Production and Automation Lead

About Bota Systems

Bota Systems AG is a Zürich-based ETH spin-off building high-precision 6-axis force-torque, torque and tactile sensors — a sensing platform for physical AI. Robot OEMs, integrators and humanoid companies are moving from pilots to volume, and our production must scale with them.

We are hiring a Production & Automation Lead to turn today's manual cell-based assembly into a scalable, cost-efficient production system across multiple sites.

The role

Your number-one goal is to drive labor cost per unit down as volumes grow — through automation, standardized work instructions and strong production management. You own production cost, capacity and process quality end to end, are as comfortable on the shop floor as in a supplier negotiation, and thrive when priorities shift as the company grows.

Key responsibilities

Drive labor cost per unit down (top priority)

- Own labor hours per unit as the core production KPI; measure it, set targets and report on it monthly.
- Automate assembly, calibration and test steps where it reduces labor per unit (fixtures, test rigs, semi-automated and automated stations).
- Write and maintain standardized work instructions so any trained technician hits the same cycle time and quality.
- Run time studies, balance the line and remove waste using lean methods.
- Manage and coach the technician team for output, cross-training and continuous improvement.

Drive material and purchasing cost down

- Own the bill-of-materials and unit-cost roadmap; set and hit annual cost-reduction targets.
- Consolidate volumes and secure volume discounts as order quantities grow.
- Feed design-for-manufacturing and design-for-cost recommendations back to R&D.

Suppliers and procurement

- Negotiate prices, lead times, MOQs and quality terms with component and machining suppliers.
- Qualify second sources for critical parts to reduce supply risk.
- Track supplier performance (cost, delivery, quality) and run regular reviews.

Resources and capacity

- Plan production capacity (cells, equipment, people) against the sales forecast.
- Hire, onboard and lead production technicians; build training and work instructions.
- Prepare the rollout of additional production cells and sites.

Hands-on process and automation

- Work on the line to understand every assembly, calibration and test step first-hand.
- Identify bottlenecks and automate where it pays off (fixtures, test rigs, semi-automated stations).
- Keep production data and work orders accurate in our ERP (Odoo).

Quality

- Align production processes with our quality standards and customer quality agreements.
- Define in-process and final inspection, track yield and scrap, and drive root-cause fixes.
- Support certifications and customer audits as we enter larger accounts.

What success looks like after 12 months

- Labor hours per unit clearly reduced on our core sensor lines, with the gain coming from automation and standard work, not overtime.
- Standardized work instructions in place for every production step, and new technicians productive within weeks.
- First automated stations live, with stable or improved yield.
- Measurable material-cost reduction backed by renegotiated supplier terms and dual sourcing for critical parts.
- A documented, repeatable production cell ready to be copied to new sites, staffed ahead of demand.

Who you are

Must have

- Degree in mechanical, mechatronics, production or industrial engineering, or equivalent experience.
- 5+ years in production, manufacturing engineering or operations for precision electromechanical products.
- Proven record of reducing labor cost per unit through automation, standard work and lean, plus supplier negotiation.
- Hands-on mindset: you build fixtures, troubleshoot assemblies and work alongside technicians.
- Experience leading or coordinating a technical team.
- Fluent English; German is a strong plus.

Nice to have

- Background in sensors, robotics, metrology or medical devices.
- Experience scaling from low-volume to series production, or setting up a new production site.
- Knowledge of ISO 9001 / quality management systems, lean and DFM.
- Experience with ERP (ideally Odoo) and CAD (SolidWorks).

What we offer and how to apply

- A key role reporting to the CEO, with real ownership and direct impact on company growth.
- The chance to build a production system from the ground up in a fast-growing deep-tech company.
- A small, ambitious team at the forefront of physical AI and robotics.
- Competitive salary and employee participation.