Head of Manufacturing

SkyCan Systems; Central Ontario; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SkyCan Systems is building a new Central Ontario production facility and assembling a world-class manufacturing team. You will own end-to-end delivery from design release to sustainment, drive technology transfer, and manage a line that moves from low-rate to full-rate production with strict quality and regulatory controls.

The role requires leadership of a multi-discipline organization, accountability for cost and on-time delivery, and collaboration with Engineering and Regulatory teams to meet

Qualifications

• 12+ years of manufacturing leadership in aerospace, defence or automotive.
• Proven track record standing up or industrializing a production facility.
• Experience managing manufacturing budgets and COGS with margin control.
• Eligible for CGP security assessment and government clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing or related field.
• Advanced degree is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Lead facility stand-up and retrofit to create a qualified production line.
• Oversee technology transfer and on-site embedded specialists.
• Drive NPI to full-rate production and provide DFM feedback.
• Own production, quality, test and AS9100 compliance including FAI/ATP.
• Manage master production scheduling, MRP, capacity planning and supplier performance.
• Control budgets, COGS and gross margin targets as line scales.
• Ensure CGP/export controls and counterfeit-parts prevention in production.
• Lead lean initiatives, standard work and workforce development.

Skills

Rate production & industrialization

Aerospace quality systems

Production planning & control

Supply chain & contract manufacturing

Manufacturing finance

Composite & airframe production

Technology transfer

Operational excellence

EHS & energetics

Defence manufacturing compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Advanced degree (asset)

Tools

ERP system

Job description

WORK ARRANGEMENT

This role leads the facility stand-up and production ramp and requires full-time presence at the manufacturing facility, with periodic travel to the Toronto office, suppliers, and partners.

SECURITY REQUIREMENT

Must be eligible for security assessment under the Controlled Goods Program (CGP) and able to obtain and maintain a Government of Canada security clearance (Secret or higher).

THE ROLE

This role owns SkyCan's entire manufacturing organization, from design release through delivery and sustainment. It is a ground-level operational build. You will stand up SkyCan's Central Ontario production facility, lead the technology transfer from kit-based assembly to fully Canadian-built units, and scale the line from low-rate initial production to full rate.

You will build the manufacturing, facilities, and supply chain team as production scales, and hold accountability for cost, quality, and on-time delivery throughout. You will work closely with Engineering on design for manufacturability and with Regulatory & Compliance on controlled goods and export requirements at the point of production.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

• Facility stand-up: Lead the brownfield retrofit of SkyCan's Central Ontario facility, converting an existing building into a qualified production line.
• Technology transfer: Support the structured technology transfer from SkyCan's platform partner — integrate embedded specialists on-site, stand up kit-based assembly, and manage first-article inspection and ramp-up through localization to fully Canadian-built units.
• NPI and production ramp: Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) to rate production, drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM) feedback into Engineering, and scale the line from low-rate initial production to full rate.
• Production, quality and test: Own production and assembly — composite fabrication, CNC, and final assembly, integration, and test. Operate an AS9100 quality system: incoming, in-process, and final inspection; First Article Inspection (FAI); Acceptance Test Procedures (ATP); Certificates of Conformance and acceptance data packages; nonconformance, Material Review Board, and CAPA. Support government and customer source inspection and quality-clause flow-down to suppliers.
• Planning, supply chain and materials: Own master production scheduling, MRP, and work-order management; capacity and production-readiness reviews; and on-time delivery, WIP, and bottleneck control. Lead direct and production sourcing and the approved vendor list, supplier delivery and quality performance, and long-lead and critical-component security of supply. Run receiving, shipping, inventory, and warehousing, and own contract-manufacturer relationships.
• Cost, budget and margin: Own the manufacturing operating budget and capital plan, delivering production within budget and to capex commitments. Manage COGS and unit cost to target and protect gross margin as the line scales. Drive cost-down, yield, and affordability programs (design-to-cost with Engineering), and own manufacturing KPIs including OEE, on-time delivery, and cost per unit.
• Facilities, maintenance and EHS: Own facility and equipment management and uptime, including preventive and predictive maintenance. Own occupational and energetics / dangerous-goods safety with stop-work authority, environmental compliance, and controlled-goods storage and energetics magazines to regulatory standard.
• Team and operational excellence: Build and scale the manufacturing organization with the production rate — hire, structure, and develop the team. Own workforce and shift planning, the operator skills matrix, and build certification for controlled and defence builds. Instill a culture of lean, continuous improvement, and standard work.
• Sustainment and compliance execution: Own product sustainment — spares production, technical publications, customer training, field service, the repair line, and out-of-warranty MRO. Execute Controlled Goods Program handling, export controls at the point of production and shipment, and counterfeit-parts prevention, within the policy set by Regulatory & Compliance.

WHAT YOU BRING — TECHNICAL

Note: bracketed proficiency levels indicate the depth expected in each area. Items marked Asset are not required.

• Rate production and industrialization ( EXPERT ): Standing up or industrializing a production facility — brownfield fit-out, NPI-to-volume, and LRIP-to-full-rate ramp — with accountability for rate, cost, quality, and on-time delivery.
• Aerospace quality systems ( DEEP ): AS9100 quality management, FAI, ATP, acceptance data packages, MRB and CAPA, and government or customer source inspection.
• Production planning and control ( DEEP ): Master production scheduling, MRP, work-order management, capacity planning, and production-readiness reviews in an ERP environment.
• Supply chain and contract manufacturing ( DEEP ): Direct sourcing, approved vendor list management, supplier quality and delivery performance, long-lead and critical-component management, and contract-manufacturer oversight.
• Manufacturing finance ( DEEP ): Ownership of a manufacturing operating budget and capital plan, COGS and unit-cost management, and gross-margin performance at scale.
• Composite and airframe production ( PROFICIENT ): Composite fabrication and airframe or UAV production. Strongly preferred.
• Technology and production transfer ( PROFICIENT ): Transferring a product or line from a partner or sister site into a new facility, ideally cross-border.
• Operational excellence ( PROFICIENT ): Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent — standard work, yield improvement, and OEE.
• EHS and energetics ( WORKING KNOWLEDGE ): Occupational safety, environmental compliance, and dangerous-goods and energetics handling and storage.
• Defence manufacturing compliance ( ASSET ): Controlled Goods Program, ITAR, export controls, and counterfeit-parts prevention in a production environment.

QUALIFICATIONS & BACKGROUND

Experience: 12+ years of manufacturing leadership in aerospace, defence, or automotive, including rate-production accountability and leadership of a multi-function manufacturing organization.

Track record: Demonstrated experience standing up or industrializing a production facility, and owning a manufacturing operating budget and COGS / gross-margin performance.

Security: Eligible for CGP security assessment and able to obtain and maintain a Government of Canada security clearance (Secret or higher). Existing CGP registration or a federal security clearance is an asset.

Education: Bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, or a related field. Advanced degree an asset.

CERTIFICATIONS (ASSETS)

• Existing federal security clearance, or eligibility to obtain one
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt
• AS9100 lead or internal auditor
• ASCM / APICS CPIM or CSCP
• P.Eng

WHY SKYCAN

Ownership of a technical division at a company moving from prototype to volume production.

Platforms that are fielded operationally, with direct feedback from operators.

A purpose-built facility with dedicated lab, integration, and test infrastructure.

Competitive base salary, employee benefits, and paid time off.

SkyCan Systems Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and make hiring decisions on merit, without regard to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital or family status, or disability.

Accommodation is available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code.

This position involves access to controlled goods and controlled technology. Successful candidates must be eligible for and complete a security assessment under the Controlled Goods Program, and may be required to obtain and maintain a Government of Canada security clearance. Eligibility is assessed under Canadian law and does not require Canadian work experience.