Head of Manufacturing

Aether Biomachines is building the future of protein-engineered materials. Our Protein Function Model unlocks entirely new classes of high-performance polymers and additive manufacturing feedstocks, enabling breakthrough applications across aerospace, defense, clean energy, and beyond.

As we transition from breakthrough R&D to scaled commercial production, we are building a world-class global materials operations function. We are seeking a Head of Manufacturing to architect, scale, and lead our end-to-end manufacturing and supply chain strategy across the U.S. and Europe.

This executive will own the strategy, systems, partnerships, and organizational buildout required to transform novel materials innovation into reliable, multi-site, commercial-scale production.

You will design and lead Aether’s global manufacturing and materials operations infrastructure - from manufacturing network strategy and CMO governance to supply chain architecture, cost structure, risk mitigation, and quality systems - ensuring our materials scale with technical integrity, commercial reliability, and capital efficiency.

This role requires both executive-level systems design and hands-on operational engagement. The right leader will be comfortable stepping into the details of a production issue at a CMO while simultaneously building the long-term infrastructure that makes those interventions less frequent over time.

You will partner closely with R&D/Product, Finance, and Commercial leadership to translate innovation into durable, high-performance production capability.

Global Manufacturing Strategy & Network Design

• Define Aether’s long-term manufacturing footprint strategy (CMO mix, geographies, dual-sourcing, capacity planning).

• Lead evaluation, selection, and executive oversight of contract manufacturers across the U.S. and Europe.

• Architect a scalable production model capable of supporting multi-product, multi-grade materials portfolios.

• Develop contingency and risk mitigation strategies for geopolitical, supply, and capacity volatility.

Commercial-Scale Production & Operational Excellence

• Own the transition from process development to commercial-scale manufacturing.

• Ensure technical reproducibility and specification fidelity across distributed production sites.

• Establish performance KPIs across yield, throughput, cost, quality, and on-time delivery.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across CMO partners.

End-to-End Supply Chain Architecture

• Design and oversee raw material sourcing strategy, supplier qualification, and cost management.

• Build resilient logistics and distribution infrastructure, including 3PL partnerships.

• Lead demand planning alignment with Commercial and Product teams.

• Ensure inventory strategy balances working capital discipline with customer reliability.

Quality Systems, Governance & Change Control

• Design and implement Aether’s multi-site quality management architecture as we transition from R&D-grade controls to commercial-grade systems.

• Establish scalable document control, version control, and change management frameworks across internal teams and external CMOs.

• Build robust lot traceability, deviation management, and root cause investigation processes that tie field performance directly back to manufacturing data.

• Define and institutionalize release criteria, QC windows, and specification governance to ensure reproducibility at commercial scale.

• Partner with CMOs to audit, elevate, and standardize quality practices across facilities.

• Develop a proactive quality roadmap aligned with future regulatory and customer requirements (e.g., aerospace, defense, clean energy certifications).

• Ensure quality systems are not just compliant, but operationally useful - generating data that improves yield, reliability, and cost over time.

• Translate recurring issues into durable process improvements, reducing reliance on individual heroics.

• Prepare the organization for eventual formal certifications (ISO, AS9100, etc.) where strategically necessary

Financial & Executive Accountability

• Own the manufacturing and materials operations cost structure and partner with Finance on forecasting, margin modeling, and capital planning.

• Evaluate make vs. buy decisions and long-term manufacturing investments.

• Present regularly to executive leadership and Board-level stakeholders on operational readiness, risk, and capacity.

Organizational Leadership

• Build and lead the manufacturing and materials operations function, including sourcing, supply chain, production planning, quality coordination, and manufacturing engineering oversight.

• Design the org structure required to scale from early commercial ramp to global production.

• Recruit and develop senior operators capable of managing increasing complexity.

• Establish operating rhythms, metrics, and cross-functional executive alignment.

Executive-Scale Operations Leadership

• 15+ years in chemical, polymer, specialty materials, or advanced manufacturing environments.

• Experience scaling production from pilot to sustained multi-site commercial volumes.

• Track record of building or transforming a manufacturing network, including CMO governance.

• Experience operating at the VP or senior director level with enterprise accountability.

Execution-Oriented Leadership

• Comfortable operating as both strategist and operator - able to design the system and step in when it breaks.

• Willing to travel on short notice to manufacturing sites to resolve critical issues and build trust with partners.

• Demonstrated history of personally stepping into complex production challenges and driving them to resolution.

• You use real-time operational issues as diagnostic input to strengthen systems, processes, and controls.

• You maintain high standards without relying on heroics; you build durable mechanisms that reduce firefighting over time.

• You are comfortable working without large internal infrastructure; able to build structure while operating within ambiguity.

• Bias toward action when production, quality, or customer delivery is at risk.

Leadership at Company-Building Scale

• Comfortable leading without extensive middle management layers.

• Hands-on enough to review batch records or production data directly when needed.

• High ownership mindset - you view manufacturing performance as a direct reflection of company credibility.

• Energized by building in environments where structure is still forming.

Financial & Organizational Maturity

• Experience managing operating budgets and influencing capital allocation decisions.

• Demonstrated ability to build and scale teams through high-growth phases.

• Skilled at aligning cross-functional executive stakeholders around operational tradeoffs.

Relationship Leadership

• Credibility with scientists, process engineers, and manufacturing leaders.

• Exceptional communicator capable of bridging R&D, commercial, and external production partners.

• Comfortable operating in ambiguity while building structure.

• Hybrid preferred in South San Francisco, moving to San Francisco in 2027, remote candidates considered.

• Significant travel to CMOs in the Midwest, East Coast, and Europe.

Aether Biomachines is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re excited about this role but don’t meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply.

The pay range for this role is $200,000 - $300,000 per year + equity, with final compensation based on skills and experience. Employment at Aether is at-will, and reasonable accommodations are available upon request. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. At this time, Aether is not sponsoring visas for this position