Associate Director, Manufacturing

Who we are: Electra is reinventing ironmaking from the ground up with a breakthrough electrochemical technology that produces high purity clean iron and critical co - minerals. With two operating pilots in Boulder and a new demonstration facility underway in Jefferson County, we’re on track to reach commercial scale by the end of the decade. Backed by over $300 million and strategic partnerships with global leaders across mining, steel, and big tech, momentum is on our side . Recognized by Fast Company as a Most Innovative Company and a Next Big Thing in Tech, and named one of TIME’s 100 Climate Leaders, we’re building a company shaping the future of industry. If y ou’re looking to make an impact and join a team t hat’s driven, focused, and scaling, we want to hear from you. What you will do: The Associate Director, Manufacturing, reporting to the Vice President of Industrial Engineering & Automation. This Associate Director will build and lead a team of manufacturing engineers, while serving as the technical authority for outsourced manufacturing. Early-stage development, custom builds, and rapid iteration are led by the Rapid Prototyping organization; this role assumes ownership once product designs transition into demonstration , and production execution. This role translates product and process requirements into scalable manufacturing solutions, qualifies and recommends capable contract manufacturers, and ensures manufacturing readiness for demonstration-scale operations. The Associate Director partners closely with Supply Chain—including Supplier Quality Engineering—to align technical execution with commercial and contractual activities, while retaining direct responsibility for internal inspection and product specification compliance. This role exists to transform proven Electra designs into reliable, repeatable manufacturing systems that enable confident demonstration operations and scalable production. Responsibilities include: Manufacturing execution & scale-up Lead execution of the manufacturing strategy from demonstration readiness through ongoing production (~30,000 units) Own structured handoff from Rapid Prototyping into Manufacturing, including transfer of process intent, key learnings, tooling concepts, and known technical risks. Drive the transition of Electra product designs from development into manufacturable, scalable, and cost-effective production solutions Own ongoing production and availability of product and spares in support of Demonstration Plant operations, ensuring reliable execution while Rapid Prototyping focuses on next-generation development. Execute make/buy decisions, capacity plans, and manufacturing roadmaps in alignment with VP-level direction Ensure manufacturing execution meets performance, quality, safety, cost, and schedule objectives for Electra’s operating plants Serve as the technical authority for outsourced manufacturing of subcomponents. Identify, evaluate, and recommend qualified and capable contract manufacturers based on technical capability, process maturity, quality systems, and scalability Lead supplier technical assessments, manufacturing readiness reviews, and process capability evaluations Define manufacturing requirements, process controls, inspection strategies, and acceptance criteria for external suppliers based on industrialization and demonstration-scale learnings Partner with Supply Chain to support supplier selection and onboarding, with Supply Chain owning commercial negotiations, financial terms, and legal contracts Collaborate with Supplier Quality Engineering to ensure supplier processes, controls, and corrective actions align with Electra’s technical and quality requirements Provide technical risk assessments and escalation for supplier-related manufacturing issues Quality, metrology & inspection ownership Serve as the Manufacturing functional owner for metrology and inspection capabilities supporting demonstration and production manufacturing Define manufa…