Director of Manufacturing Operations

LOCATION Ridgefield, CT

JOB TYPE Full-Time, On-Site

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Vibrant Building Technologies is building the next generation of home health technology — hardware and software designed to actively manage the environment people live in.

Our first product is an intelligent HVAC platform. We are transitioning from product development into manufacturing and building the operational foundation to produce our systems at scale. Our commitment is to American manufacturing and uncompromising product quality.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

We are looking for a Head of Manufacturing & Test Operations to build Vibrant's manufacturing organization from the ground up. This role is full-time and on-site in Ridgefield, CT.

This is not a maintenance role inside an established factory. This is a 0 to 1 build.

You will design the production floor, implement manufacturing systems, develop testing infrastructure, and establish the quality processes that ensure every system leaving the facility performs reliably in the field. You will work directly with executive leadership to define how our products are built, tested, and delivered.

The right person is both strategic and hands-on — comfortable defining manufacturing architecture and stepping onto the floor to debug hardware and solve problems. Your work will directly determine Vibrant's ability to scale.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Manufacturing System Architecture

• Design and build Vibrant's manufacturing operations from the ground up
• Define production line architecture, workstation layouts, and assembly flow
• Establish SOPs, assembly instructions, and process controls
• Implement systems for inventory, traceability, and production tracking

Production Operations

• Own throughput, yield, and reliability across all manufacturing lines
• Launch and stabilize new production stations and assembly processes
• Identify and eliminate bottlenecks affecting cycle time and output
• Drive continuous improvement across efficiency and cost structure

Test Infrastructure & QA

• Design and deploy production testing infrastructure for every manufactured unit
• Develop automated and manual test procedures to validate system performance
• Establish root cause analysis processes for production failures and field returns
• Partner with engineering on validation testing and product verification

Supply Chain & Component Quality

• Manage vendor performance and component quality with supply chain leadership
• Establish incoming quality control processes for critical components
• Maintain feedback loops between production, suppliers, and product development

Team Building & Leadership

• Recruit, train, and develop Vibrant's early manufacturing team
• Build a culture of ownership, accountability, and operational excellence
• Serve as the escalation point for all manufacturing and quality issues

Cross-Functional Execution

• Close feedback loops between design and production with hardware, firmware, and software teams
• Support prototype builds, pilot runs, and engineering validation cycles
• Partner with executive leadership on scaling strategy and facility expansion

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE — FIRST 12 TO 18 MONTHS

• A stable, repeatable manufacturing line running at consistent throughput
• Production testing infrastructure validating every unit before shipment
• QA processes that significantly reduce field failures and service escalations
• Throughput increased without sacrificing quality
• Operational foundation in place to scale production significantly
• A high-ownership manufacturing team performing at a high level

YOU MIGHT BE A FIT IF

• You enjoy building systems from scratch rather than maintaining existing ones
• You have taken a hardware product from prototype into real production and understand what scaling physical products actually requires
• You move comfortably between strategic planning and hands-on execution — process design, production debugging, test fixture improvement
• You believe great manufacturing leaders belong on the production floor
• You are motivated by ownership and want to directly shape how a company builds and delivers its products
• You are energized by environments where the playbook is still being written
• You take pride in eliminating operational chaos through durable systems, not constant firefighting

You will likely thrive here if you are the type of person who looks at an empty production floor and immediately starts thinking about the systems, processes, and team required to bring it to life.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• 5+ years in manufacturing, production engineering, or industrial engineering
• Experience scaling hardware production in fast-moving environments
• Strong technical understanding of electromechanical systems
• Able to operate across strategy and execution — from system design to shop floor
• Track record of building durable processes, not just solving immediate fires

Strongly Preferred:

• Experience at an early-stage hardware company
• Background designing production test systems for complex hardware
• Familiarity with HVAC or similar electromechanical products
• Experience with MES or manufacturing analytics systems