Aerospace Site Operations Leader

GKN Aerospace; Tallassee (AL); On-site; USD 130,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

GKN Aerospace is seeking an Operations Director to lead all production and operational activities for a large manufacturing site. You will drive safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people objectives while fostering continuous improvement and operational excellence.

You will provide strategic leadership to multiple production departments, develop high-performing teams, and collaborate with cross-functional leaders to meet customer commitments and business goals.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• 5+ years leading large, complex operations.
• Expertise in Lean Manufacturing and CI.
• Strong financial acumen and budget management.
• Knowledge of production systems and safety programs.
• Experience managing large hourly and salaried staff.

Responsibilities

• Direct manufacturing operations to achieve business, customer, and financial objectives while ensuring operational stability.
• Establish and execute operational strategies, driving productivity, capacity planning, resource optimization, and performance improvement.
• Monitor KPIs and lead corrective actions to improve efficiency and operational results.
• Champion a culture of safety and accountability, ensuring compliance with all environmental, regulatory, and company requirements.
• Lead risk assessments, proactive safety improvements, and employee engagement in safety and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure products meet customer specifications and quality standards while supporting audits and maintaining customer confidence.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering teams to drive defect reduction, process capability improvements, root cause investigations, and corrective actions.
• Manage operational budgets, annual operating plans, and capital expenditure projects to achieve financial objectives.
• Drive labor productivity, material efficiency, waste reduction, and cost savings through lean manufacturing and continuous improvement.
• Lead, coach, and develop Operations Managers, Group Leaders, and Supervisors while building succession and leadership development plans.
• Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, inclusion, and high performance in partnership with Human Resources on workforce planning and employee relations.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance OEE, throughput, inventory, and labor efficiency.
• Utilize data and analytics to identify opportunities, implement sustainable solutions, and promote operational excellence.
• Partner with Supply Chain, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Finance, HR, and Commercial teams to support business objectives.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Continuous Improvement

Operational Excellence

Budget Management

Leadership

People Development

Cross-functional Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

MBA preferred

Job description

GKN Aerospace is seeking an Operations Director to lead all production and operational activities for a large manufacturing site. You will drive safety, quality, delivery, cost, and people objectives while fostering continuous improvement and operational excellence.

You will provide strategic leadership to multiple production departments, develop high-performing teams, and collaborate with cross-functional leaders to meet customer commitments and business goals.