Job Description
Job DescriptionPosition Summary
The Operations Manager is responsible for the safe, compliant, and profitable execution of our aerospace special-processing operations. This leader oversees daily production execution, planning and schedule attainment, capacity and constraint management, labor productivity, WIP flow, on-time delivery, first-pass yield, and supervisor development. The role requires an experienced manufacturing leader who can enter a high-mix, low-volume aerospace job shop and immediately establish a disciplined operating cadence while partnering closely with Quality, Engineering, Planning, Sales, and Customer Service.
Essential Responsibilities
- Lead daily operations across hard chrome plating, cadmium plating, electroless nickel, chemical conversion/coating processes, passivation, cleaning/blasting, masking, bake operations, NDT support, inspection interface, shipping/receiving, and other assigned finishing operations.
- Execute production planning: convert the master schedule into daily priorities, communicate targets to supervisors and technicians, identify at-risk orders early, establish recovery plans, and prevent avoidable customer surprises.
- Establish finite-capacity thinking by work center; understand tank capacity, rack/load configuration, rectifier limitations, masking labor, ovens, NDT, inspection, staffing, and other constraints that govern throughput.
- Drive on-time delivery, schedule adherence, throughput, WIP reduction, queue-time reduction, and lead-time improvement.
- Ensure direct labor is accurately captured to the correct ERP work order/operation and use actual labor to improve productivity, job costing, and future estimating standards.
- Lead supervisors through daily tier/alignment meetings, visual management, standard work, escalation, and accountability for commitments.
- Partner with Quality to maintain compliance with Nadcap Chemical Processing and NDT requirements (Magnetic Particle and Liquid Penetrant), customer specifications, approved routings, and controlled work instructions.
- Support AS9100 implementation by strengthening operational controls, risk-based thinking, configuration/document discipline, competence, traceability, product safety, and objective evidence.
- Never trade compliance for delivery. Stop and escalate work when specifications, planning, technique sheets, process parameters, or acceptance requirements are unclear.
- Drive first-pass yield and reduce rework/scrap through structured problem-solving, root cause analysis, and corrective action.
- Ensure plating tanks, rectifiers, agitation, filtration, ovens, tooling, racks, masking materials, and production equipment are capable, maintained, and available to support the plan.
- Partner with Process Engineering on process capability, technique sheets, master routings, new-product introduction, process validation, and elimination of tribal knowledge.
- Manage labor utilization, overtime discipline, staffing plans, cross-training, succession planning, and development of frontline supervisors.
- Promote Lean manufacturing, 5S, visual management, standard work, bottleneck management, and continuous improvement.
- Support customer recovery plans and provide credible operational status, risks, and completion dates for strategic aerospace customers.
- Monitor operational KPIs and use ERP/Power BI/Excel or comparable systems to make data-driven decisions.
- Maintain strong EHS discipline in a chemical-processing environment, including hazardous-material handling, PPE, housekeeping, wastewater/environmental requirements, and applicable OSHA/EPA controls.
- Participate in capital planning and justify investments based on capacity, quality, safety, labor efficiency, risk, and return.
Required Qualifications
- 5 years of progressive manufacturing/operations experience, including significant leadership responsibility in aerospace, defense, precision manufacturing, or regulated special processing.
- Direct experience in aerospace metal finishing, electroplating, chemical processing, or a closely related special-process environment is strongly required; hard chrome plating experience is highly preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to lead supervisors and hourly technical personnel in a high-mix job-shop environment.
- Working knowledge of Nadcap special-process expectations and aerospace quality-system discipline; experience supporting Nadcap audits.
- Strong understanding of production planning, scheduling, capacity, bottlenecks, labor utilization, WIP control, and on-time delivery.
- Experience with ERP/MRP systems and disciplined shop-floor labor/data capture.
- Demonstrated Lean/continuous-improvement and structured problem-solving capability.
- Ability to read technical drawings, customer purchase orders, routings, and manufacturing specifications.
- Strong financial acumen regarding labor cost, overtime, rework, scrap, job costing, gross margin, and capital justification.
- Strong leadership, communication, coaching, conflict-resolution, and customer-facing skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Business, or related discipline; substantial directly relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- AS9100 implementation or certified-environment experience.
- Nadcap Chemical Processing and/or Nadcap NDT audit experience.
- Lean Six Sigma certification or formal Lean leadership training.
- Experience with FAA Repair Station or other highly regulated aerospace environments.
Key Performance Indicators
- On-Time Delivery / Past-Due Reduction
- Schedule Attainment and Daily Plan Execution
- First-Pass Yield / Rework / Scrap
- Direct-Labor Capture and Labor Efficiency
- WIP and Manufacturing Lead Time
- Overtime and Operating Cost Control
- Nadcap / AS9100 Operational Compliance
- Supervisor Development and Cross-Training
- Safety / Environmental Performance
- Customer Recovery and Escalation Performance
Leadership / Working Expectations
This is a hands-on, floor-visible position. The successful candidate is expected to lead with urgency, technical credibility, accountability, disciplined follow-through, and a strong commitment to safety, quality, delivery, cost, and continuous improvement.