What are the responsibilities and job description for the General Manager position at Beacon?
Help Build the Future of American Manufacturing
Beacon is a new kind of contract manufacturer—lean, modular, and built to serve the next generation of advanced hardware. From drones and electric motorcycles to robotics and clean energy tech, we’re retooling underutilized industrial infrastructure to meet the needs of tomorrow’s builders.
Born from the legacy of Detroit Bikes and reimagined in 2024, Beacon is not just making parts—we’re building an ecosystem. Our mission is to fill the massive gap in U.S. domestic manufacturing by creating a scalable platform that supports rapid prototyping, small-batch production, warehousing, and final assembly—all under one roof, and all with flexibility in mind.
With strong public support and a growing footprint of over 170,000 square feet, Beacon is becoming the operational backbone for some of the country’s most promising hardware startups. And we’re just getting started.
The Role
We’re looking for a General Manager to run day-to-day operations across our Detroit facilities, own execution from job intake to delivery, and build the systems that will allow Beacon to scale. This is a rare opportunity to step into a leadership role at the intersection of mobility, robotics, and industrial tech—while helping to revive domestic manufacturing in the process.
This isn’t about maintaining the status quo. You’ll be on the frontlines of helping customers scale their operations, often moving from prototypes to their first 100–1,000 units. You’ll oversee production, manage teams, streamline processes, and coordinate across warehousing, fabrication, assembly, logistics, and sales. You’ll be a key bridge between vision and execution—and a force multiplier for our entire business.
What You’ll Own
Operations and Production
Oversee daily operations across welding, fabrication, assembly, warehousing, and logistics
Schedule and manage project timelines and resource allocation across teams
Optimize workflows to reduce cycle times, increase throughput, and ensure quality
Implement systems to manage work orders, capacity planning, and production forecasting
Build and refine SOPs that scale with growth
People and Process
Lead a cross-functional team of technicians, fabricators, warehouse staff, and contractors
Recruit, hire, and onboard new staff and manage performance
Foster a culture of accountability, efficiency, and continuous improvement
Coordinate with workforce development partners to onboard skilled labor
Customer Coordination and Delivery
Serve as the internal point of contact for customers during execution
Ensure job specs, timelines, and quality standards are consistently met
Work closely with sales and leadership to plan production around pipeline demand
Identify operational risks early and solve them before they become bottlenecks
Strategic Execution
Help operationalize our expansion into new form factors and industries
Partner with ownership to develop KPIs, financial models, and capacity roadmaps
Coordinate with external vendors, partners, and landlords as needed
Support site planning and layout improvements across facilities
Who You Are
A systems thinker who thrives in fast-moving, ambiguous environments
A builder who can take limited resources and turn them into structured processes
A leader who can motivate teams and maintain quality without micromanaging
A communicator who can work across teams and with customers confidently
Qualifications
5 years in operations, manufacturing, or logistics leadership
Experience in welding/fabrication/assembly environments strongly preferred
Proven success managing multi-team operations across varied workstreams
Experience with production software, project management tools, and metrics
Familiarity with workforce training programs and contract labor a plus
Ability to work onsite in Detroit with occasional travel across local facilities
Why Join Beacon
Be on the frontlines of America’s manufacturing revival
Work with cutting-edge hardware startups in emerging industries
Help reshape how physical products are built and delivered
Competitive salary and benefits with opportunity for growth
Get in early—we’re just getting started!
