Senior Manager / Director, Manufacturing Operations
Pivotal Systems is seeking a Manufacturing Operations leader for our Fremont, California facility as we ramp to high-volume production. You will own manufacturing operations for a 24x7 site and be accountable for output, efficiency, quality, and safety. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who has taken products from NPI through volume, built the teams and systems to sustain that growth, and holds the line on both customer commitments and a safe workplace.
Production ramp and output
- Lead the Fremont manufacturing organization through the transition from low-volume to high-volume production, including capacity planning, line balancing, and ramp readiness across all shifts.
- Set and drive production plans, throughput targets, and on-time delivery goals. Maximize output and efficiency while protecting quality.
- Identify and eliminate manufacturing constraints and waste through process redesign, workflow improvement, and continuous improvement programs (5S, lean, root-cause problem solving).
- Partner with Engineering on NPI handoffs, process development, and design-for-manufacturability so new products ramp predictably.
24x7 manufacturing operations leadership
- Run multi-shift manufacturing operations at the Fremont facility with clear accountability, strong shift handoffs, and consistent performance across days, nights, and weekends.
- Build and develop a bench of managers, supervisors, and technicians. Own hiring, coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
- Establish daily management routines (metrics, tiered meetings, escalation paths) so issues are surfaced and resolved quickly.
Quality ownership
- Own manufacturing quality outcomes, including containment, nonconformance management, and corrective and preventive action.
- Lead structured problem solving (8D, 4C, or equivalent) on internal and customer-reported issues, and serve as the senior escalation point for customer quality concerns.
- Work with Quality and Engineering to strengthen process controls, inspection, and test strategies as volumes increase.
Safety and workplace culture
- Own EHS performance for the Fremont manufacturing floor. Build a proactive safety culture grounded in ergonomics, training, hazard identification, and accountability at every level.
- Ensure compliance with all applicable safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements, including California and local Fremont requirements.
Supply chain and cross-functional partnership
- Work closely with Supply Chain, Materials, and Planning on inventory accuracy, kitting, shipping and receiving, and vendor performance.
- Partner with Sales, Customer Support, Engineering, and Finance on forecasts, customer commitments, and the manufacturing operations budget.
- Report operational performance and risks clearly to executive leadership.
Required
- 12+ years of manufacturing operations experience in semiconductor, semiconductor capital equipment, or a comparable high-precision manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrated success ramping new products and processes into high-volume production.
- Proven experience leading large manufacturing organizations (100+ employees), including managers and supervisors, in a multi-shift or 24x7 environment.
- Track record of improving throughput, on-time delivery, and quality metrics with measurable results.
- Hands-on experience with structured problem solving (8D, 4C, root-cause analysis) and customer escalations.
- Strong commitment to workplace safety, with experience building safety programs or ergonomics initiatives.
- Excellent communication, with the ability to influence across Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and executive teams.
- Ability to work on-site in Fremont, CA.
Preferred
- Experience in cleanroom or wafer, probe, assembly, and test manufacturing.
- Startup or greenfield factory experience, including scaling operations through multiple years of growth.
- Background in lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or Six Sigma methodologies.
- Familiarity with ERP/MES systems and data-driven performance management.
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, business, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
Success in the First 12 Months Looks Like
- A clear, funded ramp plan with capacity milestones met on schedule.
- Stable, consistent manufacturing performance across all shifts, with measurable gains in output and efficiency.
- Improved on-time delivery and a faster, more disciplined corrective-action process.
- A strong safety record and visible safety culture on the Fremont floor.
- A leadership bench in place across every shift.