Contract Manufacturing Manager (Electronics)

Contract Manufacturing Manager (Electronics)

LENA seeks a Contract Manufacturing Manager who will be responsible for the successful manufacture, delivery, and performance of LENA electronic hardware. They will work closely with various LENA teams, overseas contract manufacturers, vendors, service providers, and others to ensure newly produced and existing hardware is functional, meets requirements, and is delivered on time and within budget.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Company Summary:

LENA is a national nonprofit on a mission to transform children’s futures through early talk technology and data- driven programs. Research shows that back-and‐forth interaction between children and their adult caregivers in the earliest years is a key to long‐term outcomes. We integrate our “talk pedometer” technology into innovative programs to support parents, caregivers, and teachers to accelerate children’s language development, school readiness, and social-emotional health. 

In this role, you will:

• Manage the contract manufacturing of LENA electronic hardware acting as the primary point of contact for all aspects of the manufacturing process and all companies involved, establishing and maintaining relationships with the same.
• Create and execute production build plans aligning with LENA’s goals and taking into account lead times, ship times, production capacity, and LENA’s internal capacity to receive, test, and store products.
• Ensure that all manufacturing drawings, specifications, and other electronic data is securely stored, versioned, and delivered to the appropriate parties.
• Order consigned parts and sub-assemblies as required, coordinating the production and delivery to our contract manufacturer.
• Working with the LENA shipping and receiving team, create and maintain procedures to receive and test newly manufactured and used hardware to ensure it is ready to be deployed or redeployed to LENA customers.
• As our production process matures, support negotiation of new contracts, terms, prices, and other items beneficial to LENA.
• Actively participate in meetings, chats, emails and other communications regarding hardware, firmware, and software questions, improvements, and changes, as part of the LENA product’s continuous improvement.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

 
Required Skills/Abilities:

• Exceptional organizational, communication, and comprehension skills.
• Demonstrated ability to create and track tasks, timelines, forecasts, measurables and in performing analytics.
• Comfortable and effective communicating with non-native English speakers in significantly different time-zones usually over video calls.
• Ability to take responsibility, locate and identify resources, and work through complex issues.
• Ability to backwards plan from a desired goal or state into a set of steps, data points, or other items that need to be implemented, collected, etc.
• Engineering background / experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with audio and audio devices is a significant plus.

You could be a good match for this role if you are:

• Mission-driven. It matters to you that your work makes a positive and durable impact on the world, and LENA’s mission speaks to you. You are culturally competent and have empathy with communities and contexts we serve (e.g., underserved populations, bilingual and/or multicultural environments, child-care settings).
• Thoughtfully entrepreneurial. You have sharp business acumen with a knack for turning daunting sales goals into reality. You’re an entrepreneurial risk taker but do so deliberately, defining the hypotheses you’re testing and then capturing and activating the resultant learning. You understand the value of balancing the long game in relationship cultivation with timely persuasiveness to move things forward now. You combine a personal humility and sense of curiosity with fierce resolve to collectively achieve audacious goals.
• A consistently great communicator. You are clear in your thinking and convey it with skill whether verbally or in written form. You listen to understand rather than to respond. You can read the room and possess the confidence to speak effectively with a range of audiences. You take the time to make the complex sound simpler. You are known for timely and consistent follow-up.
• Reflective and growth oriented. You look back on your wins and challenges to find the opportunities to grow and improve. You view feedback as a gift, seeking and incorporating feedback from your colleagues and partners to increase your personal impact in your role, as well as LENA’s impact in the field.
• Committed to equity and access to opportunity for all children. You understand the headwinds children, families, and caregivers face, particularly in under-resourced communities, and are dedicated to ensuring that all children have the tools to fulfill their potential from the earliest age.

Education and Experience:

• 3-5 years of direct or related experience managing electronics manufacturing.
• Experience with overseas manufacturing processes (especially China and/or other Asian countries), international customs, assembling electronic devices preferred.

Compensation: 

LENA’s team is passionate, fun, and collaborative. To learn more, visit our website. We have an excellent benefits package (including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, PTO, 14 holidays, and a 401k with match). This full time exempt role’s expected salary range begins at $90,000 annually, with compensation based on experience.

To apply:

Please submit a cover letter with salary/compensation requirements and resume as a single PDF document to [email protected]. We love cover letters --- we really do read them. Channel LENA’s “persevere to simple” value to tell us in a way that is authentically yours why this role is the best next chapter for both you and us!

Location and Travel:

This is a hybrid position (partially in the LENA office and partially remote), requiring prolonged periods of being stationary at a desk and working on a computer (95 -100% of daily work time). Engaging in repetitive movements of wrists, hands, and fingers – typing and/or writing, and working frequently at close visual range (i.e., computer screen work including extensive reading) is required. Occasional job functions may require lifting up to 25 pounds of weight.