Aerospace Assembly Lead - Hands-on Ops Leader

RTCA; Fife (WA); On-site; USD 83,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) match

Paid time off

9 holidays

Shift differentials

Discretionary bonus

Job summary

RTCA, a precision aerospace and defense manufacturer, seeks an Assembly Manager to lead the Assembly department onsite in Fife, WA. You will own daily performance, safety, quality, and on-time delivery, while coaching Leads and Technicians and driving improvements across processes.

You will partner with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Planning, and Supply Chain to support new programs, manage staffing, and ensure compliant, scalable growth.

Qualifications

• Extensive aerospace or precision manufacturing assembly experience.
• Proven track record leading and developing a manufacturing team.
• Ability to build and implement processes and work instructions.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration across Operations, Quality, Engineering, Planning, and Supply Chain.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and performance management skills.
• Working knowledge of AS9100 or other aerospace quality systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Assembly department day-to-day, ensuring safety, quality, throughput, and on-time delivery.
• Provide hands-on leadership to Assembly Leads and Technicians with clear expectations.
• Develop technicians and leads through coaching and performance management.
• Establish department metrics and drive corrective action for gaps.
• Document and improve standard work, processes, and procedures.
• Plan staffing, scheduling, and capacity to meet production needs.
• Collaborate with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Planning, and Supply Chain to resolve issues.
• Prioritize workload and tooling/equipment needs across the department.
• Lead root cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with customer, quality, and regulatory requirements (AS9100).

Skills

Aerospace assembly

Team leadership

Process development

Cross-functional collaboration

Coaching & feedback

AS9100 knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Lean/Six Sigma

Job description

RTCA, a precision aerospace and defense manufacturer, seeks an Assembly Manager to lead the Assembly department onsite in Fife, WA. You will own daily performance, safety, quality, and on-time delivery, while coaching Leads and Technicians and driving improvements across processes.

You will partner with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Planning, and Supply Chain to support new programs, manage staffing, and ensure compliant, scalable growth.