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Salary: USD 250,000 - 350,000 / annual
Etched is building custom hardware for AI inference, co-designing chips, racks, software, and manufacturing to optimize throughput and latency. The company is Series A-backed by top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers.
The SMT Line Lead will own and operate Etched's in-house surface-mount technology (SMT) line in Milpitas, managing the complete flow from incoming material through finished, inspected modules. This is a hands-on leadership role that combines day-to-day line operations with team building and scaling.
Key responsibilities include:
- Operating a US-based SMT line assembling Etched's AI accelerator modules for both new product introduction (NPI) and mass production
- Hiring, leading, and developing the operations team: incoming quality control (IQC), material handlers, quality and test technicians, machine operators, and rework technicians
- Managing shift schedules, coverage, overtime, cross-training, and contractor headcount
- Building and maintaining training and certification programs (IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, ESD, MSD handling) with skills matrices for all stations
- Creating daily and weekly build schedules aligned with program priorities, managing changeovers and resequencing when parts or priorities shift
- Owning material flow from receiving through finished goods: incoming inspection, kitting, feeder setup, line-side inventory, WIP, and packing/storage
- Ensuring material availability and quality in coordination with supply chain and procurement teams
- Running the inspection flow (IQC, SPI, AOI, AXI, test) and rework operations, including ASIC rework
- Partnering with process engineering to debug yield issues and close corrective actions
- Defining line processes: work instructions, travelers, shift handoffs, nonconforming material disposition, ESD, 5S, and safety programs
- Reporting daily on line status, schedule attainment, yield, scrap, and inventory health; raising risks early
- Collaborating with engineering and capital projects teams to bring up future lines as Etched scales
- Working with the agentic manufacturing team to extract production data and set up auto-research loops to improve SMT throughput and yield
- Leading integration of frontier AI technology into SMT operations
The role is fully in-person at Etched's San Jose office (Santana Row), with the SMT line located in nearby Milpitas. The company expects all technical staff to contribute across disciplines and work at the intersection of engineering and research.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM field or comparable experience
- Minimum 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 to partner closely 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
Strongly preferred:
- Experience leading an SMT line at a fast-growing hardware startup
- Has brought a new SMT line from first build to stable production
- Experience with complex, high-value assemblies (large BGAs, server or accelerator boards) and BGA rework
- Experience with MES, traceability, or inventory systems
