Manager, Manufacturing EU

As the Manager, Manufacturing, EU at Carbon Robotics, you will lead the production team at our European facility, driving performance, efficiency, and operational excellence. This is a hands-on leadership role focused on scaling our manufacturing capability to meet European demand while ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, and reliability. You’ll collaborate primarily with our Washington-based manufacturing, engineering, and logistics organizations to deliver on critical objectives. You’ll do whatever it takes - including travel and long hours - to ensure we are exceeding our customers’ expectations.

What You’ll Do:

• Own day-to-day manufacturing operations at our European facility, including production planning, staffing, scheduling, safety, and output.
• Lead a team of production and technical staff—developing talent, setting expectations, and fostering a culture of accountability and excellence.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across safety, quality, throughput, and cost using lean manufacturing principles and data-driven decision making.
• Partner with the Washington-based manufacturing, engineering, and program teams to ensure seamless transfer of new designs and processes into production.
• Collaborate with supply chain and logistics teams to optimize material flow, vendor coordination, and just-in-time delivery.
• Implement and sustain robust quality systems, compliance standards, and best practices across the factory floor.
• Lead problem-solving and root-cause analysis efforts to resolve production issues quickly and effectively.
• Support new product introductions, pilot builds, and prototype integration into the production line.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Success

• 2–5 years of leadership experience in a manufacturing or production environment
• Strong understanding of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methods.
• Proven ability to lead teams in a fast-paced, hands-on environment.
• Experience collaborating with engineering, program management, and supply chain 
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace; Solidworks or other CAD experience is a plus.
• Willingness to travel and work flexible hours as needed.

About the Role

We are seeking a hands-on, process-driven Manufacturing Manager based in the EU to support and scale our manufacturing operations in alignment with our global production strategy. This role will serve as the regional manufacturing lead, reporting directly to the U.S.-based Director, Manufacturing, and will be instrumental in bridging strategic vision with daily execution.

As our footprint expands in Europe, this position is designed with a clear trajectory. The ideal candidate can drive productivity, manage cross-functional teams, and ensure that safety, quality, and delivery standards are met across the board.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership: Oversee all daily manufacturing operations across EU-based production sites, ensuring KPIs are consistently met or exceeded.
• Team Management: Lead, develop, and mentor a growing team of manufacturing technicians, supervisors, and engineers.
• Process Standardization: Implement and enforce best practices and standardized work instructions aligned with global manufacturing procedures.
• Collaboration & Reporting: Act as the primary point of contact for EU operations, regularly syncing with the Director of Manufacturing in the U.S. to report progress, flag issues, and align on goals.
• Quality & Compliance: Drive continuous improvement initiatives in quality control and regulatory compliance (CE, ISO, etc.).
• Scaling & Expansion: Support establishing new production lines or facilities in the EU as needed, ensuring efficient commissioning, staffing, and ramp-up.
• Cross-functional Coordination: Partner with supply chain, engineering, and product teams to support design for manufacturability and introduction of new products.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering (or equivalent experience). Huge plus
• Proven success managing multi-national teams or remote coordination across regions.
• Experience with ERP systems, manufacturing dashboards, and KPI reporting.Strong English communication skills; additional EU languages a plus.
• Willingness to travel within Europe and occasionally to the U.S.

You Might Be a Fit If You:

• See manufacturing as a craft and love refining the process.
• Excel in a matrixed org and enjoy connecting regional execution and global vision.
• Thrive in high-growth environments and know how to keep cool under pressure.