Job Title: Operations Manager

Operating Company: McFarlane Alaska

Reports To: Site Leader

Location: Palmer, AK

Travel: Up to 10%

McFarlane Alaska

Based in Palmer, McFarlane Alaska specializes in parts and performance modifications supporting bush flying (STOL), designing, manufacturing, and distributing high-quality aircraft parts for the aviation market. With over 50 years of combined experience, the team is committed to delivering superior parts with exceptional, old-fashioned customer service.

THE OPPORTUNITY

As Operations Manager, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping McFarlane Alaska's operations, leading a dedicated team of colleagues who are passionate about aviation and community. You'll own the entire value stream - from raw material intake through precision-machined components, assembly, and delivery - driving operational excellence, inspiring a cross-functional team, and ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, and delivery in aviation manufacturing.

Requirements

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Operational Leadership

• Shop Floor Leadership: Lead day-to-day shop floor operations with a sharp focus on Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost in a high-mix machining environment

• Team Oversight: Oversee production teams - supervisors, engineers, planners, buyers, and operators - to achieve Value Stream goals
• Resource Alignment: Use historical data, customer demand, and future projections to align the Value Stream, including resource planning, machine utilization, employee productivity, and machine uptime
• Product Launches: Coordinate cross-functional efforts to launch new aviation products and integrate new technologies
• KPI Development: Support development of Value Stream KPIs for Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost; track and refine to ensure business objectives are met
• Budget Accountability: Ensure the Value Stream achieves budget through accountability, labor management, tooling & consumable spend, and material costs
• Performance Reporting: Generate and communicate performance metrics
• Issue Resolution: Troubleshoot and collaborate with technical experts to resolve operational issues and limit production downtime

Team Development

• Team Building: Build, mentor, and empower a team of supervisors, leads, and individual contributors, developing skills that match our ambition
• Floor Presence: Be a visible leader on the floor - motivate, coach, celebrate wins, and correct course when needed
• Growth & Accountability: Set clear expectations, conduct performance reviews, and create upskilling and growth opportunities that enable career pathways for your team

Quality & Compliance

• Standards Collaboration: Collaborate with Quality Assurance and Engineering to ensure every part meets or exceeds aviation standards and regulatory requirements
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance with aerospace regulations and customer-specific requirements, including FAA standards
• Corrective Action: Proactively address non-conformances and ensure effective corrective actions
• Precision Support: Support calibration, inspection, and programming to maintain top-tier accuracy and quality

Planning & Delivery

• Production Alignment: Collaborate with planning teams to align production with demand and product milestones
• Schedule Management: Monitor schedules, adjust for constraints, and keep production agile and responsive
• Bottleneck Forecasting: Forecast bottlenecks before they ground us - and solve them before they're even noticed

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Associate or bachelor's degree in engineering, business, or a related field - or equivalent hands-on experience in a complex, high-mix manufacturing environment
• At least 3 years of leadership experience in manufacturing operations
• Proven ability to optimize workforce planning - aligning labor, skills, and schedules to meet production goals
• Demonstrated success in building and leading high-performing teams, managing shifting priorities, and delivering results under pressure
• Strong analytical skills with a strategic mindset and attention to detail
• A passion for building something meaningful, with a commitment to safety, quality craftsmanship, and doing things the right way
• A growth mindset - eager to learn, improve, and take on new challenges
• Flexibility to wear multiple hats in a dynamic, hands-on environment
• A true team player - collaborative, communicative, and committed to collective success

Preferred

• Experience in rubber vulcanization, welding, CNC, or assembly
• Experience in aviation or aerospace manufacturing environments
• Familiarity with FAA regulations and customer-specific documentation standards
• Hands-on experience in an operations environment and a solid understanding of machining workforce dynamics
• Strong knowledge of blueprint reading and GD&T
• Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems with the ability to use data for smart decision-making
• Experience managing operational KPIs and departmental budgets to drive performance

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

You're a hands-on, floor-present leader who balances operational rigor with genuine care for your team. You build trust through consistency and candor, thrive in a high-mix, fast-paced manufacturing environment, and hold yourself and your team to the highest standards of safety and craftsmanship. You're as comfortable running a shift huddle as you are mentoring an operator - and you make things happen.

Benefits

Why McFarlane Alaska?

At McFarlane Alaska, you'll be part of a team supporting one of the most unique aviation markets in the world. We take pride in delivering quality products and strong customer support to Alaska's aviation community while operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

We offer:

• A collaborative, hands-on culture where your ideas and leadership make a direct impact
• Competitive compensation, benefits, and long-term career growth opportunities.
• The opportunity to lead a unique aviation manufacturing operation within the expanding VSA platform