Company Description
AC Future is pioneering innovative and sustainable solutions to address today’s housing challenges. Specializing in smart, flexible, and eco-conscious homes, we are committed to redefining modern living while prioritizing environmental responsibility. Our mission is to empower individuals to embrace a sustainable lifestyle without compromising on quality or comfort. Join us in shaping a more sustainable future for communities worldwide.
Role Description
We are seeking an experienced and hands-on Director of Manufacturing to lead and support manufacturing strategy, process development, supplier integration, and production readiness activities for our RV and mobility products. This role will play a critical part in establishing scalable manufacturing operations, supporting supplier and partner readiness, and driving efficient production execution from prototype through mass production.
The Director of Manufacturing will work cross-functionally with Program Management, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Operations teams to develop manufacturing processes, support partner selection, and ensure production execution is aligned with company objectives. This role owns production readiness and industrialization of externally developed components, including defining assembly processes, work instructions, tooling requirements, and quality standards for scalable U.S. assembly.
This position reports directly to the VP of Program Management and Operations.
Key Responsibilities
Manufacturing Strategy & Process Development
- Develop and implement overall manufacturing strategy for current and future products.
- Support manufacturing process design, production flow, line balancing, and assembly optimization.
- Lead development of scalable manufacturing systems for prototype, pilot, and mass production phases.
- Support advanced manufacturing initiatives including 3D printing and rapid prototyping processes.
- Define manufacturing requirements, tooling strategy, and process validation plans.
- Drive cost-down initiatives of labor efficiency, supplier cost, and assembly time
Supplier & Manufacturing Partner Management
- Identify, evaluate, and onboard manufacturing partners and suppliers.
- Support sourcing and manufacturing RFQ activities with domestic and international partners.
- Visit supplier and manufacturing partner facilities to assess manufacturing readiness, quality systems, capacity, and execution status.
- Ensure manufacturing partners remain on track with project timing, quality, cost, and delivery expectations.
- Collaborate with external partners to resolve manufacturing and process issues.
Manufacturing Facility Development
- Support planning and launch activities for future manufacturing facilities, if required.
- Assist with facility layout planning, equipment selection, workflow optimization, and operational readiness.
- Support establishment of manufacturing standards, procedures, and operational KPIs.
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Work closely with Engineering, Product Management, Supply Chain, Quality, and Operations teams to ensure manufacturability and production readiness.
- Support prototype builds, pilot builds, and production ramp-up activities.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, cost, and productivity.
- Provide regular manufacturing readiness updates to executive leadership.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical field.
- Minimum 5 years of manufacturing experience within the automotive, RV, or related industry.
- Experience taking externally developed or early-stage product designs and converting them into repeatable, production-ready assembly processes.
- Strong background in manufacturing process development, production systems, and manufacturing strategy.
- Experience working with contract manufacturers and external production partners.
- Experience supporting prototype and production launch activities.
- Knowledge of manufacturing methods including assembly processes, fabrication, tooling, and rapid prototyping/3D printing.
- Strong project management and cross-functional leadership skills.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting new manufacturing facility setup or production line launch.
- Experience with low-volume to high-volume production ramp-up.
- Familiarity with lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Experience in EV, mobility, trailer, or recreational vehicle manufacturing environments.
Company Benefits:
- Generous employee stock options
- 401(k) – 1:1 company match up to 5%
- Vision, Dental, and Medical Insurance
- PTO and paid holidays
- Free office lunch
- Sponsorship for employment visa status
Job Type: Full-time
Location: Irvine near Spectrum, CA
