Production Manager

About

Founded in 2024 and headquartered in Signal Hill, California, Karman Industries is at the forefront of revolutionizing industrial thermal energy. Our mission is to electrify global thermal systems across data centers, manufacturing, and energy industries. Karman is developing the revolutionary Heat Processing Unit (HPU) to reinvent thermal handling for giga-scale data centers & AI factories. The HPU is built around a supercritical CO2 chiller system utilizing a high-speed electrically driven turbomachinery core. Our system aims to reduce energy consumption in data center thermal management by greater than 25% and increase energy density by 10x.

At Karman Industries, we are committed to fostering a dynamic and inclusive work environment where innovation thrives. Our team is composed of passionate professionals dedicated to making a tangible impact on the future of industrial manufacturing. Join us in our mission to transform the industry and contribute to a more sustainable world.

Job Description

We are seeking a skilled and hands-on Production Manager to lead the manufacturing and assembly of cutting-edge turbomachinery that will be utilized to build Thermal01. This role is critical to establishing robust production capabilities across skid integration, turbomachinery build, machining, and welding — including workflow design, staffing, and shop-floor standards. We are a team that values first-principles thinking, hands-on problem solving, and close cross-functional collaboration to deliver cohesive, high-performance systems.

Responsibilities

• Hire, lead, and mentor a team of supervisors, technicians, and machinists across skid integration, turbomachinery build, machining, and welding operations

• Support facility activation, new product introductions, line expansions, and workflow upgrades; contribute to strategic decision-making on production layout and bringing new capability online

• Ensure a strong focus on safety and maintain an excellent safety record across all production operations

• Create and enforce training and career development paths to ensure on-time delivery, improve quality, and reduce lead time/cost

• Define and enforce operational standards with strict accountability

• Drive continuous improvement in manufacturing processes, procedures, quality, and production rate

• Collaborate with manufacturing engineering, quality, and leadership to align on long-term goals and resolve complex production issues

• Challenge assumptions and requirements to establish a streamlined, first-principles manufacturing environment

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, operational excellence, and high performance

• Conduct performance reviews and develop team members to maintain a world-class manufacturing organization

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a STEM discipline; OR 5+ years of professional leadership experience in a manufacturing environment

• 5+ years of production operations or process development experience

• 3+ years of experience in a leadership position

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience leading production across skid/module integration, machining, and welding disciplines

• Experience leading new product introduction (NPI) through to volume production

• Experience with the equipment and support systems used across a turbomachinery or precision fabrication value stream (machining, welding, assembly, test, inspection)

• Experience with equipment qualification, validation, and troubleshooting in a production manufacturing environment

• Excellent communication skills, with experience presenting technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

• Experience implementing or sustaining quality management systems (e.g., ISO 9001)

Role level to be determined during interview process

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k)-retirement plan.

Karman Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Karman Industries is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.