Head of Supply Chain & Manufacturing Engineering

Head of Supply Chain & Manufacturing Engineering

At Skild AI, we're building the world's first general-purpose robotic intelligence—systems that can robustly adapt to unseen environments without failure. We believe large-scale, data-driven machine learning is the key to unlocking widespread real-world robotics deployment.

Our team spans from early-career engineers to industry veterans. While experience matters, we prioritize demonstrated ability, curiosity, and execution. We're looking for people who are excited to tackle unsolved problems and build systems that operate at real-world scale.

Skild AI is seeking a Head of Supply Chain & Manufacturing Engineering to lead the transition of our robotic systems from prototype to scalable, cost-effective, and high-quality production. This role sits at the intersection of engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and vendor management and will be critical in scaling production to 300–400 units per month.

This is a hands-on, technically demanding leadership role for someone excited to build manufacturing capability from 0 to 1 in a fast-moving robotics environment.

What You'll Do

• Drive the transition of robotic prototypes into production, starting with low-volume builds (first <50 units, then <250 units) and scaling to mass production
• Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering teams to guide DFM, DFA, and design-for-cost decisions
• Identify, evaluate, onboard, and manage global suppliers, vendors, and contract manufacturers, with a strong focus on vendors in China
• Lead cost modeling, BOM optimization, and manufacturability assessments to meet cost targets while maintaining performance and reliability
• Establish and maintain tight feedback loops between supply chain readiness and prototype refinement, ensuring all components are available and scalable for high-volume production

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in supply chain and manufacturing engineering
• Background in Mechanical Engineering
• Experience setting up a factory in the United States for robotics or automotive products
• Proven experience scaling a mechanical product (e.g., robots or vehicles) from prototype to 300–400 units per month
• Experience managing global suppliers and vendors, particularly in China
• Strong hands-on technical capability across manufacturing and supply chain disciplines
• Strong negotiation skills for vendor contracts and supplier agreements
• Experience working in a startup or early-stage hardware environment