Vice President, ManufacturingFunction:Operations & Manufacturing
Reports To:Chief Operating Officer
Location:Gilbert, AZ - On-site
Clearance:Secret (or eligible)
POSITION SUMMARYWe are seeking a proven Vice President of Manufacturing to lead end-to-end manufacturing and materials operations across our government and defense program portfolio. This executive will provide strategic and operational leadership for production, manufacturing engineering, quality, procurement, and material-flow functions-including kitting, receiving, shipping, and storeroom operations-and oversee the manufacturing planning and procurement systems that enable execution. The role owns plant operations, factory overhead, process automation, throughput, process controls, and facilities, turning contract commitments into high-quality hardware delivered on schedule and within cost. This is a hands-on executive role for a leader who has scaled defense production and integrated manufacturing, quality, and supply functions to support sustained growth. You will sit on the senior operations leadership team and have a direct impact on program margins, customer confidence, and the company's growth.
ORGANIZATIONAL SCOPEThe position is intended to provide executive-level oversight of the integrated functions and capabilities required to plan, source, build, inspect, and deliver products. Functions within the role's organizational scope are expected to include hourly assembly and test personnel; manufacturing engineering; quality; procurement; and materials operations, including kitting, receiving, shipping, and storeroom management. The role also provides functional ownership and governance of the manufacturing resource planning and procurement systems (including Costpoint MRP and Purchasing), in coordination with IT and Finance as appropriate.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIESProgram Production Execution- Contract delivery: Own manufacturing execution for multi-million-dollar DOW and government contracts, meeting cost, schedule, and quality requirements from LRIP through full-rate production.
- Integrated planning: Lead integrated production and materials planning with Program Management, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain; align master production schedules, procurement plans, material availability, capacity plans, and Earned Value (EVMS) reporting.
- Production readiness: Lead design-for-manufacturability reviews, PRRs, and transition-to-production activities for new multi-million dollar programs.
Plant Operations & Financial Performance- Factory leadership: Lead plant managers, production supervisors, manufacturing engineers, and hourly workforce across shifts; build a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Cost ownership: Manage the manufacturing budget, labor, and factory overhead; drive cost-reduction initiatives that protect program margin and improve competitiveness on future bids.
- Throughput: Set and deliver targets for yield, cycle time, OEE, first-pass yield, and on-time delivery; remove bottlenecks and balance lines.
Materials, Procurement & QualityProcurement leadership: Provide strategic oversight of procurement, supplier performance, sourcing, and material availability; align purchasing priorities with production schedules, program requirements, and cost objectives.
Materials flow: Oversee kitting, receiving, shipping, and storeroom operations to ensure accurate inventory control, timely material delivery to production, and effective control of work in process.
Quality leadership: Provide leadership and accountability for manufacturing quality, corrective and preventive action, inspection readiness, and continuous improvement; ensure quality is integrated into production planning and execution.
Planning systems: Own the business processes and functional requirements for manufacturing resource planning and procurement systems, including Costpoint MRP and Purchasing; drive data integrity, effective system utilization, and coordination with IT and Finance.
Automation & Process Controls- Automation strategy: Define and execute a multi-year automation roadmap, including robotics, automated test, and MES/ERP integration, with clear ROI.
- Quality & process discipline: Lead the quality function and establish statistical process control, configuration management, corrective action, and documentation compliant with AS9100, ITAR, DFARS, and customer quality clauses.
- Lean & Six Sigma: Deploy Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma practices to reduce variation, scrap, rework, and cost of poor quality.
Facilities Management- Facilities & capital: Oversee facilities, maintenance, EHS, and secure-area requirements; lead capital planning, plant layout, and expansion projects to support backlog growth.
- Compliance & audits: Serve as the senior manufacturing representative for DCMA, customer, and third-party audits and source inspections.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS- 15+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership, including 7+ years at the director or VP level running plant operations for complex electromechanical, electronic, or aerospace hardware.
- Demonstrated record of scaling and automating production on large U.S. defense or military contracts, from low-rate initial production to full-rate output.
- Full P&L or cost-center accountability for factory operations, including labor, overhead, and capital budgets.
- Deep working knowledge of AS9100, ITAR, DFARS, CMMC, EVMS, and DCMA oversight.
- Hands-on experience implementing automation, robotics, MES, and data-driven process controls with measurable gains in throughput and quality.
Demonstrated leadership experience overseeing procurement, supplier performance, materials management, and production-support functions such as kitting, receiving, shipping, and inventory/storeroom operations.
Experience leading or optimizing manufacturing resource planning and procurement systems (e.g., Costpoint MRP and Purchasing), including cross-functional process and data governance.
- Proven ability to lead and develop large, multi-shift teams, including union or hourly workforces.
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field.
- U.S. citizenship with an active Secret clearance or the ability to obtain one.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS- MBA or Master's degree in Engineering or Operations Management.
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Master Black Belt certification.
- Experience standing up a new production facility or greenfield line, and with contract manufacturer and key supplier negotiations.
- Background with prime contractors or fast-growing defense technology companies (e.g., unmanned systems, counter-UAS, C4ISR, or missile systems).
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN THE FIRST 12 MONTHS- All active production programs deliver on schedule, with a clear plan to close any cost or schedule gaps.
- A funded, phased automation roadmap approved by leadership, with early wins in throughput and labor efficiency.
- Factory KPIs (OTD, FPY, OEE, cost per unit, safety) defined, visible, and trending up quarter over quarter.
- A strong leadership bench in place across production, manufacturing engineering, quality, procurement, materials operations, and facilities.
- Facilities and capacity plan aligned to the company's three-year backlog and growth targets.
Production schedules supported by reliable material planning, supplier performance, inventory accuracy, and effective use of Costpoint MRP/Purchasing or applicable enterprise systems.
WHY JOIN US- Mission: Build the systems that protect U.S. service members and critical infrastructure.
- Impact: Shape a modern, automated factory and the operating model behind it, with the executive authority and investment to do it.
- Growth: Join a growing defense technology company with an expanding backlog of funded programs.
- Rewards: Competitive executive compensation, performance bonus, and comprehensive benefits.
