Job Description

The Opportunity

This is a rare opportunity to build a first-of-its-kind manufacturing system from the ground up. As Head of Manufacturing, you’ll translate a highly technical product into scalable, real-world production—aligning fragmented global partners into a single system to deliver a category-defining product into the hands of millions. You’ll be joining a team operating at the frontier of hardware, biology, and design, and working alongside the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer.

You’ll lead Taxa’s transition from prototype to production, taking our product from whiteboard to warehouse. That means driving the full product lifecycle—sourcing and managing contract manufacturers, managing redesigns for optimal manufacturability, working closely with our team of scientists, embedding quality controls, and solving engineering and logistical bottlenecks as they arise. You will not be handed a roadmap. You’ll be expected to build one, move quickly through ambiguity, and be fully accountable for outcomes.

This role is ideal for a low-ego operator with proven experience taking physical products from zero to one—ideally coming from a hardware, device, or consumer product startup—and who thrives in highly cross-functional environments. You should be a rapid learner, deeply curious, and comfortable managing both strategic direction and day-to-day operations. While based in San Francisco, this role involves international travel and demands tight coordination with partners across the US, UK, Japan, China, and Vietnam.

Required Qualifications

✔️ 5+ years of manufacturing management experience

✔️ Proven success taking a physical product from concept to scalable production

✔️ Extensive experience working with contract manufacturers and external vendors, with a focus on domestic U.S. partners—negotiating supply agreements, managing specification adherence, and resolving production bottlenecks

✔️ Proven ability to internalize mechanical and systems engineering concepts quickly and re-engineer processes on the fly

✔️ Low ego, high agency, fast learner, strong communicator

✔️ Profound sense of ownership and a relentless, hands-on commitment to achieving critical project milestones.

✔️ Willingness to travel frequently (often internationally) and coordinate across time zones

✔️ Ability and willingness to work on-site at our San Francisco headquarters

✔️ U.S. Citizenship, legal permanent residency, or proof of existing work authorization

Experience in the following is highly desirable

➕ Experience at an early-stage hardware, device, or consumer product startup managing manufacturing operations from scratch.

➕ Experience managing direct-to-consumer (D2C) operations, including oversight of co-packers, third-party logistics (3PL) providers, and fulfillment partners.

➕ Experience in Design for Manufacturability (DFM) for regulated products

➕ Familiarity with material–formulation interactions, especially for biologics, polymers, adhesives, and excipients that may pose challenges related to stability, reactivity, moisture sensitivity, or migration

➕ Hands-on experience with the high-throughput manufacturing of soluble pill-like products

➕ Knowledge of sterilization and preservation systems (e.g., gamma irradiation, e-beam, autoclave)

➕ Demonstrated ability to build and manage end-to-end cGMP quality systems with traceability, documentation (e.g., DMRs, DHFs, batch records), and change control processes in compliance with FDA or international standards

Transparent Compensation

✔️ $150,000 - $200,000 annual salary

✔️ Equity package (core component of compensation)

✔️ Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance

✔️ 401(k) with 6% match

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