Head Of Technology Jobs in California
Head Of Technology jobs in California sit at the center of one of the world's most active technology markets, with demand concentrated in enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital transformation across industries from finance to healthcare to entertainment. The largest hiring metros are San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where employers such as Google, Salesforce, and Kaiser Permanente maintain deep leadership pipelines at every level from senior director through C-suite. The most consistently sought specializations are AI and machine learning strategy, enterprise architecture, and technology operations at scale. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Yes. I’d mirror that structure almost exactly and make the qualifications selective enough that your Indeed applicant pool is weighted toward hard-tech builders, not career procurement leaders from mature organizations.
Head of Supply Chain - Defense Technology
Location: El Segundo, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Work Setting: On-Site, 5 Days per Week
About the Opportunity
Debelak Consulting Group has been engaged by an early-stage defense technology company in El Segundo to identify an experienced Head of Supply Chain.
This is a senior leadership opportunity for a supply chain and manufacturing professional who has experience building within a hard-tech, aerospace, defense, space, robotics, or advanced manufacturing environment.
The company is developing next-generation defense hardware with a focus on designing products for manufacturability, scalability, and higher-volume production.
This is not a position focused on inheriting and managing an established procurement organization. The Head of Supply Chain will be responsible for helping build the supply chain function from the ground up, developing the supplier base, establishing scalable systems and processes, and working directly with engineering and manufacturing as the company moves from development into production.
The ideal candidate has previously operated in a zero-to-one environment and understands what it takes to build the infrastructure required to scale a complex physical product.
What You'll Be Responsible For
- Build and lead the company's supply chain function as the organization moves from early development into production.
- Develop the supplier strategy and establish a high-performing supplier base for complex manufactured hardware.
- Personally source, evaluate, qualify, negotiate with, and develop suppliers.
- Partner closely with engineering and manufacturing throughout prototype development, NPI, design iteration, and production ramp.
- Translate engineering BOMs and production requirements into sourcing, material, and capacity plans.
- Establish scalable procurement, planning, inventory, material control, and supplier management processes.
- Negotiate pricing, lead times, MOQs, tooling, capacity commitments, and commercial terms.
- Identify and mitigate long-lead, sole-source, quality, capacity, and supplier risks.
- Build and improve ERP/MRP infrastructure supporting purchasing, inventory, planning, and production.
- Establish supplier performance, quality, traceability, and continuous improvement processes.
- Support DFM/DFA initiatives and work with engineering to improve manufacturability, cost, lead time, and supplier capability.
- Remain hands-on with sourcing, purchasing, and supplier issues while building the broader supply chain organization.
- Recruit, develop, and lead additional supply chain professionals as the company scales.
What We're Looking For
The successful candidate should have significant experience building and scaling supply chain operations for complex physical hardware.
This position is particularly well suited for someone who has worked within an early-stage or rapidly scaling hard-tech environment where processes, suppliers, systems, and teams still needed to be built.
Qualified candidates will typically bring:
- 10+ years of progressive experience across supply chain, strategic sourcing, procurement, manufacturing operations, materials, or related functions.
- Experience within hard-tech, aerospace, defense, space, robotics, advanced manufacturing, or another complex hardware industry.
- Demonstrated experience building or substantially scaling a supply chain function, rather than solely managing an established organization.
- Experience supporting physical hardware from prototype and NPI through repeat or scaled production.
- Strong supplier sourcing, qualification, negotiation, development, and performance management experience.
- An established supplier network relevant to complex manufactured hardware.
- Experience working directly with engineering and manufacturing teams.
- Strong understanding of ERP/MRP, production planning, forecasting, inventory management, and material requirements.
- Experience identifying and managing long-lead items, supplier capacity constraints, quality issues, and other supply chain risks.
- Ability to operate strategically while remaining highly hands-on with day-to-day sourcing and supplier challenges.
- Experience building teams, processes, and operating infrastructure in an environment undergoing significant growth.
Candidates whose careers have primarily involved managing mature supply chain organizations within large companies should also be able to demonstrate meaningful experience building a function, launching a new operation, or scaling a hardware organization from an early stage.
Preferred Experience
Candidates do not need experience in every area below, but experience across several would be highly valuable:
- Venture-backed hard-tech or early-stage hardware companies
- Aerospace, defense, or space hardware
- Precision machining and complex mechanical components
- Electronics and electromechanical assemblies
- Composites and advanced materials
- Specialty metals and manufactured hardware
- Contract manufacturing and supplier development
- Prototype and low-rate production transitioning into higher-volume manufacturing
- Greenfield manufacturing or supply chain buildouts
- ERP/MRP implementation
- DFM/DFA and NPI
- AS9100 or similar quality systems
- ITAR/EAR-controlled environments
- Supplier quality, traceability, PFMEA, SPC, 8D/CAPA, or similar quality processes
A bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Business, or a related discipline is preferred, although significant relevant experience building and scaling complex hardware supply chains will also be considered.
Who Could Be a Strong Fit
This opportunity could be particularly attractive to an experienced Head of Supply Chain, Director of Supply Chain, Director of Strategic Sourcing, Director of Operations, Global Supply Manager, Supply Chain Manager, or manufacturing leader who has already helped build and scale a hardware organization and is ready to take ownership of an entire supply chain function.
Candidates coming from earlier-stage aerospace, space, defense technology, robotics, advanced manufacturing, or other venture-backed hard-tech companies may be especially well aligned.
The company is looking for a builder. Someone who is comfortable starting without a large team or fully developed infrastructure, personally solving supplier and material challenges, and building the organization required to support future production scale.
Why Consider This Opportunity?
This is an opportunity to join a defense technology company at an early stage and have a meaningful impact on how its supply chain is built.
Rather than inheriting a mature organization and established supplier structure, the Head of Supply Chain will have the opportunity to help determine which suppliers the company partners with, which systems and processes are implemented, how the organization is structured, and how the supply chain evolves as production scales.
The role will work closely with company leadership, engineering, and manufacturing and will have significant ownership over one of the most important functions required to take the company's technology into scaled production.
The position includes a competitive base salary and equity participation, providing the opportunity to participate directly in the company's long-term growth.
Debelak Consulting Group is representing the hiring company on this search. Additional information regarding the company, technology, and opportunity will be shared with qualified candidates during the interview process.
Pay: From $170,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
Yes. I’d mirror that structure almost exactly and make the qualifications selective enough that your Indeed applicant pool is weighted toward hard-tech builders, not career procurement leaders from mature organizations.
Head of Supply Chain - Defense Technology
Location: El Segundo, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Work Setting: On-Site, 5 Days per Week
About the Opportunity
Debelak Consulting Group has been engaged by an early-stage defense technology company in El Segundo to identify an experienced Head of Supply Chain.
This is a senior leadership opportunity for a supply chain and manufacturing professional who has experience building within a hard-tech, aerospace, defense, space, robotics, or advanced manufacturing environment.
The company is developing next-generation defense hardware with a focus on designing products for manufacturability, scalability, and higher-volume production.
This is not a position focused on inheriting and managing an established procurement organization. The Head of Supply Chain will be responsible for helping build the supply chain function from the ground up, developing the supplier base, establishing scalable systems and processes, and working directly with engineering and manufacturing as the company moves from development into production.
The ideal candidate has previously operated in a zero-to-one environment and understands what it takes to build the infrastructure required to scale a complex physical product.
What You'll Be Responsible For
- Build and lead the company's supply chain function as the organization moves from early development into production.
- Develop the supplier strategy and establish a high-performing supplier base for complex manufactured hardware.
- Personally source, evaluate, qualify, negotiate with, and develop suppliers.
- Partner closely with engineering and manufacturing throughout prototype development, NPI, design iteration, and production ramp.
- Translate engineering BOMs and production requirements into sourcing, material, and capacity plans.
- Establish scalable procurement, planning, inventory, material control, and supplier management processes.
- Negotiate pricing, lead times, MOQs, tooling, capacity commitments, and commercial terms.
- Identify and mitigate long-lead, sole-source, quality, capacity, and supplier risks.
- Build and improve ERP/MRP infrastructure supporting purchasing, inventory, planning, and production.
- Establish supplier performance, quality, traceability, and continuous improvement processes.
- Support DFM/DFA initiatives and work with engineering to improve manufacturability, cost, lead time, and supplier capability.
- Remain hands-on with sourcing, purchasing, and supplier issues while building the broader supply chain organization.
- Recruit, develop, and lead additional supply chain professionals as the company scales.
What We're Looking For
The successful candidate should have significant experience building and scaling supply chain operations for complex physical hardware.
This position is particularly well suited for someone who has worked within an early-stage or rapidly scaling hard-tech environment where processes, suppliers, systems, and teams still needed to be built.
Qualified candidates will typically bring:
- 10+ years of progressive experience across supply chain, strategic sourcing, procurement, manufacturing operations, materials, or related functions.
- Experience within hard-tech, aerospace, defense, space, robotics, advanced manufacturing, or another complex hardware industry.
- Demonstrated experience building or substantially scaling a supply chain function, rather than solely managing an established organization.
- Experience supporting physical hardware from prototype and NPI through repeat or scaled production.
- Strong supplier sourcing, qualification, negotiation, development, and performance management experience.
- An established supplier network relevant to complex manufactured hardware.
- Experience working directly with engineering and manufacturing teams.
- Strong understanding of ERP/MRP, production planning, forecasting, inventory management, and material requirements.
- Experience identifying and managing long-lead items, supplier capacity constraints, quality issues, and other supply chain risks.
- Ability to operate strategically while remaining highly hands-on with day-to-day sourcing and supplier challenges.
- Experience building teams, processes, and operating infrastructure in an environment undergoing significant growth.
Candidates whose careers have primarily involved managing mature supply chain organizations within large companies should also be able to demonstrate meaningful experience building a function, launching a new operation, or scaling a hardware organization from an early stage.
Preferred Experience
Candidates do not need experience in every area below, but experience across several would be highly valuable:
- Venture-backed hard-tech or early-stage hardware companies
- Aerospace, defense, or space hardware
- Precision machining and complex mechanical components
- Electronics and electromechanical assemblies
- Composites and advanced materials
- Specialty metals and manufactured hardware
- Contract manufacturing and supplier development
- Prototype and low-rate production transitioning into higher-volume manufacturing
- Greenfield manufacturing or supply chain buildouts
- ERP/MRP implementation
- DFM/DFA and NPI
- AS9100 or similar quality systems
- ITAR/EAR-controlled environments
- Supplier quality, traceability, PFMEA, SPC, 8D/CAPA, or similar quality processes
A bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Business, or a related discipline is preferred, although significant relevant experience building and scaling complex hardware supply chains will also be considered.
Who Could Be a Strong Fit
This opportunity could be particularly attractive to an experienced Head of Supply Chain, Director of Supply Chain, Director of Strategic Sourcing, Director of Operations, Global Supply Manager, Supply Chain Manager, or manufacturing leader who has already helped build and scale a hardware organization and is ready to take ownership of an entire supply chain function.
Candidates coming from earlier-stage aerospace, space, defense technology, robotics, advanced manufacturing, or other venture-backed hard-tech companies may be especially well aligned.
The company is looking for a builder. Someone who is comfortable starting without a large team or fully developed infrastructure, personally solving supplier and material challenges, and building the organization required to support future production scale.
Why Consider This Opportunity?
This is an opportunity to join a defense technology company at an early stage and have a meaningful impact on how its supply chain is built.
Rather than inheriting a mature organization and established supplier structure, the Head of Supply Chain will have the opportunity to help determine which suppliers the company partners with, which systems and processes are implemented, how the organization is structured, and how the supply chain evolves as production scales.
The role will work closely with company leadership, engineering, and manufacturing and will have significant ownership over one of the most important functions required to take the company's technology into scaled production.
The position includes a competitive base salary and equity participation, providing the opportunity to participate directly in the company's long-term growth.
Debelak Consulting Group is representing the hiring company on this search. Additional information regarding the company, technology, and opportunity will be shared with qualified candidates during the interview process.
Pay: From $170,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
See All 16 Head Of Technology Jobs in California
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Find Head Of Technology JobsHead Of Technology Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Head Of Technology Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in head of technology jobs across California.
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or a related technical field required
- Ten or more years of progressive technology leadership experience in California-scale organizations
- Proven ability to lead large cross-functional engineering and product teams
- Experience overseeing enterprise cloud platforms, cybersecurity posture, and digital infrastructure
- Strong business acumen with a history of aligning technology strategy to company objectives
- Familiarity with California consumer privacy regulations including CCPA compliance obligations
Head Of Technology Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a head of technology in California?
Most heads of technology in California reach the role through a combination of a technical bachelor's degree, typically in computer science or engineering, followed by progressive leadership roles such as engineering manager, director of engineering, or VP of technology. California employers strongly favor candidates who have led teams at scale inside the state's technology, healthcare, or media industries. There is no state-issued license required, but demonstrated delivery of complex technology programs inside California organizations is the defining qualifier.
How much do head of technologies make in California?
Head of technologies in California earn a median of about $218,600 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $85,790 for the lowest 10% to over $486,830 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire head of technologys in California?
Employers hiring head of technologys in California right now include AURORA, Pavago, and OKG, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of October 2026. California's concentration of technology headquarters, large healthcare systems, and entertainment studios means openings appear across a wide range of sectors, not just pure-play software companies.
Which California cities have the most head of technology jobs?
The cities with the most head of technology openings in California are Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose. San Francisco and the broader Bay Area account for the largest share because the region is home to the headquarters of major enterprise technology companies, while Los Angeles draws demand from media, fintech, and healthcare, and San Diego's strong biotech and defense sectors sustain consistent leadership hiring.
Are there remote head of technology jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 80% of head of technology openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of October 2026, reflecting the strategic and advisory nature of the role. The functions most often performed remotely include technology strategy, vendor governance, and executive stakeholder alignment, while hands-on infrastructure oversight and on-site team leadership tend to require a physical presence.
How can I get hired as a head of technology in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is moving into technology management from a senior individual-contributor role such as staff engineer, solutions architect, or technical program manager, then building leadership credentials from there. Large California employers including Kaiser Permanente, Wells Fargo, and major university systems run internal leadership development programs that promote technical contributors into management. Building a portfolio of delivered technology initiatives and pursuing credentials such as PMP or TOGAF strengthens candidacy for a first formal leadership appointment.
Where can I find and apply to head of technology jobs in California?
You can find and apply to head of technology jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across industries and metro areas. Find the roles that fit your experience and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 16 Head Of Technology Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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