Head of Manufacturing

About K1 Industries

For the first time in decades, power demand growth in the US has jumped 5x driving multi-year lead times for critical power infrastructure. K1 converts and deploys jet engines into modular gas turbine power packages at scale now, not in 3 years.

The Role

We are hiring a Head of Manufacturing to build and lead factory operations as K1 scales from our first commercial units to multiple gigawatts of annual production capacity. K1 performs most fabrication and assembly in-house, and this role owns how that work gets done: the people, processes, equipment, materials, and facilities. You will lead manufacturing and supply chain, deliver the near-term build plan, and prepare the factory for the next stage of growth.

We are looking for someone who can work through a drawing with an engineer, resolve a supplier constraint, and spend time on the factory floor getting a unit built.

What You'll Own

• Factory operations: lead fabrication, assembly, integration, testing, and shipment. Own the build plan, quality, and delivery performance, and use build hours, yield, and rework to improve output and cost.

• Manufacturing engineering: organize the factory around how the product gets built, including layout, material flow, tooling, fixtures, and work instructions. Work with engineering to improve manufacturability and introduce design changes into production.

• Supply chain and materials: build the purchasing, supplier management, inventory, and logistics capabilities that keep production moving. Secure long-lead components and supplier capacity ahead of the build schedule, in coordination with the engines team.

• Capacity and investment: plan the people, equipment, floor space, and test capacity needed for each stage of growth. Own the manufacturing budget and identify constraints early, including what to build internally, buy, or automate.

• Team and standards: hire and lead manufacturing engineers, supervisors, and technicians. Establish safe working practices, clear quality checks, and build records that make production repeatable as the team grows.

You Might Be a Great Fit If

• You have led production of complex mechanical and electrical systems in power generation, aerospace, industrial equipment, automotive, or a similar industry

• You have built a factory or production operation from the ground up and led a meaningful production ramp, with direct responsibility for the results

• You have an engineering background or equivalent technical depth to work through drawings, bills of materials, fabrication methods, and test results

• You understand how factory layout, tooling, material flow, and standard work affect quality, output, and cost

• You have managed suppliers and purchasing teams through long lead times, shortages, and changing production requirements

• You plan ahead for capacity and capital needs while staying close to the units being built today

• You have hired and developed strong teams and are comfortable working directly with engineers, machinists, fabricators, and technicians

• You raise problems early, bring a recommendation, and stay involved until they are resolved

Bonus Points for any of

• Experience with gas turbines, rotating equipment, or modular power generation systems

• Experience scaling manufacturing at a startup