Description
Summary
The Site Manufacturing Manager is an operational leader accountable for the full performance of a $4M aerospace and defense manufacturing facility, with expectations to drive ~25% annual revenue growth. This role leads a multi-disciplinary operation supporting legacy aircraft parts fabrication, including tube bending, thermoforming, soft goods (e.g., parachutes, seating systems), and mechanical assembly. The Site Manager is responsible for end-to-end site performance, including manufacturing, engineering, machining, technician operations, sewing/soft goods production, project management, and shipping/receiving. This role also provides dotted-line leadership to Quality (QE & Inspection) to ensure alignment with AS9100 and customer requirements.
Success in this role requires strong leadership across People, Process, and Systems, with a focus on operational excellence, scalable growth, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Site Leadership & Business Performance:
- Own full site P&L performance, including revenue growth, cost control, margin expansion, and cash flow.
- Assist operations director in developing and executing a strategic operating plan to achieve 25% annual growth, including capacity planning, capability expansion, and workforce scaling.
- Serve as the primary site leader interfacing with executive leadership, customers, and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Prepare monthly slides deck for the business review.
- Drive a culture of accountability, performance, and engagement across all functions.
Operations & Production Management:
- Lead integrated operations across fabrication, machining, thermoforming, sewing/soft goods, and final assembly.
- Ensure effective production planning, scheduling, and execution to meet on-time delivery (OTD), quality, and cost targets.
- Optimize labor utilization, throughput, and facility capacity to support growth and customer demand.
- Partner with Supply Chain to ensure material availability, supplier performance, and inventory optimization.
- Oversee shipping, receiving, and logistics coordination to ensure accurate and timely deliveries.
Engineering & Program Execution:
- Partner with Engineering and Project Management to ensure successful execution of customer programs, especially legacy and low-volume/high-mix aerospace products.
- Support process development, tooling, and manufacturability improvements.
- Ensure alignment between engineering releases, production readiness, and customer expectations.
- Drive accountability for schedule adherence, milestone execution, and risk mitigation.
Quality & Regulatory Compliance:
- Provide leadership and alignment for the Quality Management System (QMS) in compliance with AS9100 / ISO 9001.
- Ensure effective execution of inspection, testing, and documentation requirements for aerospace products.
- Support and drive root cause corrective actions (RCCA), CAPA, and continuous quality improvement.
- Lead site readiness for customer, regulatory, and third-party audits.
- Reinforce a “quality-first” culture across all operations.
Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement:
- Champion and sustain Lean Manufacturing principles, including 6S, visual management, standard work, and waste elimination.
- Lead Kaizen events and process improvement initiatives focused on throughput, cost reduction, and lead-time improvements.
- Implement data-driven KPIs (OTD, yield, scrap, labor efficiency, etc.) and ensure accountability at all levels.
- Drive a culture of problem-solving using structured methodologies (A3, 5 Whys, DMAIC).
People Leadership & Organizational Development:
- Lead, coach, and develop a cross-functional team, including supervisors, engineers, machinists, technicians, sewing operators, and support staff.
- Establish clear performance expectations, metrics, and accountability at all levels.
- Build bench strength and succession plans to support growth.
- Foster a high-performance culture focused on safety, quality, delivery, and continuous improvement.
- Partner with HR to ensure compliance with labor laws, performance management, and employee relations.
EHS & Facility Management:
- Ensure compliance with OSHA and all environmental, health, and safety regulations.
- Promote a zero-incident safety culture through proactive risk identification and mitigation.
- Oversee facility operations, including equipment reliability, preventive maintenance, and capital investment planning.
- Ensure infrastructure readiness to support scaling operations and new capabilities.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- Direct leadership of all site functions, including:
- Manufacturing & Production including lead or supervisor
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Project Management
- Machining & Fabrication
- Sewing / Soft Goods Operations
- Shipping & Receiving
- Inventory controls
- Dotted-line leadership of:
- Quality Engineering
- Inspection
- Responsible for hiring, performance management, coaching, and organizational development.
Requirements
Education & Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, or related field required.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing, with 7+ years in leadership roles.
- Experience in aerospace and defense manufacturing required; legacy/aftermarket programs strongly preferred.
- Proven track record of scaling operations and driving revenue growth.
- Strong experience with AS9100 / ISO 9001 quality systems.
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt preferred.
Required Skills & Competencies
Leadership & Business Acumen:
- Strong P&L ownership mindset with the ability to connect operations to financial performance.
- Ability to lead complex, multi-process manufacturing environments.
- High level of accountability, ownership, and decision-making capability.
Operational & Technical Expertise:
- Deep understanding of fabrication, machining, thermoforming, and/or soft goods manufacturing.
- Experience with high-mix, low-volume production environments.
- Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems, production planning, and inventory control.
- Fluent in Microsoft applications (word, excel, power point, project, teams, and access)
Problem Solving & Execution:
- Data-driven decision-making with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage competing priorities and operational complexity.
- Strong execution mindset with a focus on results and continuous improvement.
Communication:
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to effectively communicate with executives, customers, and shop floor teams.
Physical Demands and Work Environment:
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to stand and walk 6 to 8 hours a day. Must be able to work with their hands, arms and be extremely accurate. Must be able to walk, sit, and stand on a regular basis. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Must be able to lift and/or move up to 30 pounds on an occasional basis.
- Customary physical demands for an office environment. While performing the duties of this job in the production area, the employee is regularly exposed to moving high-speed machinery and mechanical parts. The employee is occasionally exposed to machine oils, metal fillings, acetone, paints, solvents, grease, cutting fluids, fumes, or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, and risk of electrical shock or vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.
Travel
- Periodic local travel (5%).
