Operations Manager, Start Center - Aerospace MaterialsSylmar, CA
In the
Operations Manager, Start Center - Aerospace Materials, you will be responsible for leading all aspects of raw material processing and specialized subcomponent manufacturing supporting the production of aerospace transparencies. This role oversees the processing of polycarbonate, as-cast acrylic, stretched acrylic materials and others, as well as thermal forming operations that produce highly engineered components for aerospace applications.
You will also be accountable for driving operational excellence with a primary focus on strategic objectives aligned to Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory, and Cost (SQDIC). This leader will establish a culture of proactive safety leadership, uncompromising quality standards, continuous improvement, and employee engagement while ensuring operational readiness to meet customer commitments and business objectives.
The role requires that you will be an influential leader who leads with purpose and intent, leverages data to drive decisions, and develops high-performing teams capable of delivering world-class manufacturing performance.
This is an On-site role working from the Sylmar, CA facility. In this role you will report to the Plant Manager.
Responsibilities:- Lead the Start Center organization in achieving strategic objectives across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory, and Cost (SQDIC) by developing and executing operational plans, establishing KPIs, and ensuring alignment between operational priorities and broader organizational goals to drive measurable improvements and a culture of ownership and operational excellence.
- Champion a proactive safety culture by leading risk identification, hazard elimination, ergonomic assessments, and Job Safety Analysis while ensuring full compliance with regulatory, company, and EHS requirements - with the ultimate goal of every employee going home the way they came in.
- Promote a "Quality First" mindset across all operations by ensuring compliance with aerospace and AS9100 quality standards, driving root cause analysis and corrective actions, and partnering with Quality and Engineering teams to improve process capability and prevent non-conformances.
- Oversee manufacturing operations involving polycarbonate, acrylic, and specialized aerospace subcomponent forming, ensuring production schedules are met through robust production management systems, daily management strategies, throughput improvements, and optimized resource utilization.
- Drive aggressive productivity improvements, scrap reduction, and waste elimination by applying Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles, identifying hidden factories, and leveraging data analytics to prioritize actions, sustain results, and reduce overall cost.
- Accountable for the planning, execution, and on-budget delivery of CapEx projects, including developing business cases for equipment and facility improvements and coordinating cross-functional resources to ensure operational readiness and safe project completion.
- Coach, mentor, and develop Production Managers, Supervisors, and Manufacturing Engineers through effective succession planning, performance management, and goal setting, while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and leadership through credibility and consistent execution.
Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in one of the following: Engineering, Manufacturing, Materials Science, Industrial Technology, or other technical/STEM discipline required. OR Ten (10) or more in a directly related manufacturing leadership role may be considered in lieu of formal education.
- Ten (10) or more years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience required.
- Aerospace manufacturing experience strongly preferred with significant AS9100 exposure.
- Previous experience with thermoplastic processing, polymer manufacturing, acrylics, polycarbonate materials, thermal forming, or related manufacturing technologies preferred.
- Previous experience managing capital projects and equipment investments from justification through implementation preferred.
- Five (5) or more years influencing and leading across multiple functions and organizational levels required.
- Only U.S. Citizens, Green Card holders, and political asylees or refugees are eligible to apply
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The base salary range for this position is $145,000.00 to $197,000.00, with a possibility of an annual bonus up to 20% of base salary.
PPG offers comprehensive benefits such as Health, Dental, Life, Retirement Plan, Paid Vacation & Holidays, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Disability/Leave, and other Voluntary benefit offerings. Actual benefit offerings confirmed at the time of hire.
