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SMT Line Lead

Etched· Operations
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San Jose$250k - $350kFull-timePosted 1w ago

About the role

Lead and operate Etched's in-house SMT line from incoming material to finished, inspected modules. Build and manage the line's operations team, collaborate with process engineering and procurement, and drive high-yield, reliable production for NPI and mass production.

Responsibilities

  • Line operations: Own day-to-day operation of a US-based SMT line assembling Etched's modules, for both NPI and mass production.
  • Team leadership: Hire, lead, and develop the line's operations team: incoming quality (IQC), material handlers, quality and test technicians, machine operators, and rework technicians.
  • Shift scheduling: Own shift schedules and coverage for full-time employees and contractors, including overtime, cross-training, and backfill. Manage contractor headcount with our staffing partners.
  • Training: Build training and certification programs (IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, ESD, MSD handling) and keep a skills matrix so every station has trained backups.
  • Build scheduling: Turn program priorities into a daily and weekly build schedule, coordinate changeovers, and resequence quickly when parts or priorities change.
  • Material flow: Own the flow from receiving to finished goods: incoming inspection, kitting, feeder setup and staging, line-side inventory, WIP, and finished-goods packing and storage.
  • Inventory and traceability: Work with supply chain and procurement to meet build targets; collaborate with inventory team to ensure material availability and quality.
  • Quality and yield: Run inspection flow (IQC, SPI, AOI, AXI, test) and rework operation, including ASIC rework; partner with process engineering to debug yield issues and close corrective actions.
  • Processes: Define line operations including work instructions, travelers, shift handoffs, nonconforming material disposition, and safety programs (ESD, 5S).
  • Reporting: Report line status, schedule attainment, yield, scrap, and inventory health daily; raise risks early.
  • Scaling: Collaborate with engineering and capital projects to bring up future lines on timelines as Etched scales.
  • Data/AI integration: Help extract data from production line and set up auto-research loop to improve SMT throughput and yield; explore integrating frontier AI in SMT operations.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in a STEM field or comparable experience.
  • Minimum of five years of experience in electronics manufacturing (PCBA/SMT), with at least two years leading production teams.
  • Hands-on experience running an SMT line day to day: build scheduling, kitting, feeder setup, changeovers, and line-side inventory.
  • Experience managing mixed teams of full-time employees and contractors across shifts.
  • Working knowledge of SMT inspection and quality (SPI, AOI, X-ray), IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001, and MSD handling.
  • Familiarity with SMT process validation and characterization, enough to partner with process engineering on yield.
  • Track record of building processes, training programs, and metrics from scratch.
  • Passion for automating parts of the job with agentic AI models, and willingness to learn on the job.

Skills

Required:Line operations managementTeam leadershipQuality Assurance (SPI, AOI, X-ray)

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage
  • $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits
  • Housing subsidy of $2,500 per month for those living within walking distance of the office
  • Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)
  • Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more
  • Daily lunch and dinner in our office
  • Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification
Last updated Oct 15, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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About Etched

Etched is building frontier inference clusters: co-designs chips, racks, software and manufacturing to push the pareto frontier for AI hardware.

frontier inference clustersAI hardwarechipsrackssoftwaremanufacturingparto frontier
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