Director Manufacturing

About Knightscope Knightscope (NASDAQ: KSCP) is a security technology company building the nation's first Autonomous Security Force — autonomous machines, AI-driven software, and elite security professionals operating as one integrated managed service. The Company is on a mission to make the United States of America the safest country in the world. One Team. One Force. Job Summary The Director Manufacturing is Knightscope's senior-most manufacturing leader and a direct report to the CEO, accountable end-to-end from supplier to shipped machine: manufacturing engineering, production, and supply chain. This is an industrialization mandate, not a caretaker role. Knightscope designs, builds, deploys, and operates its own fleet of Autonomous Security Robots (ASRs) and Emergency Communication Devices (ECD) as part of a fully managed service — so this role is measured on machines performing in the field, not just units leaving the dock. The immediate mission: reconfigure facility to manufacture the K7 ASR and H1 ASA while sustaining current K5 ASR, K1 Hemisphere and Emergency Communication Device (ECD) production; drive assembly hours and unit costs to automotive-caliber targets; and institutionalize the engineering discipline — design for manufacturability, formal engineering change control, standard work — that makes output predictable. The Director operates with full authority and full accountability, and builds an organization that performs without executive intervention. Key Responsibilities Industrialization & Factory Buildout Own the facility reconfiguration: layout, station design, tooling, fixtures, test capability, and capacity planning Lead advanced manufacturing engineering through New Product Introduction alongside the Chief Program Engineers (K7, K1/H1): DFM/DFA reviews, process FMEAs, pilot builds, launch readiness, and the transition from prototype to repeatable production. Drive assembly-hour and unit-cost reduction to automotive standards across all product lines using time studies, standard work, and design change proposals. Enforce the Knightscope Product Development System (KPDS) and formal ECO discipline with Engineering: no production builds without released drawings, accurate BOMs, and validated work instructions. Production & Fulfillment Own daily production output, quality, and on-time fulfillment across ASR and ECD lines, including daily/weekly fulfillment reporting. Establish a finished-goods operating model so orders ship from stock, not from the end of the line, in support of company shipment targets. Own quality systems and continuous improvement on the floor: standard work, 5S, first-pass yield, scrap/rework reduction, and 8D/CAPA closure with Engineering and Service. Own environmental health and safety on the manufacturing floor, including Cal/OSHA compliance, incident prevention, and investigation. Supply Chain & Materials Own the supply chain through the Supply Chain Manager: supplier strategy, early supplier involvement in design, negotiated agreements, and material availability. Eliminate shortage-driven line stoppages: demand planning, min/max discipline, zero-quantity fail-safes, and BOM/data accuracy in NetSuite. Drive make/buy decisions and domestic sourcing resilience consistent with an exclusively U.S.-focused business. Own outside-processing relationships (build partners, paint, fabrication, cable assembly): performance, capacity flex, and the make-versus-buy roadmap as volume grows. Organization & Leadership Build, develop, and hold accountable the manufacturing organization; establish a promote-from-within career ladder for technicians and supervisors. Own the manufacturing budget, cost of goods sold, and capital planning: equipment, tooling, automation, and in-house prototyping investments with clear payback. Own and grow the operations analytics capability already in place — labor-hours-per-build by technician, dashboards, backlog-coverage-by-inventory reporting — as the management operating system of the factory. Report manufacturing KPIs (shipment value, assembly hours per unit, labor utilization, first-pass yield, material availability, cost per unit, on-time delivery) to the CEO, executive team, and Board as required. Model Knightscope values on the floor every day: Own It. Work the Problem. Improve Every Day. In Data We Trust. Required Qualifications 15+ years of progressive manufacturing experience, including 5+ years leading a manufacturing organization, with a foundation in automotive OEM or comparably disciplined production environments (automotive supplier, aerospace, medical device, high-volume electromechanical). Demonstrated advanced manufacturing engineering depth: has personally industrialized a vehicle or complex electromechanical product from prototype through production launch — line design, DFM/DFA, PFMEA, APQP or equivalent launch discipline. Proven track record standing up, relocating, or reconfiguring a production facility, including layout, equipment, tooling, and test. Deep command of standard work, work instructions, time studies, and engineering change control in a low-volume, high-mix environment. Experience directing supply chain and procurement functions, including supplier development and material planning. A hands-on builder of systems and teams — someone who removes the organization’s dependence on any single person, including themselves. Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent practical experience. Preferred Qualifications AI-first mindset Robotics, autonomous vehicle, drone, or defense manufacturing experience. Toyota Production System training or experience in a high-growth vehicle production ramp. Lean/Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent process-improvement certification. Experience in a public company or capital-disciplined scale-up where processes were built from the ground up. Multi-site and contract-manufacturing operations experience. PLM implementation experience and fluency with analytics tools Compensation & Benefits Base Salary: $250,000 – $275,000 (DOE) Equity: Stock options Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off Location Requirement: Full-time, on-site at Knightscope HQ (KHQ), Sunnyvale, CA #J-18808-Ljbffr Knightscope, Inc