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What to Expect
The Sr. Manager, Operations is a founding leader in our new Solar Manufacturing group, with full accountability for production, engineering, and maintenance across a greenfield facility. This is a high-impact, hands-on role for an experienced manufacturing executive who thrives on building organizations from the ground up - launching operations, scaling teams, and instilling a culture of safety, quality, and relentless improvement. You will set the operational tone for the entire site and be a key driver in making this a world-class manufacturing operation.
What You'll Do
- Own the full operations scope. Lead production, engineering, and maintenance as an integrated operation - accountable for safety, quality, first-time yield (FTY), uptime, delivery-to-plan, staffing, and cost
- Launch and scale. Spearhead the start-up, ramp, and optimization of the large scale, key process facility - from equipment commissioning through full-rate production - with urgency and precision
- Build and lead the team. Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing organization of salaried and hourly team members; set clear expectations, coach relentlessly, and hold the bar high
- Drive operational discipline. Establish and sustain process control systems, 5S standards, documentation practices, and daily/weekly/monthly KPI rhythms that keep the operation running at peak performance
- Champion safety and quality. Create a zero-compromise culture around safety and product quality; ensure best practices are embedded into every process and every layer of the team
- Deliver continuous improvement. Identify, prioritize, and execute CI initiatives across safety, environmental, quality, cost, efficiency, and throughput; benchmark externally and bring best practices in
- Maintain equipment and facilities. Drive implementation of a robust preventative maintenance program; act decisively on corrective actions to keep equipment in optimal condition and minimize downtime
- Lead new product and process introductions. Partner with design and engineering teams to manage NPI and material introductions - owning process plans, budget tracking, schedule adherence, and risk mitigation
What You'll Bring
- Degree in Engineering or equivalent professional experience
- 12+ years in high-volume, high-speed manufacturing - solar or semiconductor strongly preferred; 9+ years in progressive operations leadership roles
- Proven builder.Demonstrated success recruiting, developing, and scaling top-performing manufacturing organizations - from start-up through steady-state at volume
- Start-up and ramp expertise.Hands-on experience leading greenfield process and equipment start-ups, managing ramp curves, and closing gaps quickly
- NPI fluency.Track record managing new product and material introductions in a high-complexity manufacturing environment
- Analytical rigor.Data-driven decision-maker who leverages metrics, root-cause analysis, and structured problem-solving to drive outcomes
- Grace under pressure.Thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous environments; manages competing priorities, hits deadlines, and follows through without losing composure
- Communication. Clear, direct communicator - equally effective on the shop floor and in front of senior leadership; fluent in multi-cultural, multi-functional team environments
- Drive and ownership.Strong sense of urgency, bias to action, and personal accountability for results
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Tesla Motors, Inc.
Nov 13, 2026