Chief Operating Officer

Cantos Ventures; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 300,000 - 600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, vision & dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Job summary

Heaviside Industries, based in Los Angeles, leads in autonomous precision munitions and defense manufacturing. The role oversees day-to-day operations across LA and Oslo, scaling production to meet DoD contracts while maintaining strict ITAR compliance and quality systems.

You will partner with the CEO to translate strategy into executable plans, build budgeting and hiring roadmaps, and mature ERP/MRP, EHS, and program reporting. A career path in a fast-growing defense prime awaits.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of operational leadership in defense or aerospace manufacturing.
• Proven ability to scale defense hardware production and meet DoD prime contract requirements.
• Experience delivering under DCMA oversight and security requirements.
• Experience running multi-site, international defense production.
• Track record implementing production-grade ERP/MRP, AS9100-style quality systems.
• Exceptional discipline, accountability, and cost control practices.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations across LA and Oslo offices, spanning munitions manufacturing, supply chain, facilities, security, and people operations.
• Scale in-house production to deliver against DoD contract quantities and schedules.
• Build the operational backbone: production planning, budgeting, hiring plans, defense supplier management, and cross-functional rhythms.
• Partner with the CEO and President on strategy, capital allocation, and customer delivery commitments; translate into executable plans with clear ownership and metrics.
• Own ITAR/export control, DFARS/CMMC readiness, and AS9100-style quality posture across the organization.
• Stand up and mature ERP/MRP, quality, EHS, energetics handling, and program reporting ahead of headcount growth.
• Recruit, develop, and retain senior operational leaders across manufacturing, supply chain, and business operations.

Skills

Operational leadership

Defense manufacturing experience

DoD contract experience

Multi-site operations

ERP/MRP systems

Strong communication

Tools

ERP/MRP software

Quality management systems (AS9100)

Job description

ABOUT HEAVISIDE INDUSTRIES

Heaviside Industries builds multi-domain autonomous precision munitions for U.S. and allied special operations and conventional forces. While modern warfare has rapidly evolved with the proliferation of unmanned systems, hyper-precise munitions in contested environments are the future of the battlefield. Economical precision strike capabilities are critical to U.S. and allied war efforts, enabling successful defeat of enemy military assets and infrastructure. Heaviside builds precision munitions designed to operate in GPS-denied and spectrum-jammed battlefields—where traditional systems degrade or fail—without inflated prices or sacrifice to performance.

All engineering and manufacturing is conducted in-house in Heaviside's Los Angeles, CA headquarters and Oslo, Norway office.

Heaviside is backed by Felicis, Hedosophia, Interlagos, Friends & Family Capital, Menlo Ventures, Flume Ventures, Cantos, and others.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Own day-to-day operations across Heaviside's Los Angeles headquarters and Oslo, Norway office, spanning munitions manufacturing, supply chain, facilities, security, and people operations.
• Scale in-house production of autonomous precision munitions from low-rate initial production to full-rate delivery against DoD contract quantities and schedules.
• Build the operational backbone of a fast-scaling defense prime: production planning, budgeting, hiring plans, defense supplier management, and cross-functional execution rhythms.
• Partner with the CEO and President on company strategy, capital allocation, and customer delivery commitments to U.S. and allied forces; translate strategy into executable operating plans with clear ownership and metrics.
• Own the company's operational compliance posture: ITAR/export control infrastructure, facility and personnel security, DFARS/CMMC readiness, and AS9100-track quality management.
• Stand up and mature the systems a defense manufacturer runs on — ERP/MRP, quality, EHS, energetics handling procedures, and program reporting — ahead of headcount and rate growth.
• Recruit, develop, and retain senior operational leaders across manufacturing, supply chain, and business operations.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• 15+ years of operational leadership in defense or aerospace manufacturing, including P&L or full operating-plan ownership.
• Demonstrated success scaling production of defense hardware — munitions, missiles, UAS, or comparable weapon systems — through rapid rate increases.
• Direct experience delivering under DoD prime contracts: government quality clauses, DCMA oversight, source inspection, and security requirements.
• Experience running multi-site operations, including internationally distributed defense production.
• Track record of building production-grade operational systems (ERP/MRP, AS9100-style quality, planning) at a defense manufacturer.
• Exceptional operating discipline: hires ahead of need, communicates crisply, and holds teams accountable to schedule and cost.
• [BONUS] Experience taking a venture-backed defense company through Series B–D scaling and into production programs of record.
• [BONUS] Experience with energetics or other DoDM 4145.26-regulated production environments.
• U.S. Person as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.62)

Additional Information:

The anticipated annual base salary range for this role is $300,000 – $600,000.

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full‑time hires, you may also be eligible for long‑term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here

Heaviside is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Heaviside is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, physical disability or any other legally protected status.