Unusual Machines

Designs and manufactures NDAA-compliant drone components

Director of Production - Headset and Battery

Manufacturing & Production OperationsUpdated on Nov 13

Full-timeOrlando, FL, USAIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

At least 8 years of progressive manufacturing or production leadership experience.
Experience scaling production operations and building manufacturing teams and processes.
Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, and production KPIs.
Experience with new product introduction, design for manufacturing and assembly, production testing, and manufacturing process development.
Strong problem-solving, analytical, and organizational skills.
Experience working with enterprise resource planning/material requirements planning and production planning systems.
A bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, operations, business, or a related field is preferred.

Responsibilities

Own production operations for FPV headsets, cameras, and renewable/rechargeable battery assemblies in Orlando.
Build and lead a high-performing production team, including supervisors, leads, specialists, and assembly personnel.
Establish the processes, systems, staffing, and production standards needed to scale.
Own production planning, capacity, throughput, quality, yield, labor efficiency, and on-time delivery.
Develop standardized work, assembly processes, testing procedures, and production key performance indicators.
Identify bottlenecks and drive continuous improvement across the production floor.
Partner with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product Development to ensure products are designed and built for manufacturing.
Lead the introduction of new products and processes into production.
Evaluate tooling, equipment, automation, and capital investments that improve capacity, quality, and cost.
Build a culture of safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Build a strong, accountable battery production organization.
Establish scalable processes and standardized work across all product lines.
Create clear production metrics and operating rhythms.
Improve throughput, yield, quality, and on-time delivery.
Establish reliable capacity and labor planning.
Identify and remove the biggest constraints to growth.
Create a roadmap for automation, tooling, and production investment.
Partner with Engineering to make products easier, faster, and more cost-effective to manufacture.
Establish a safe, predictable, scalable production operation ready for the next stage of growth.

Desired Qualifications

Experience with complex hardware, electronics, batteries, aerospace, drones, robotics, or similar products.

Unusual Machines is a U.S.-based drone and drone parts company focused on the small and First-Person View (FPV) segments of the drone market. Our brands - Rotor Riot, Fat Shark, Rotor Lab and - coming soon - Upgrade Energy - are some of the most respected names in FPV and have helped shape the industry through e-commerce, product development, and a deep connection with the pilot community.

We’re expanding into enterprise and defense - bringing our obsessive attention to performance, design, and U.S.-based manufacturing into high-stakes environments like search and rescue and military innovation. With several of our products already approved by the Defense Innovation Unit, we’re solving procurement issues for customers who demand speed, agility, and compliance.

If you love working at the intersection of community, content, and cutting-edge technology, you’ll feel right at home here.

Director of Production

Location: Orlando, Florida

Who You Are

You are an experienced manufacturing leader who knows how to turn complex hardware into a repeatable, scalable production operation.

You’re equally comfortable setting the strategy and getting on the production floor to solve problems. You thrive in fast-moving environments, build strong teams, and bring structure, accountability, and continuous improvement to everything you do.

You have experience leading production of complex hardware—ideally electronics, electromechanical products, batteries, drones, robotics, aerospace, or similar—and understand what it takes to scale from early production to meaningful volume.

What You’ll Do

Own production operations for our FPV headsets, cameras, and renewable/rechargeable battery assemblies in Orlando.
Build and lead a high-performing production team, including supervisors, leads, specialists, and assembly personnel.
Establish the processes, systems, staffing, and production standards needed to scale.
Own production planning, capacity, throughput, quality, yield, labor efficiency, and on-time delivery.
Develop standardized work, assembly processes, testing procedures, and production KPIs.
Identify bottlenecks and drive continuous improvement across the production floor.
Partner closely with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product Development to ensure products are designed and built for manufacturing.
Lead the introduction of new products and processes into production.
Evaluate tooling, equipment, automation, and capital investments that improve capacity, quality, and cost.
Build a culture of safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.

What You’ll Bring

8+ years of progressive manufacturing or production leadership experience.
Experience scaling production operations and building manufacturing teams and processes.
Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, and production KPIs.
Experience with complex hardware, electronics, batteries, aerospace, drones, robotics, or similar products preferred.
Experience with NPI, DFM/DFA, production testing, and manufacturing process development.
Strong problem-solving, analytical, and organizational skills.
Experience working with ERP/MRP and production planning systems.
A hands-on leadership style with the ability to move between strategic planning and solving issues on the production floor.
A bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, operations, business, or a related field is preferred.

What Does Success Look Like?

In your first 6 months, you will:

Build a strong, accountable battery production organization.
Establish scalable processes and standardized work across all product lines.
Create clear production metrics and operating rhythms.
Improve throughput, yield, quality, and on-time delivery.
Establish reliable capacity and labor planning.
Identify and remove the biggest constraints to growth.
Create a roadmap for automation, tooling, and production investment.
Partner with Engineering to make our products easier, faster, and more cost-effective to manufacture.
Establish a production operation that is safe, predictable, scalable, and ready for the next stage of growth.

Compensation - 130,000.00 - 160,000.00

Benefits

Equity
Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits
401(k)
Generous PTO
Paid Holidays
Daily Catered Lunches

We are an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.

Unusual Machines participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility.

Candidates must be a US Citizen or permanent resident to be eligible for employment

About the Company

Unusual Machines

Designs and manufactures NDAA-compliant drone components

Unusual Machines designs, manufactures, and sells drone components in the United States. It earns revenue from direct-to-consumer sales through the Rotor Riot platform and a B2B channel that supplies parts to other drone makers and enterprise clients, with the B2B segment growing since 2024. The company expands vertically by opening a drone motor factory in Orlando and by acquiring Rotor Lab, while focusing on NDAA-compliant, American-made parts validated through the Blue UAS Framework. Its goal is to become a leading domestic supplier of NDAA-compliant drone components for defense and commercial markets, supported by growth through acquisitions and expanded manufacturing.

Company size: 51-200
Company stage: IPO
Headquarters: Orlando, FL
Founded: 2022

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