Director of Manufacturing - Santa Clara - Verdant Robotics

Description

Company Description

Verdant Robotics' SharpShooter is an advanced precision application system that delivers unparalleled accuracy for weeding, thinning, and other essential crop applications. Designed to seamlessly integrate with existing agricultural practices, this technology ensures precise applications to crops and weeds of varying sizes without sacrificing efficiency. The SharpShooter enhances agricultural processes by reducing labor costs, minimizing chemical usage, and increasing crop yields, making it a trusted choice for leading specialty growers in the U.S., including conventional, organic, and no-till systems. Learn more at

Role Description

We are hiring a hands-on Director of Supply Chain & Production to build and scale our end-to-end supply chain and manufacturing operations. This leader will own production execution—ensuring builds happen on schedule, materials arrive when needed, and customer and investor milestones are met without surprises.

You will drive disciplined production planning, enforce accountability across suppliers and internal teams, and remove blockers before they impact timelines. In a startup environment where resources are tight and priorities shift, you bring structure without slowing momentum. Execution matters here—meeting build schedules, delivering units on time, and scaling cleanly from prototype through volume production.

Our core technology empowers farmers to grow more profitable food. We use computer vision and artificial intelligence to understand every part of every plant at a massive scale -- and with automated robotics, we close the loop and act on that information in real-time. Together with our partners, we are building environmentally-friendly, sustainable, and highly productive farms.

We're a technology company focused on delivering great customer service, an amazing product, and experience. We're looking for can-do, roll up the sleeves Director strong on building culture.

Core Responsibilities

• Own the full supply chain lifecycle: sourcing, procurement, supplier development, planning, logistics, and cost control
• Lead production ramp from pilot builds to scalable manufacturing (internal and/or contract manufacturers)
• Own supplier quality and incoming inspection systems
• Define and execute contract manufacturing strategy
• Establish spare parts and field service supply architecture
• Partner with Finance to optimize working capital and inventory efficiency
• Lead make-vs-buy and capital equipment investment decisions
• Establish and manage production schedules aligned to company milestones + report out weekly to teams and Executive team; including Board of Directors.
• Negotiate and manage strategic supplier contracts (electronics, mechanical systems, long-lead components, capital equipment)
• Drive BOM cost reduction and margin improvement initiatives
• Implement production KPIs: throughput, yield, on-time delivery, inventory turns, and cost
• Identify supply risks early (capacity, geopolitical exposure, sole-source dependencies) and implement mitigation strategies
• Partner closely with Engineering on NPI, DFM, supplier qualification, and design-to-cost efforts
• Develop S&OP and demand planning processes appropriate for a scaling startup
• Stand up scalable systems (ERP/MRP, forecasting, reporting infrastructure)
• Recruit, develop, and lead a lean, high-performing supply chain and production team
• Develop operational processes for parts inventory, ordering, and supporting a dealer network.
• A focus on managing budget and forecast.

What Success Looks Like (First 12-18 Months)

• Production ramps cleanly to meet customer and board-level milestones
• Clear visibility into supply risk, cost structure, and capacity constraints; identify alternate solutions.
• Critical supplier contracts secured with favorable commercial and operational terms
• Improved production yield, cycle time, and on-time delivery
• Build processes to support a dealer network.
• A resilient supply base capable of supporting rapid growth
• A strong, accountable team in place that executes without constant oversight

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in engineering, supply chain management, operations, or a related field is required; an advanced degree is a plus.
• 10+ years of leadership experience in supply chain and/or production within EV, autonomy, robotics, automotive, or other complex hardware environments
• Proven experience scaling from NPI/prototype to volume manufacturing
• Demonstrated success negotiating multi-million-dollar supplier agreements
• Strong production execution background with a track record of delivering against aggressive timelines
• Experienced team builder who attracts, develops, and retains high-performing talent
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and building systems from scratch
• Technical fluency to engage deeply with engineering and manufacturing teams
• Experience in a startup or VC-backed growth environment preferred
• Bias toward action and ownership; solves problems early and decisively
• Expertise in Production Planning and Manufacturing Operations.
• Proficiency in Supply Chain Management and inventory optimization techniques.
• Experience implementing process improvements, cost-reduction strategies, and maintaining quality standards in manufacturing.
• Experience in the agricultural technology sector or similar industries is preferred.

Salary Range: $185,000 - $225,000 base + Equity

Verdant reserves the ability to adjust the compensation range based on the final candidate's experience, skillset, and geography. In addition to on-target earnings, we offer equity grants, as every employee should have a stake in the company's growth. If you're above this compensation target, we encourage you to reach out and discuss the entire package and opportunity before deciding not to pursue this position.

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Verdant Robotics provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.