Manufacturing Design Program Manager

Etched is seeking a Manufacturing Design Program Manager to drive technical manufacturing readiness across new product introduction and mass production for our transformer-specific AI systems. This highly cross-functional individual contributor role sits at the intersection of design engineering, test engineering, SMT, FATP, supply chain, and operations. You will lead manufacturing execution from early design-for-manufacturing (DFM) reviews through production ramp, ensuring products are designed for manufacturability and successfully transitioned into high-volume production.

Responsibilities

Drive manufacturing technical readiness across NPI and mass production in close partnership with hardware design, test engineering, SMT engineering, FATP process engineering, supply chain, and operations teams; Lead DFM reviews across L6, L10, and L11 assemblies, identifying manufacturability risks, integration challenges, and process constraints early in the product development cycle; Own manufacturing readiness for assigned programs, tracking build readiness, factory execution, process capability, yield, schedule, and key manufacturing risks; Coordinate cross-functional execution across prototype, EVT, DVT, PVT, and production builds, ensuring manufacturing deliverables remain on schedule; Partner with contract manufacturers and supply chain teams to develop production plans, line bring-up schedules, tooling readiness, and factory ramp strategies; Drive issue resolution during engineering and production builds through structured root cause analysis and cross-functional coordination; Monitor manufacturing KPIs including yield, cycle time, quality, and factory readiness while driving continuous improvement initiatives; Prepare and communicate manufacturing status, risks, mitigation plans, and execution updates to engineering leadership and executive stakeholders; Partner closely with design engineering to ensure manufacturing considerations are incorporated throughout the product development lifecycle; Travel to domestic and international manufacturing partners as needed to support production readiness and critical builds

Requirements

7+ years of experience in hardware engineering, with experience transitioning into Technical Program Management, Design Program Management, or Manufacturing Program Management; Strong preference for candidates with a background in mechanical, electrical, systems, or manufacturing engineering who have led cross-functional hardware programs through NPI and production; Experience managing manufacturing readiness for complex electromechanical systems or high-performance compute hardware; Strong understanding of manufacturing development phases including EVT, DVT, PVT, and production ramp; Experience leading DFM reviews and partnering closely with hardware engineering throughout product development; Experience working directly with contract manufacturers, FATP partners, or ODM/OEM manufacturing operations; Excellent cross-functional program management skills with the ability to coordinate engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and operations teams; Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience driving manufacturing issue resolution; Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presenting program status, risks, and tradeoffs to senior leadership; Willingness to work in-person from our San Jose office and travel internationally to manufacturing partners as needed

Nice to have

Experience building AI servers, accelerator systems, networking hardware, storage systems, or other high-performance compute platforms; Familiarity with SMT manufacturing, factory operations, automated test systems, or final system integration; Experience with manufacturing yield analytics, SPC methodologies, process capability metrics, or manufacturing data systems; Experience with liquid-cooled systems, advanced packaging, or high-density compute platforms; Experience partnering closely with ASIC, systems, thermal, reliability, or validation engineering teams; Experience working in fast-paced startup environments bringing first-generation hardware products into production

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage; $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits; Housing subsidy of $2k per month for those living within walking distance of the office; Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row); Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more; Daily lunch and dinner in our office; Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification