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 feedstocks, 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 control, spec management, and change control systems.

Relationship leadership

• Exceptional communicator: Able to translate between R&D scientists, CMO process engineers, logistics partners, and customer support teams.

• Skilled at building long-term, trust-based relationships with external manufacturing partners.

• Early management experience or readiness to step into leadership; comfortable building and supporting a small team.

Location & Travel

• Preferred: ability to work from Aether HQ in Menlo Park several days a week. Remote candidates will be considered, especially if located near major manufacturing hubs or EU-friendly time zones.

• Significant, “lumpy” travel to CMOs in the Midwest, East Coast, and Europe is required.

Note

Aether Biomachines is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re excited about this role but don’t meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply.

The pay range for this role is $135,000 - $190,000 per year + equity, with final compensation based on skills and experience. Employment at Aether is at-will, and reasonable accommodations are available upon request. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. At this time, Aether is not sponsoring visas for this position.