Executive Search Success Story: Recruiting a VP of Manufacturing to Industrialize Production and Ramp Volume for a Venture-Backed Robotics Company

How JRG Partners executed a confidential North American executive search that equipped a venture-backed autonomous mobile robotics company with its first VP of Manufacturing and the production engineering, supply chain, and quality leadership required to move from engineering-led low-volume builds to industrialized production, scale output tenfold, and meet enterprise customer delivery commitments.

The Challenge

A venture-backed autonomous mobile robotics company had won fleet orders from several enterprise logistics and manufacturing customers that required a tenfold increase in annual robot production within eighteen months. Robots were still built by engineers in a prototype-style shop with hand-fitted assemblies, undocumented processes, and component supply secured one build at a time. Unit cost was far above the commercial target, and the first large fleet deliveries were already behind schedule. Executive leadership identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the growth plan:

• Production dependent on engineering staff with no manufacturing organization, documented processes, or production test
• A tenfold volume ramp required within eighteen months to meet signed fleet orders
• Unit cost more than double the commercial target due to low-volume sourcing and manual assembly
• Designs not yet optimized for manufacturability, driving rework and yield losses
• No contract manufacturing strategy or supply chain for volume component procurement
• Enterprise customers escalating delivery delays and investors tying the next round to production execution

Recognizing that the ramp required an experienced manufacturing executive, the CEO and board engaged JRG Partners to recruit the company’s first VP of Manufacturing, supported by a Director of Manufacturing Engineering & Test and a Director of Supply Chain & Contract Manufacturing. The company required an executive search partner with deep robotics and advanced manufacturing expertise and access to leaders who had industrialized complex electromechanical products from prototype to volume.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Robotics and Industrial Automation Focus

JRG Partners possesses deep recruiting expertise across robotics and automation OEMs, electromechanical and electronics manufacturers, and advanced manufacturing organizations, including manufacturing, manufacturing engineering, and supply chain leadership. This domain knowledge ensured an immediate understanding of robotics industrialization, design-for-manufacturability trade-offs, and the contract manufacturing decisions that define unit cost at scale.

VP of Robotics Manufacturing Search Specialization

Our firm maintains a dedicated practice for VP of Manufacturing and automation leadership searches in robotics and industrial automation, with a proven methodology for evaluating candidates on prototype-to-volume execution, unit cost reduction, and delivery performance.

Venture-Backed Growth Experience

JRG Partners has extensive experience serving venture-backed hardware and robotics companies, with a clear understanding of funding milestones, customer delivery commitments, and the urgency of first-time manufacturing leadership placements.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Industrialization Review

Our consultants partnered directly with the CEO, Chief Technology Officer, head of engineering, and board to review the volume ramp, current build process, unit cost structure, design maturity, and contract manufacturing options. This review defined a VP of Manufacturing profile combining robotics industrialization, electromechanical production leadership, and supply chain build.

Phase 2 — Talent Identification & Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting manufacturing leaders at robotics and automation OEMs, electromechanical and electronics manufacturers, automotive and aerospace production organizations, and contract manufacturers who had led documented prototype-to-volume industrializations. Over 255 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of building manufacturing organizations from scratch, driving design for manufacturability with engineering teams, establishing production test and quality systems, selecting and managing contract manufacturers, and reducing unit cost through volume sourcing. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Selection Process

Finalists presented an industrialization and volume ramp plan to the CEO, board, and lead investor, completed structured leadership and technical assessments, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified ramp, cost, and delivery outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 255+ robotics, electromechanical, and advanced manufacturing leader profiles mapped across North America.
• Placed the company’s first VP of Manufacturing with proven robotics industrialization experience in 46 days.
• Increased annual robot production more than tenfold within eighteen months.
• Reduced unit cost by 48% to reach the commercial target.
• Established a hybrid in-house and contract manufacturing model with production test and quality systems.
• Directly supported a successful growth round through demonstrated manufacturing execution.