Vice President, Manufacturing

<div class="content-intro"><h3>THE COMPANY</h3> <p>Saildrone is a maritime defense company and the global leader in autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). With more ocean miles and real-world operational experience than any USV manufacturer or operator, Saildrone maintains active, combat-deployed systems supporting national security and force projection around the world, 24/7/365.&nbsp;</p> <p>Saildrone’s manufacturing and R&amp;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.</p></div><h3>THE POSITION</h3> <p>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 building and scaling the operations that deliver our autonomous maritime systems, ensuring we consistently build and deliver complex products on time while adapting to evolving designs and customer needs. 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.</p> <h3>THE TEAM</h3> <p>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.</p> <h3>THE RESPONSIBILITIES</h3> <ul> <li>Perform end-to-end manufacturing and sourcing strategies to achieve reliable, on-time product delivery, while meeting Saildrone's high quality and delivery schedule standards.</li> <li>Be accountable for production performance, operational readiness, and execution across internal manufacturing operations and external partners, including ownership of capacity planning and inventory management.</li> <li>Work closely with Engineering and New Product Introduction (NPI) teams to align on priorities and dependencies, ensuring a seamless transition of evolving, complex designs into production.</li> <li>Carry out day-to-day work using clear operating rhythms and metrics in accordance with established timelines and cost targets.</li> <li>Monitor for production bottlenecks, operational risks, and supply constraints, take action to resolve or mitigate them rapidly, and escalate when critical constraints are exceeded.</li> <li>Adhere to a practical, solutions-oriented approach to quality systems, and contribute suggestions that improve operational agility, throughput, and on-time manufacturing.</li> <li>Provide timely updates on operational performance, production risks, and mitigation strategies to the CEO, executive leadership, and partners to support strategic alignment.</li> <li>Meet commitments, manage capital expenditures (capex) and COGS, and proactively raise concerns when risks, capacity, or priorities change.</li> <li>Build, mentor, and retain a high-performing, multidisciplinary team while fostering a culture of accountability, ownership, collaboration, and operational excellence.</li> </ul> <h3>THE QUALIFICATIONS</h3> <ul> <li><strong>15+ years of progressive leadership experience</strong> in manufacturing, operations, supply chain, or production functions supporting highly complex hardware products.</li> <li><strong>Proven track record</strong> running operations like clockwork and consistently building and delivering complex hardware on time within fast-moving, rapidly changing environments.</li> <li><strong>Demonstrated financial and executive acumen</strong>, with experience managing COGS, capex planning, and collaborating directly with a CEO or Board of Directors to drive business decisions.</li> <li><strong>Proven ability to</strong> troubleshoot execution challenges, make high-stakes decisions with incomplete information, and drive issues to immediate resolution.</li> <li><strong>Ability to clearly communicate</strong> execution plans, risks, and priorities across executive leadership, engineering, operations, and external partners.</li> <li><strong>Working knowledge of</strong> manufacturing quality systems with the ability to articulate quality goals without getting bogged down by over-processed methodologies.</li> <li><strong>Desired experience in</strong> marine hardware manufacturing, boat yard operations, robotics, or defense-focused industries.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description"><p>The base salary range for this position is shown below. Actual compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and qualifications. This range reflects the base salary for candidates in states requiring pay transparency disclosure.</p></div><div class="title">Salary Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$280,000</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$330,000 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><p>To view Saildrone's candidate privacy policy, please visit: <a href="https://www.saildrone.com/privacy">https://www.saildrone.com/privacy</a>.</p> <h3>BENEFITS</h3> <p>At Saildrone, we’re building operational capability that matters—and that requires people who can do their best work over the long term. We invest in our team’s well-being, financial security, and professional growth so you can focus on delivering real-world impact with confidence and stability. Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support you and your family while you contribute to a mission with lasting significance.&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li><strong>Generous Time Off: </strong>Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual plus a robust annual holiday schedule and paid sick leave ensure you can rest, reset, and sustain performance over time.</li> <li><strong>Comprehensive Health Coverage:</strong> Premium, multi-tier Medical, Dental, and Vision plans with significant company contributions for employees and dependents—providing security and peace of mind.</li> <li><strong>Shared Ownership in the Mission:</strong> Equity grants are a core part of our compensation, allowing you to participate in the long-term value you help create through meaningful, operational work.</li> <li><strong>Retirement Savings:</strong> Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with flexible pre-tax and Roth payroll contribution options supports long-term financial planning.</li> <li><strong>Investment in Your Growth: </strong>We support your continuous learning through an annual professional development reimbursement program, empowering you to sharpen your skills and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving field.</li> <li><strong>Relocation Support:</strong> For eligible roles, we offer relocation assistance to help bring the world’s best talent to our mission-critical locations.</li> </ul> <p>Saildrone is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.</p></div>