Head of Manufacturing

North Vector Dynamics Inc.; Calgary; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

North Vector Dynamics is seeking a Head of Manufacturing to establish and lead the company’s manufacturing function from the ground up. You will oversee the pilot production line, scale up to mature processes, and drive AS9100 certification while building out the manufacturing team.

You will own the supply chain, quality/compliance testing, and production technicians, partnering with engineering to translate prototypes into scalable production.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing or industrial engineering, with a proven track record scaling complex hardware systems from prototype to production.
• Direct experience building a quality management system from scratch and leading AS9100 or ISO 9001 certification.
• Experience managing personnel across multiple functions, including supply chain, quality/compliance, and production.

Responsibilities

• Own the scale-up of CM-70 production from prototype-rate builds to a mature, repeatable manufacturing line.
• Lead NVD through its first AS9100 certification by building the quality management system, documentation, and processes for audit.
• Design, stand up, and run the pilot production line with workflows, tooling, and staffing to hit rate and yield targets.
• Build and lead the manufacturing organization, hiring and managing personnel across supply chain, quality/compliance testing, and production technicians.
• Partner with design and systems engineering to identify and resolve manufacturability issues before bottlenecks.
• Own the supply chain function and manage supplier relationships to ensure timely, compliant materials.
• Own production KPIs such as cycle time, yield, scrap rate, and on-time delivery to drive continuous improvement.
• Build manufacturing processes, SOPs, and training programs to scale headcount and output while maintaining quality.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

AS9100/ISO 9001

Pilot line development

Quality management system

Supply chain experience

Cross-functional leadership

Regulated hardware

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s in Engineering

Job description

About the Role

North Vector Dynamics is seeking a Head of Manufacturing to establish the company’s manufacturing function from the ground up. This role will be the senior manufacturing authority at NVD, encompassing the design and operation of our pilot production line and leadership of NVD’s first AS9100 certification. The successful candidate will be responsible for the people and processes spanning supply chain, quality and compliance testing, and production technicians, working closely with engineering to translate from hand-built prototypes to a repeatable, scalable manufacturing system. We are seeking a candidate with a demonstrated record of scaling complex hardware systems from prototype to production and of building a quality management system from the ground up.

What You’ll Do

• Own the scale-up of CM-70 production, from current prototype-rate builds through to a mature, repeatable manufacturing line.


• Lead NVD through its first AS9100 certification, building the quality management system, documentation, and processes required to pass audit.


• Design, stand up, and run the pilot production line: defining workflows, tooling, and staffing needed to hit rate and yield targets.


• Build and lead the manufacturing organization, hiring and managing personnel across supply chain, quality/compliance testing, and production technicians.


• Partner closely with design and systems engineering to identify and resolve manufacturability issues before they become production bottlenecks.


• Own the supply chain function and manage supplier relationships, ensuring materials and components arrive on schedule and to spec.


• Own production KPIs, including cycle time, yield, scrap rate, and on-time delivery, and use them to drive continuous improvement across the floor.


• Build the manufacturing processes, SOPs, and training programs that let NVD scale headcount and output without sacrificing quality.

What You Bring

Required

• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing or industrial engineering, with a proven track record scaling complex hardware systems from prototype through to production, ideally in aerospace, defence, or another highly regulated hardware environment.


• Direct experience building a quality management system from scratch and leading an organization through first-time AS9100 or ISO 9001 certification.


• Experience managing personnel across multiple functions, including supply chain, quality/compliance, and production.


• Hands‑on familiarity with pilot line development: tooling, fixturing, workflow design, and the transition from manual to repeatable processes.


• Strong project management instincts, able to balance speed, cost, and quality under an aggressive scale‑up timeline.


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to align engineering, operations, and leadership around a shared production plan.


• Eligibility for a Government of Canada security clearance.

Preferred

• Experience manufacturing missile, munitions, or other precision‑guided hardware systems.


• Background standing up a manufacturing function at an early‑stage or startup hardware company.


• Familiarity with supply chain management for regulated or export‑controlled components.


• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field.

Why North Vector Dynamics

• Real ownership from day one, the systems and processes you build will be foundational to how this company operates for years to come.


• We’re working on technology that matters at a national and global level, and every person on the team feels that weight and that purpose.


• Competitive compensation and meaningful upside from joining an early‑stage company at the forefront of the defence technology sector.


• On‑site in Calgary, AB, a growing hub for tech and defence, with a culture built around resilience and getting things done.