Head of Operations

About Us Reframe Systems is on a mission to build resilient housing for all, at massive scale. To achieve our mission, we need to make high-performance carbon housing more affordable by re-imagining how housing is designed and built. Our volumetric module platform and agile production system drive down cost, delivery time, and embodied carbon for multifamily housing. With our software-driven microfactory in the greater Boston area and a national scaling roadmap underway, we are disrupting assembly line manufacturing for housing production, and we’re backed by leading VC firms in the industrial and construction space. What We’re Looking For We’re looking for a Head of Operations to join the Reframe executive team and lead the scaling of our manufacturing and field operations. This is a senior leadership role for someone who has launched and scaled complex operations, ideally in environments where physical systems, software tools, and high-velocity teams had to evolve together. You’ll report directly to the CEO and work alongside leaders of Design, Technology, Field Construction, and Revenue. This is not a role for someone who wants to manage a steady-state operation. We are building the infrastructure to scale from one factory to many, and we need a leader who has done that before, and who can bring rigor, systems thinking, and a technology-forward mindset to a genuinely novel manufacturing challenge. Responsibilities Factory Operations & Scaling Own the launch and ramp of our next factory, from first article through full production capacity, including facility setup, process design, and staffing Drive factory P&L, including throughput targets, labor efficiency, quality metrics, and cost per unit Build the management infrastructure and organizational playbook to scale from our current team to a full production workforce, and design the repeatable system for replicating that at future facilities Develop and execute a multi-facility scaling strategy, including standards propagation, culture transfer, and knowledge management across sites Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement Build the CI function that systematically drives efficiency, waste reduction, and quality improvement across production Establish and manage safety programs designed to scale with a large and growing hourly workforce Own operational reporting and performance metrics, and partner with our engineering and software teams to ensure production data is actionable in real time Supply Chain & Procurement Own materials procurement and logistics, including inventory management and vendor relationships Partner with Finance to build real-time cost accounting by project and work cell, enabling accurate project margin visibility Reduce supply chain fragility as throughput increases and new products are introduced People & Organization Recruit, develop, and retain the plant leadership team, including Plant Manager(s), Shift Supervisors, and functional operations leads Define the operational org structure for new facilities and own the hiring plan to staff them on an accelerated timeline Partner with HR and Recruiting to build the talent pipeline and onboarding infrastructure required for high-volume hourly hiring Technology & Systems Serve as a strategic sponsor and power user of our factory floor software, design-to-manufacturing pipeline, and operational data systems Translate operational requirements into actionable product priorities for our software and engineering teams Champion a data-driven operations culture. If it isn’t measured, it isn’t managed Qualifications Required 10+ years of operations leadership, including at least one large-scale facility launch or ramp in a manufacturing, fulfillment, or industrial environment Demonstrated ability to scale teams and operations, not just manage existing ones Deep experience operating in technology-enabled environments where software, automation, and physical operations are tightly integrated Track record of building operational infrastructure from the ground up, including org design, process development, and management systems Strong data orientation, you build systems that generate the metrics you need and make decisions based on them Executive presence and communication skills; comfortable in investor-facing and board-level contexts Nice to Have Background in high-velocity advanced manufacturing, or logistics operations Experience with continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, TWI, Six Sigma) applied in a startup or scale-up context Has navigated the “first facility to second facility” transition and understands what breaks Comfort operating in a company where the product is still evolving and the playbook gets rewritten regularly 30 / 90 / 1 year outcomes First 30 days Build trust and operating rhythm with key leaders across factory, field, product, and finance; establish cadence for weekly operating reviews and decision-making. Assess current-state performance at FAB0 (throughput, labor efficiency, quality, safety, schedule reliability, and cost per unit) and identify the top 3 constraints driving missed targets. Align with the CEO and exec team on 3–5 operating metrics that define “winning” for the year, including clear owner/accountability and reporting cadence. Produce an initial “Factory(s) scaling plan” outline covering FAB1 launch/ramp, hiring ramp assumptions, and the highest-risk unknowns that require fast resolution. Baseline the operational excellence system and quality system: audit current standard work, training, QA/QC gates, defect taxonomy, and corrective action loops; identify the top 3 gaps to close immediately. First 90 days Establish a durable operating system: weekly S&OP / production plan process, daily management rhythms, visual management, and a standardized KPI dashboard used by leadership. Deliver measurable performance lift at FAB0 against the primary constraint (e.g., improved cycle time, labor efficiency, quality escape reduction, or schedule adherence), with a repeatable CI mechanism behind it. Stand up the FAB1 launch program with a single integrated plan (facility readiness, staffing/hiring, training, commissioning, quality, safety, and supply chain) and clear go/no-go gates. Implement the core safety and compliance program that can scale with an hourly workforce (training, audits, incident management, corrective actions). Stand up a production-ready Operational Excellence + Quality cadence: tiered daily management, standardized problem solving, and a closed-loop CAPA system that reduces top recurring defects and prevents reoccurrence. First year Successfully launch and ramp FAB1 to stable production with predictable throughput, quality, and labor efficiency, supported by a scalable management structure and training system. Build a repeatable “1 → 2 → N” operational playbook that enables replication of facilities, including standards, staffing models, performance management, and knowledge transfer. Deliver a step-change improvement in unit economics and operational reliability (cost per unit down, on-time delivery up, quality escapes down), enabling confident customer delivery and multi-site growth. Establish world-class supply chain and cost accounting visibility by work cell and project, enabling consistent margin management and rapid decision-making as product and volume evolve. Achieve a sustained quality step-change: clear quality standards by work cell, robust in-process checks, and materially fewer escapes/rework, with quality performance reviewed as rigorously as throughput and cost. About the Role The position is full-time, exempt, and based on-site in the greater Boston area. This is an executive team position with a competitive base salary and meaningful equity participation. Reframe Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. #J-18808-Ljbffr