone is shaping how the Navy of the future operates. Join a fast-moving, mission-driven team at the forefront of maritime security and autonomous innovation.
THE POSITION
Saildrone is seeking a Vice President, Manufacturing to join our executive leadership team. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will play a critical role in evolving our manufacturing and supply chain footprint from a specialized assembly shop to a world-class, global production organization capable of meeting stringent commercial and defense demands. We are looking for a proven operational leader who combines strategic vision with tactical grit – someone who can design a 5-year operational roadmap but is equally willing to roll up their sleeves on the factory floor to solve an immediate bottleneck.
THE TEAM
The Manufacturing organization is responsible for the end-to-end realization of Saildrone’s physical products, building, delivering, and supporting ongoing service of our autonomous maritime platforms at scale. We are focused on developing resilient, scalable production and risk-mitigated supply chain operations to support commercial deployments and high-stakes defense programs, operating in a critical national security and defense environment.
THE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead Saildrone’s end-to-end manufacturing strategy: optimize in-house production for prototyping, core IP, and low-volume/high-complexity builds while global scaling contract partners for additional subsystems and platform requirements.
- Implement rigorous Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5S, and Continuous Improvement methodologies across all internal and external production lines to maximize throughput, optimize space utilization, and eliminate waste.
- Lead Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) initiatives in close partnership with Engineering and New Product Introduction (NPI) teams to actively reduce unit economics and assembly complexity.
- Build and manage a resilient global supply chain architecture capable of supporting rapid scaling and unpredictable global logistics environments.
- Oversee global sourcing strategies for all direct and indirect materials, leading high-value contract negotiations with tier-1 suppliers to achieve aggressive cost-reduction targets without compromising on quality or lead times.
- Establish and enforce world-class quality management systems (QMS) across internal facilities and CM sites, ensuring production methodologies align with maritime hull, mechanical, and electrical (HM&E) reliability standards.
- Drive manufacturing processes, IT systems, and supply chain operations to comply with defense and regulatory standards, which may include ITAR, EAR, FAR/DFARS, NIST SP 800-171, and CMMC requirements.
- Partner cross-functionally with Engineering, Finance, and Government/Defense Relations to bridge teams and seamlessly align corporate OKRs with manufacturing execution.
- Build and mentor a high-performing, multidisciplinary manufacturing and supply chain team while fostering a culture of accountability, ownership, collaboration, and operational excellence.
THE QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical), Supply Chain Management, or a related technical field; an MBA or advanced degree is a significant plus.
- 20 years of progressive leadership experience in hardware manufacturing, supply chain, and procurement operations within complex, high-reliability industries (e.g., aerospace, autonomous systems, robotics, defense, or clean-tech).
- Proven success scaling a hardware company from low-rate initial production (LRIP) to high-rate, global scaled production utilizing external contract manufacturers.
- Deep experience navigating US Department of Defense (DoD) procurement, Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR/DFARS), defense prime contractors, and managing cleared/secure supply chains.
- Demonstrated proficiency in financial acumen, with a deep understanding of COGS, capex planning, inventory turn optimization, and margin expansion levers.
- Success serving as a key operator of a senior executive team in providing input to the CEO or board of directors, to drive business decisions and strategic objectives.
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, APICS/CPIM, or equivalent operational and supply chain certifications are highly preferred.
- Direct experience in shipbuilding, naval architecture production, or advanced marine hardware manufacturing, including working knowledge of composite materials, marine-grade electronics, and hull fabrication processes would be nice.
- Possession of, or the ability to obtain, a U.S. Security Clearance is preferred.
Salary range: $280,000 – $330,000 USD
Location: Alameda, California, United States
