SMT Line Lead
Etched · San Jose · $250,000–$350,000 (stated in the posting)
About Etched
Etched is building hardware for frontier intelligence. We co-design chips, racks, software, and manufacturing to deliver best-in-class throughput and latency across both prefill and decode workloads. Our first products are heavily focused on inference. Backed by hundreds of millions from top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers, Etched is redefining the infrastructure layer for the fastest growing industry in history.
About the Role
The SMT Line Lead runs and operates Etched's in-house SMT line, from incoming material to finished, inspected modules. You'll build and lead the line's operations team (incoming quality, material handling and logistics, quality and test, machine operators, and rework), and turn a newly installed line into a reliable, high-yield operation. You'll work closely with our process engineering, DFM, equipment, and procurement teams, who own process setup, equipment, and sourcing.
Key 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 our supply chain and procurement teams to ensure we can meet build targets. Collaborate with our inventory team to ensure material availability and quality.
Quality and yield: Run the inspection flow (IQC, SPI, AOI, AXI, test) and the rework operation, including ASIC rework. Partner with process engineering to debug yield issues and close out corrective actions.
Processes: Define how the line runs: work instructions, travelers, shift handoffs, nonconforming material disposition, and ESD, 5S, and safety programs.
Reporting: Report line status, schedule attainment, yield, scrap, and inventory health daily, and raise risks early.
Scaling: Collaborate with the engineering and capital projects teams to bring up future lines on world-class timelines as Etched scales to gigawatts worth of modules.
Help our agentic manufacturing team extract data from the production line and set up an auto-research loop to improve SMT throughput and yield.
Lead the way in integrating frontier AI technology into SMT operations.
What we need to see:
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 closely with process engineering on yield.
Track record of building processes, training programs, and metrics from scratch.
Passionate about automating parts of the job with agentic AI models, and willing to learn about this 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.
We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every single qualification.
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
Compensation Range: $250,000 - $350,000 with significant equity.
We are a fully in-person team in San Jose (Santana Row), and the SMT line is located in nearby Milpitas. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both and work across disciplines as needed.