Head of Materials Operations

Job type:
Full Time
· Department:
Operations
· Work type:
On-Site
· USD 135000
-190000 / year

Aether Biomachines is building the future of protein-engineered materials. Our Aetheron Protein Function Model unlocks entirely new classes of high-performance polymers and additive manufacturing feed stocks, enabling breakthrough applications across aerospace, defense, clean energy, and beyond. As our materials move from R&D to commercial reality, we’re building a world-class operations function to scale production across the U.S. and Europe.

We’re looking for a Head of Materials Operations to take ownership of manufacturing execution, CMO management, and multi-site supply chain operations as our materials enter commercial production. This is a highly cross-functional role that sits at the nexus of R&D, product, customer support, and our external manufacturing network - ideal for someone who blends deep operational rigor with technical fluency to be a respected partner to contract manufacturers.

This role begins as an individual contributor, but will build a small team (2–3 hires) as production scales in 2026.

Responsibilities:

Own the handoff from process development to full-scale manufacturing

Take over once pilot-line processes and specifications are established by R&D (formulation, compounding, AM process parameters, QC windows).

Understand not just the what, but the why behind product specifications to ensure CMOs can consistently reproduce performance at scale.

Maintain close alignment with the product team and QC/characterization team while operating independently as the driver of manufacturing operations.

Lead contract manufacturing operations across U.S. and Europe

Manage day-to-day relationships with multiple CMOs; ensure they deliver against specifications, timelines, and capacity plans.

Evaluate, qualify, and later own selection of new CMOs as we expand production.

Translate internal requirements into clear, actionable manufacturing instructions and own document control across distributed sites.

Build trust and credibility with CMO technical teams through strong communication, preparedness, and technical literacy.

Drive production planning, scheduling, and inventory execution

Partner with the business and product teams to align production with demand forecasts and customer orders.

Develop and execute production schedules across multiple facilities to ensure the right grades and formulations are available when needed.

Maintain appropriate safety stock and inventory levels; anticipate bottlenecks and proactively manage lead times.

Close the loop between customer support and manufacturing

Work closely with the customer support team to correlate field feedback with specific production lots.

Identify and drive resolution of manufacturing-originated quality issues.

Build systematic, traceable feedback pathways between customer support, QC, and operations.

Own multi-site supply chain infrastructure

Stand up and manage 3PL relationships for storage, packaging, and distribution.

Source raw materials and maintain material flow logistics across multiple facilities.

Ensure tight change control, version control, and spec documentation across U.S. and EU manufacturing networks.

Build the Materials Operations team

Hire and mentor a small team (materials sourcing, logistics, QC coordination) as production ramps in 2026.

Establish clear processes, documentation standards, and operating rhythms that scale as we grow.

What You Bring Technical and industry background

10+ years in chemical, polymer, or specialty materials manufacturing operations.

Experience coordinating or scaling production at multi-metric-ton quantities.

Strong understanding of how chemical/manufacturing specifications translate to process parameters, QC, and reproducibility.

Hands-on process engineering familiarity is a bonus, but technical literacy and credibility with CMO engineers is essential.

Operational excellence

Demonstrated success driving production output, quality, and on-time delivery across external manufacturers.

Expertise in production planning, scheduling, inventory management, and supply chain execution.

Experience implementing or maintaining document…