Sustaining Engineering Manager - unspun

We are seeking a proactive and results-driven Sustaining Engineering Manager to establish and lead a new team dedicated to ensuring the operational reliability, scalability, and continuous improvement of our advanced machinery. Reporting to senior leadership, this role will focus on driving process excellence, supporting cross-functional initiatives, and setting the foundation for future machine deployment and lifecycle management.

About unspun

unspun's mission is to reduce global carbon emissions by 1% by revolutionizing the way we make clothes. We envision a world where every garment is made on-demand, eliminating overproduction and reconnecting people with the clothing they wear.

We've recently secured Series B funding and are now scaling our proven Vega™ 3D weaving technology. Our focus is on transforming this innovative concept into a global manufacturing reality, and we need your expertise to make it happen.

About You

This is a hands-on, process-oriented role requiring deep collaboration with Operations Deployment, Textile Engineering, R&D, and Systems Engineering teams. You will be pivotal in managing prototype hardware, defining new workflows, and ensuring machine uptime and operator support as we scale.

What You'll Do

As our first Sustaining Engineering Manager, your core responsibility to build and lead a multidisciplinary sustaining engineering team with cross-functional support. Mentor team members and foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and collaboration. Plan for team growth to meet evolving operational needs. Support the ongoing evolution and maintenance of our hardware architecture. Define and implement processes for managing product revisions and improvements across manufacturing and assembly. Leverage learnings from local and remote deployments to inform designs and processes.

• Ensure the consistent performance and reliability of all internally and externally deployed machines.
• Address emergent hardware issues, including root cause analysis (RCA) and implementation of corrective actions in collaboration with operations, manufacturing, systems and textile teams.
• Work with Operations Deployment, Textile Engineering, and R&D teams to prioritize and execute hardware projects that increase machine reliability.
• Build a team and processes that can serve as the first HW point of contact for machine operator needs, ensuring feedback is routed to the appropriate teams.
• Establish and refine workflows for HW team support for the scaling of machine deployments and ensure operational excellence. Define metrics for project success, including machine uptime, output quality, machine speed, mean time between failure, operator satisfaction, and project delivery milestones.
• Implement continuous improvement initiatives based on data analysis and cross-functional insights.

Ideal Qualities

• 8+ years of engineering experience, with at least 3 years in a managerial or project management role.
• Proven track record in sustaining engineering roles, particularly for large capital machinery or manufacturing systems.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects and managing prototype hardware.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• Expertise in industrial machinery design and integration, with knowledge of systems engineering principles.
• Strong problem-solving skills, including root cause analysis and data-driven decision-making.
• Familiarity with product lifecycle management (PLM) tools and quality systems.
• Experience with lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.

Bonus Points

• Exceptional leadership, collaboration, and stakeholder management abilities.
• Strong adaptability and problem-solving skills in ambiguous, fast-paced environments.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of aligning cross-functional teams and presenting to senior leadership.

This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of our innovative technology as we transition from prototypes to scalable manufacturing solutions. As the Sustaining Engineering Manager, you’ll play a critical role in ensuring our success in delivering high-quality, reliable machinery to support groundbreaking advancements in textile and manufacturing industries.

If you thrive in dynamic environments and are passionate about process optimization, operational excellence, and team leadership, we encourage you to apply.

Benefits

The salary range for this role is $168,000 - $189,000 annually, depending on experience, plus equity benchmarked at 75th percentile.

Benefits include

• self-regulated vacation policy
• comprehensive (gold & platinum) health/dental/vision insurance
• company sponsored 401k and FSA or HSA
• monthly gym membership or relevant online education grant of up to $150/month
• pre-tax commuter benefits
• incentive stock options

Our Philosophy

We won’t roll our eyes if your socks don’t match. We get it. But then, if you spend those extra few minutes in the morning matching your socks and shirt, we get that too. Our workspaces are sometimes spotless and sometimes chaotic, and we celebrate messy exploration. We work through complex problems but generate simple and elegant solutions. We strive to look at things differently, and never do anything solely because “that’s the way it’s always been done.”

We’re a team of designers and engineers, industry-veterans and serial entrepreneurs, artists and developers. We’re aspiring chess masters and climbers, bakers and photographers. Originally spun out of Stanford and the University of Colorado, we now call the SF Bay Area home, with strong ties to Hong Kong. We are looking for teammates who share our desire to work on ambitious problems and leave the world better than we found it.

unspun is an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to being a diverse team that reflects a broad range of background, thought, and experience. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, status as an individual with a disability, status as protected veteran, or any other legally protected characteristics. Women, minorities, and people from underrepresented backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.