Jarrod Tran / Index
Operational Portfolio / 2026

W. 2026 / Executive Summary

Jarrod Tran

I take on complex strategy and launch programs and build the systems that make them work. Nine years doing it at Tesla, Apple, Waymo, and Amazon.

Executive Snapshot

  • Tesla (twice), Apple, Waymo, and Amazon — factory ramps, global supply chains, greenfield builds, and AI integration on the floor
  • $156M profit · $260M cost savings · $550M tariff contained · 3.2x Megapack production
  • Houston, TX · Open to onsite, hybrid, or remote · Targeting Sr. Manager and Director roles
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Jarrod Tran presenting at a company event

Operator Profile

I've spent 9 years in rooms where the plan has to work. Tesla ramps, Apple's India launch, Waymo's operational build-out. Each one required the same thing: a system that converts ambiguous targets into sequenced execution across functions that don't naturally align.

My operating model starts with one question: what has to be true for this to ship? I work backward from that, assign owners, and run the rhythm until the number moves.

I'm most useful when the stakes are high, the problem is underspecified, and the team needs someone who can hold things together while making real progress.

Download Full Resume
Lead, Global Planning & Special Projects - Megapack @ Tesla2023-Present
Strategy and Ops Manager @ Waymo2022-2023
Strategic Ops Program Manager @ Apple2021-2022
Program Manager, Special Projects @ Tesla2018-2021
Operations Manager @ Amazon2017-2018

Impact Board

$156M
Incremental Annual Profit

Led a $23M capacity portfolio across 50+ Megapack initiatives, delivering 8% annual output growth and a 26% unit cost reduction through disciplined planning and IE alignment.

$260M
Annualized Cost Savings

Drove NPI cost-down programs across materials, labor, and suppliers that generated $260M in annualized savings without slowing output or compromising delivery.

$550M
Tariff Exposure Contained

Got ahead of the exposure before it hit the P&L. Redesigned build plans, configuration changeovers, and FTZ deployments to contain $550M in projected tariff risk.

293%
YoY Unit Growth

Scaled iPhone India from 4.3M to 16.9M units and $2B to $10B in revenue by sequencing a complex multi-geography ramp under live delivery commitments.

Core Projects

Tesla Megapack
Manufacturing Leadership
Tesla Megapack battery storage system

Owned end-to-end operating strategy for NPI, industrial engineering, and production planning across the Megapack platform. Built predictive capacity and cost models, led organizational redesign for multi-site operations, and ran a portfolio of 50+ concurrent initiatives with 30+ team members.

Results: 8% annual output growth, $156M incremental profit, 26% unit cost reduction
Scope: 50+ initiatives, $23M capacity portfolio, 30+ team members
Apple iPhone India
Global Supply Chain
Apple iPhone manufacturing

Owned the full launch of iPhone manufacturing in India, from site selection and line qualification through engineering builds and ramp to mass production. Built a resilient second-source supply chain that reduced geopolitical concentration risk while meeting Apple's quality and timeline standards.

Results: 293% YoY unit growth (4.3M to 16.9M), revenue growth from $2B to $10B
Scale: Export network expanded from 6 to 40+ countries
Tesla 4680 Battery Cell
NPI · Battery Day
Tesla 4680 battery cell design from Battery Day

Program-managed Project Roadrunner from early pilot through production-ready platform. Set stage gates, readiness reviews, and supplier coordination across Engineering, Production, and Supply Chain to deliver Tesla's first new battery cell format in years — showcased at Tesla Battery Day 2020.

Results: Production-ready 4680 platform · Tesla Battery Day milestone
Scope: Cross-functional NPI · Engineering, Production, Supply Chain · Fremont
Waymo Org & People Strategy
Org Design · AV
Waymo autonomous vehicle engineering operations

Embedded with Waymo Engineering Operations to define how the org plans, prioritizes, and runs. Set the organizational and people strategy from scratch — standing up OKRs, annual planning cycles, headcount frameworks, and QBR infrastructure — then built the decision-making scaffolding that let hardware, software, and fleet ops leads move faster inside a safety-critical AV environment. The work was designing the system the org runs on, not just running it.

Org infrastructure: OKRs · annual planning · QBRs · headcount frameworks
Scope: Engineering Operations · Hardware, Software, Fleet Ops · Mountain View

Highlights

Lead, Global Planning & Special Projects - Megapack @ Tesla2023-Present
14.7 → 46.7 GWh. 3.2x Across Three Sites.

Owned the capacity roadmap for Megapack across California, Texas, and Shanghai. Built the planning systems, production models, and org structure that scaled output 3.2x and deployment 2.1x — then laid the architecture for a 130 GWh+ trajectory. Not a stretch target on a slide. A working system with owners, models, and milestones behind it.

Lead, Global Planning & Special Projects - Megapack @ Tesla2023-Present
AI Across the Factory Floor

Deployed AI tools into Megapack manufacturing before most operations teams were past the pilot stage. Real-time production troubleshooting, AI-driven capacity forecasting, and LLM copilots for workforce onboarding. Cut ramp time, sharpened production response, and built the template for how the broader Tesla manufacturing org adopts these tools.

Apple / Strategic Ops Program Manager2021-2022
6 Countries to 40+

Launched iPhone manufacturing in India from scratch, then built the export infrastructure to take it global. Grew the distribution footprint from 6 to 40+ countries while establishing a durable second-source supply chain that reduced geopolitical concentration risk across the entire iPhone business.

Get in Touch

Selectively exploring leadership roles in global operations and planning. If you're scaling something complex that needs serious execution, let's talk.

Transmission received. I will be in touch.
Copyright 2026 Jarrod Tran / Operations Archive