Sr. Manager, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering

Dandy is transforming the massive and antiquated dental industry—an industry worth over $200B. Backed by some of the world’s leading venture capital firms, we’re on an ambitious mission to simplify and modernize every function of the dental practice through technology. As we expand our reach globally, Dandy is building the operating system for dental offices around the world—empowering clinicians and their teams with technology, innovation, and world-class support to achieve more for their practices, their people, and their patients.

This role will lead the strategic vision, development, and execution of Dandy’s global manufacturing and automation roadmap for Removables product line. You will partner with leaders across product, engineering, operations, and supply chain to define and scale Dandy’s next-generation dental manufacturing systems.

You will be responsible for setting the strategic direction for the Removables manufacturing platform — leading teams that conceptualize, develop, and integrate automation systems to deliver exceptional quality, throughput, and cost efficiency. You will bridge the worlds of engineering, operations, product, and vendor partnerships, ensuring Dandy’s factories remain at the forefront of advanced manufacturing in the dental industry. This is a high-impact leadership role for a experienced manufacturing and automation executive who thrives at the intersection of technical excellence, strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration.

What You’ll Do

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Define and execute the long-term Advanced Manufacturing & Automation strategy aligned with company objectives for scale, quality, and innovation.

• Establish a multi-year technology roadmap for factory automation, digital manufacturing systems, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Partner with executive leadership to identify and prioritize key investments in automation, equipment, and process capabilities.

• Drive the evolution of Dandy’s manufacturing operations toward world-class OEE, yield, and reliability benchmarks.

Cross-Functional Program Leadership

• Act as the primary interface between Engineering, Operations, Product, and Quality teams for all advanced manufacturing initiatives.

• Translate business and product needs into technical manufacturing strategies that balance innovation, scalability, and cost efficiency.

• Oversee cross-functional project governance — driving alignment, risk mitigation, and timely execution across global teams.

• Lead capital planning, program prioritization, and vendor strategy to ensure optimal ROI on manufacturing automation programs.

Technology & Process Development

• Direct the design, validation, and integration of new automation systems and manufacturing technologies into Dandy’s factories.

• Oversee the Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (AME) team, responsible for process innovation, equipment development, and lifecycle management.

• Champion the adoption of data-driven manufacturing — integrating Industry 4.0 principles (IoT, predictive analytics, MES integration, digital twins).

• Guide system design reviews, FAT/SAT protocols, and production qualification of new automation lines.

Organizational Development

• Build and mentor a world-class team of automation engineers, program managers, and manufacturing leaders.

• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement within the AME organization.

• Represent the AME function in executive reviews, supplier negotiations, and industry forums.

What We’re Looking For

• 15+ years of experience in Manufacturing Engineering and Automation with at least 5 years leading cross-functional teams at a Director level or above.

• Proven experience developing and scaling automated manufacturing systems from concept to high-volume production.

• Deep expertise in factory automation, process engineering, optical/mechanical systems, or precision assembly.

• Experience with ceramics, CNC machining, spray applications, inkjet printing, etc.

• Experience with plastics, 3D printing, thermoforming, injection molding, etc.

• Demonstrated success in strategic planning, program portfolio management, and technology roadmapping.

• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills — able to influence executives, engineers, and operations teams alike.

• Background in regulated or precision industries (medical device, dental, optical, or semiconductor) is preferred.

• Bachel