Greenlight is a family technology company on a mission to help families raise financially smart kids and navigate life together. The Director, Manufacturing will be Greenlight's first team member in China and its eyes, ears, and voice on the factory floor. The role owns ODM relationships end to end, from day-to-day build execution and quality gates to sourcing partners for future products. The role has authority to stop a shipment, reject a lot, demand corrective action, and shape supplier selection. Reporting to the VP, Business Operations, the role partners with Hardware Engineering, Quality, Finance, and Supply Chain in the US and spends roughly 15-30% of time on-site with suppliers across the Greater Bay Area. The role is employed through Greenlight's Employer of Record partner in China, and Greenlight directs the day-to-day work. Contracts, POs, and supplier payments are signed by the US entity.
Responsibilities
Be Greenlight's on-site presence at contract manufacturers during builds, line walks, and production ramps; Lead manufacturing readiness for new products from early supplier engagement through EVT, DVT, PVT, and transition to stable mass production; Own quality gates: outgoing inspection, pre-shipment sign-off, and hold-and-release decisions; Manage change control (ECN/PCN, tooling, sub-tier, and material changes); Hold ODMs to quality and reporting commitments in agreements and flag contract issues early; Manage third-party inspection partners (e.g., QIMA, SGS, Intertek), including scope, AQL plans, inspection criteria, and spot-checks; Lead nonconformance investigations (8D, 5-Why, fishbone) through root cause, containment, and verified corrective action; Turn returns and warehouse defect data into supplier scorecards and publish a weekly quality scorecard; Source next-generation partners by running RFIs/RFQs, supplier audits, should-cost comparisons, and recommending second sources for launch-critical parts; Ensure production evidence supports product certifications, including children's-product safety standards; Translate between US engineering intent and the production line; Own ODM relationships end to end
Requirements
7+ years in supplier quality, sourcing, or manufacturing operations for consumer electronics or connected devices, with significant time on ODM/CM factory floors in China; Experience owning both quality (audits, inspection standards, nonconformance, CAPA) and sourcing (supplier identification, RFQs, cost analysis, qualification); Hands-on NPI experience taking consumer products from prototype through EVT/DVT/PVT to mass production; Working command of quality tools: 8D, 5-Why, FMEA, PPAP/FAI, SPC/Cpk, MSA, AQL sampling, and ISO 9001; Deep process knowledge in at least one area (injection molding and tooling, SMT/PCBA, final assembly, or batteries), enough to challenge a supplier's claim on the floor; Fluency in Mandarin, plus strong written and spoken business English; Willing to travel to the Greater Shenzhen Bay Area and up to 15-30% frequent travel to supplier sites during critical product development periods; Self-directed working style; may need to join an evening meeting once a week overlapping with US Eastern daytime
Nice to have
Being the first in-country hire for a foreign company; Managing inspection agencies as a client; Experience with children's products or other highly regulated categories; NFC/payment hardware or wearables experience; CQE, Six Sigma Black Belt, or ISO 9001 Lead Auditor certification; Startup experience building process from scratch; Cantonese language skills
Benefits
PTO; Professional development stipend; Mental health resources; Employee resource groups; Life Insurance; Medical; Healthcare; Critical Illness; Inpatient Subsidy; Children Insurance
Chiny · Shenzhen
