Director of Manufacturing Operations, California

California Manufacturing Operations Leadership – Dispatch Goods Dispatch Goods is a female-founded industrial services startup on a mission to eliminate packaging waste through a circular supply chain, backed by top tier Silicon Valley investors and leadership talent coming from Google, UC Berkeley, Bain, Plenty, Lyft, IDEO, and others. We are scaling our California operations and seeking motivated leaders for our facilities in Hayward (currently operating) and Santa Ana (currently launching). We are looking for a dynamic thinker and solution-driven leader who excels at outside-the-box thinking and thrives in a fast-paced, data-driven Series A stage startup environment. This role requires a "doer and thinker" with prior multi-unit experience to manage operations across our California locations while maintaining rigorous quality standards and operational excellence, with a key focus on cost. We are looking for someone who is: Scrappy (like…actually scrappy) – resourceful, adaptable, and willing to roll up your sleeves to get things done Super relentless – driven to accomplish goals and see initiatives through to completion, no matter the obstacles Down-to-earth with high confidence, low ego – humble, approachable, and secure enough to admit when you don’t know something and learn from others Analytical – loves data-driven decision making and can balance analysis with decisive action in fast-paced environments Excellent at something – could be volleyball, chess, or biochemistry Mission-driven – passionate about our vision to reduce waste, and energized by the impact of your work We cannot teach culture fit, scrappiness, relentless execution, or genuine care for our mission – we’re looking for leaders who already embody these qualities. For reference, our cultural values (which are more important than relevant experience) are: Data driven Ask the dumb question Act fast, learn faster Dig deep, make it happen Location & Travel Requirements Commute: Candidates must reside within driving distance of either our Hayward, CA operation or our Santa Ana, CA operation and have reilable transportation to travel locally Travel: This role requires the ability to travel ~two weeks per month to support operations at our other warehouse locations. Role Overview & Responsibilities Depending on experience level, roles range from West Coast Director of Operations to West Coast Market Manager, focusing on the overall success of the California processing facilities. You will own our facilities operations end-to-end across California—from labor management and scheduling to cost optimization, quality control, and process improvement. This is a hands-on management role where you’ll spend time on the operations floor, identifying bottlenecks and driving scrappy solutions that move the needle. Team Leadership: Build, train, and coach high-performing warehouse teams while fostering an inclusive team culture. Daily Operations: Supervise associates to ensure daily processing goals are met, including dishwashing and cleaning processes. Review production forms and provide coaching to underperforming team members and build rewards/recognition for top performing team members. Ability to analyze the hurdles the team is facing to achieve production goals and build plans to help remove barriers and increase production. Financial & Strategic Management: Manage the market P&L, prepare monthly budgets, and identify areas for cost reduction across labor, supplies, and facilities. Own P&L responsibility and drive relentless cost optimization across labor, materials, and facility spend while maintaining quality standards. Operational Planning: Translate financial goals into operational plans, targets, and opportunities Quality & Safety: Enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and ensure all operations comply with safety, quality, and regulatory standards. Work within all QA documentation for each product line. Performance Tracking: Monitor and report on revenue captured, production metrics, and inventory to identify opportunities for improvement. Hands-on Engagement: Actively monitor line performance and directly participate in production when necessary to ensure proper operating conditions. Customer Success: Partner with the Sales team to onboard new customers and provide exceptional service. Work to visit new customers for new launches and understand loading dock access, receiving hours, pick up/ drop off areas. Work to resolve customer complaints and perform an RCA. You will own our facilities operations end-to-end across California—from labor management and scheduling to cost optimization, quality control, and process improvement. This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll spend time on the operations floor, identify bottlenecks, and drive scrappy solutions that move the needle. Supply Chain/ Freight Management: Provide route management of local collections trucks to ensure customer satisfaction for route management/pick ups, density of routes. Coordinate with Freight Brokers to schedule out-sourced freight lanes for remote markets Must Have Qualifications Experience: Previous management experience of leading 2-4 supervisors and a 10-20 hourly workforce per warehouse location in a fast-paced, goal-oriented environment such as early-stage manufacturing, multi-unit guest facing establishment or food service. 5+ years of hands-on operations leadership experience, preferably in food service, facilities management, warehouse operations, food manufacturing, or similar high-volume, multi-unit environments. Strong track record of driving cost reduction, improving labor productivity, and managing through change. Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate teams to achieve ambitious Proven ability to attract, develop, and retain top talent. Comfortable making tough decisions under pressure and rallying teams around a clear vision. production goals and KPIs. Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage proactively with all levels of the organization. Analytical Skills: Strong problem-solving skills and a data-driven approach to decision-making, including P&L responsibility. Physical Requirements: Must be able to lift, carry, and move up to 30 pounds and perform tasks such as bending, kneeling, and standing for extended periods. Environment: Comfortable working in an interactive role with potential for very warm or very cold working environments. Flexibility: Flexibility with work schedules, including availability for weekends and evenings when necessary. Language Proficiency: English-language fluency required Nice-to-Have Qualifications Financial Modeling: Maintain a strong foundation for financial model activity to plan operations that meet revenue and margin goals. Spanish language proficiency  Early Stage Start-up Experience About You You thrive in fast-moving, scrappy environments where there’s no “but we’ve always done it that way.” You see operational problems as opportunities to innovate and aren’t afraid to question the status quo or try unconventional solutions. You’re comfortable wearing multiple hats, getting your hands dirty, and rallying your team around a mission you genuinely believe in. You’ve built operations from the ground up or turned around underperforming facilities. You’re data-driven but not paralyzed by analysis—you move fast, iterate, and make decisions with incomplete information. You care deeply about the people on your team and create psychological safety where they can speak up and contribute ideas. Benefits Competitive salary of $105-160k/yr + equity ownership Full health coverage, including medical, dental, and vision plans. Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for healthcare and dependent care. Unlimited paid time off 401(k) match and long-term wealth building opportunities. Fast-paced, mission-driven work environment where your contributions directly impact our ability to eliminate food packaging waste at scale. What Success Looks Like In your first 90 days, you’ll deeply understand our California operations You’ll build trust with your team and begin rolling out quick wins that demonstrate your leadership. Within your first year, you’ll have implemented meaningful cost reductions, built a stronger operations team, and set us up for scaling to multiple additional facilities. Access to top operations talent and resources—you’re not going it alone.

Created: 2026-03-11