Renewable Energy, Environmental Services, Energy Consulting

Head of Manufacturing

El Segundo, CAOnsiteFull TimeManager / Head$200,000–$220,000 /yrPosted 1 month agoVisa sponsorship available

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Required skills

manufacturing strategy
scale-up roadmap
repeatable production
industrialization
additive manufacturing
machining
supplier strategy
make-versus-buy
cost models
capacity models

Nice to have

turbomachinery
rotating equipment
pressure systems
energy hardware
aerospace
propulsion

Role summary

Arbor Energy is seeking a Head of Manufacturing to establish and scale their hardware production processes. This 0-to-1 leadership role involves developing the manufacturing strategy, translating designs into scalable production approaches, and building systems from the ground up. Responsibilities include leading component production, process qualification, capacity planning, and coordinating across departments and external partners. The ideal candidate has 10+ years of experience in hardware manufacturing and industrialization, with expertise in areas like additive manufacturing, machining, and supplier management. This hands-on role requires building cost and capacity models, implementing production systems, and fostering cross-functional collaboration in an early-stage environment. Based in El Segundo, CA, the role requires regular travel to various sites.

About Us

At Arbor Energy & Resources Corporation ("Arbor Energy"), we’re creating technology to power our lives while protecting the planet that sustains them. Our advanced power systems deliver clean, reliable baseload electricity with zero operating emissions—modular, fuel-flexible, and engineered for the realities of today’s energy demand. At the core is a supercritical CO₂ turbine with integrated carbon capture, designed to bring carbon-neutral power online quickly at meaningful scale.

Our team includes aerospace engineers, combustion experts, and systems thinkers with a shared goal: to build technology worthy of the world we want to live in. While many of us began our journeys looking to the stars, we’re applying that expertise here at home to deliver dependable, emission-free baseload power and a future of lasting abundance.

If you share our values and are drawn to rigorous work with lasting impact, we’d love to learn more about you. Come build what the future will run on.

Steward our planet: We build for tomorrow, ensuring every bolt we tighten and every hand we lend leaves our environment stronger than we found it.

Lead with Love: We champion the success of our people, partners, and planet, nurturing excellence through camaraderie and rigor.

Explore the Uncharted: We embrace the unknown with curiosity, using courage and discipline to transform uncertainty into opportunity.

Role Overview

We are looking for a Head of Manufacturing to build the systems, processes, and partnerships that will take our hardware from development builds to repeatable production. This is a hands-on, 0 to 1 leadership role for someone who can develop the manufacturing strategy while staying close to the practical industrialization and build challenges required to execute it.

You’ll lead the development and execution of Arbor’s manufacturing roadmap across critical component production, subassemblies, skid and module assembly, integration, and final system delivery. Working closely with engineering, you’ll translate novel system designs into a scalable manufacturing approach.

You’ll help create the manufacturing model, make grounded recommendations about where and how work should occur, and establish the operating discipline Arbor needs for its next stage of growth.

This role is based at Arbor’s headquarters in El Segundo, CA, and requires regular in-person work at HQ, test site (in San Bernardino, CA), supplier and manufacturing-partner locations, and future facilities. Travel will evolve with the company’s manufacturing footprint and project needs.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead Arbor's manufacturing strategy and scale-up roadmap from development builds through repeatable production.

Translate product and system designs into practical manufacturing plans that improve manufacturability, cost, quality, reliability, serviceability, and production readiness.

Evaluate and recommend make-versus-buy, vertical-integration, supplier, manufacturing-partner, and facility strategies as Arbor grows.

Lead the production strategy for critical components, including additive manufacturing, machining, post-processing, inspection, qualification, and downstream integration.

Establish approaches for process qualification, repeatability, yield improvement, and cost reduction across production-critical workflows.

Build ramp and capacity plans covering equipment, tooling, staffing, supplier readiness, qualification cycles, inventory, spares, throughput, and project-delivery needs.

Implement the production systems, work instructions, quality controls, traceability, configuration management, and change-control practices appropriate for each stage of scale.

Coordinate an integrated manufacturing plan across Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, Facilities, test operations, suppliers, and manufacturing partners.

Build manufacturing cost and capacity models, and partner with Finance to translate equipment, facility, supplier, and staffing needs into phased capital and operating plans.

Create a clear operating cadence for manufacturing, surface tradeoffs early, and bring decision-ready recommendations to company leadership.

Help define Arbor's manufacturing organization and priority capability gaps, building the team and partner network as production needs grow.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in manufacturing, industrialization, production engineering, or operations for complex hardware systems, including meaningful leadership responsibility.

Experience taking first-of-a-kind or early-stage hardware from prototype or first article into repeatable production.

Experience building manufacturing systems from the ground up, including process design, facility planning, supplier strategy, production systems, and operating cadence.

Production or production-intent experience with additive manufacturing, including qualification, inspection, repeatability, yield, and downstream process integration.

Strong working knowledge of machining, fabrication, welding, assembly, test, quality systems, and production readiness for complex hardware.

Experience evaluating and implementing make-versus-buy, vertical-integration, and manufacturing-partner decisions.

Ability to build cost, capacity, and capital models and connect manufacturing choices to technical, commercial, and company milestones.

Strong cross-functional leadership and communication skills, including the ability to make complex manufacturing tradeoffs clear to technical and executive audiences.

Comfort working hands-on in an early-stage environment while building the processes, partnerships, and team needed to scale.

Preferred Qualifications

Relevant experience in turbomachinery, rotating equipment, pressure systems, energy hardware, aerospace, propulsion, industrial process equipment, or similarly demanding hardware environments.

Manufacturing environments involving additive processes, machining, post-processing, welding, skidded systems, piping, electrical integration, and system-level test.

Early-stage or high-growth companies where you remained close to the work while building the function.

Benefits & Compensation

Pre-IPO stock options

Medical, dental, and vision insurance (Arbor covers 90% for employees)

Basic life insurance fully covered

Health savings account (HSA) with matching

Flexible savings account (FSA)

Unlimited PTO

12+ company holidays, including Earth Day!

401(k)

Commuter benefits

Annual learning and development stipend

And more!

Base Pay: $200,000 - $220,000 USD/year. The salary is subject to the applicant's skills, qualifications, experience, and geographic location.

Our Commitment

Arbor Energy is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. Solving global energy challenges requires a wide range of perspectives and experiences, and we are committed to building a team that reflects the world we serve.

Our hiring process is designed to be accessible, fair, and focused on the work that matters most for this role. Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the hiring process and employment—please let us know if you need one.

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