Mill

Operations Program Manager - Manufacturing at Mill (San Bruno, CA)

Mill· San Bruno, CA·

Job description

Mill is a waste prevention technology company reimagining what it means to eliminate waste, starting with food. We build smart systems and infrastructure for homes, businesses, and municipalities that transform food scraps from landfill-bound waste into valuable resources, including chicken feed. Tens of thousands of Mill’s residential food recyclers are already helping households divert millions of pounds of food scraps every year, paving the way for our upcoming launch of Mill Commercial—the industry’s first end-to-end solution for managing, understanding, and preventing food waste in commercial environments (e.g. grocery, restaurants, food services). At Mill, we are passionate about building easy-to-use, beautifully designed technologies that keep food in the food system and out of landfills.

Role Description:

The Operations Program Manager for Manufacturing will lead the manufacturing expansion execution for Mill Commercial.  We are looking for someone who can manage a fast-paced program with calm and clarity when the pressure is high. This individual will interface both internally and externally, and must be able to represent Mill’s interests clearly and consistently. The OPM is a master communicator, gathering information from vendors, partners, and internal stakeholders and delivering clear and effective messaging to drive decisions.

The Operation Program Manager will be responsible for:

  • Managing the selection process of new Manufacturing Partners (MP) for Mill in the Commercial space
  • Documentation ownership:
  • Creating RFQ documentation to get official quotations from MP
  • Driving MSA (Master Service Agreement) to completion with selected MP
  • Aligning with Demand and Planning team on manufacturing ramp and supply capability, including proactive communication of needed lead time for any changes to Plan of Record
  • Planning key development build activities (DVT, PVT) with engineering team
  • Detailed program management for bring-up of MP including development builds and any testing required for certification

Education & Experience

  • 10+ years experience in Manufacturing Operations, including direct management  of third parties (CM / JDM / OEM)  for hardware products
  • Program management experience in bringing up new manufacturing, either via NPI or (preferred) new manufacturing locations/partners
  • Start-up experience desired
  • Ability to travel domestically and internationally

The estimated base salary range for this position is $195k to $225k, which does not include the value of benefits or a potential equity grant. A wide range of factors are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to skill sets, market conditions, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and business and organizational needs. At Mill, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role.

Why work at Mill

  • Mission-Driven: Employees are directly working on climate change, keeping food out of landfills.
  • Hybrid Work: Hybrid work environment (typical time on-site: 2 days a week) builtin.com.
  • Culture: Described as a mix of hardware, software, and AI engineering with a startup feel. Offers company equity, 401(K), generous parental leave, free snacks, and company-sponsored family events builtin.com.
  • Engineering Focus: Heavy investment in hardware engineering (San Bruno) and software/AI (Computer Vision). Roles include Hardware Test Engineer, Senior Firmware Engineer, AI Engineer (Computer Vision), and Product Design Engineer greenhouse.io.
  • Employee Rating: 3.4/5.0 on LinkedIn (23 reviews), with Culture rated 3.7 and Compensation rated 3.6 linkedin.com.

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