Director of Operations

The Malwin Company; Lafayette (CO); On-site; USD 130,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Retirement benefits

Paid time off

Company holidays

Job summary

The Malwin Company, an aerospace and defense enterprise, seeks a Director of Operations to lead Lafayette, Colorado site operations and drive cross-functional execution. You will own budget, planning, compliance, and customer interfaces while protecting engineering bandwidth for funded projects.

The role blends strategic planning with hands-on management across programs, government contracts, and workforce development, delivering growth and operational leverage for technical teams.

Qualifications

• Significant operations leadership experience in a government-contracting or regulated technical environment.
• Experience with cost-type contracts and DCAA-compliant operating environments.
• Familiarity with SBIR/STTR programs.
• Experience managing technical teams in engineering, research, electronics, sensors, or related complex environments.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, and P&L responsibility.
• Experience working with government customers, contracting stakeholders, auditors, or regulatory functions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, programs, and stakeholder needs.
• Ability to work on-site in Lafayette, Colorado and obtain required security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day site operations, priorities, operating rhythm, and execution.
• Oversee delivery across an active portfolio of government-funded programs and contracts.
• Maintain a strong DCAA-compliant operating posture across applicable cost-type contracts.
• Serve as a key management interface with government customers, contracting stakeholders, auditors, and funding agencies.
• Support execution and growth of SBIR/STTR programs.
• Own site-level financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and P&L accountability.
• Protect engineering capacity by resolving operational and administrative issues that would otherwise divert technical personnel from project and proposal work.
• Support non-technical aspects of proposal development, including budgets, documentation, certifications, and submission requirements.
• Manage, develop, and retain a highly technical workforce.
• Partner with Human Capital on staffing, development, retention, and organizational needs.
• Work closely with technical leadership to support program execution, customer commitments, and organizational growth.
• Drive site integration and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identify and address operational, financial, compliance, customer, and workforce risks.
• Help evaluate investments in tools, infrastructure, and capabilities that support future growth.

Skills

Operations leadership

Cost-type contracts

DCAA requirements

SBIR/STTR familiarity

Government customers

Budgeting/Forecasting

P&L responsibility

Strategic planning

Hands-on execution

Leadership skills

Job description

Director of Operations

About The Malwin Company

The Malwin Company is an aerospace and defense enterprise that brings together specialized engineering, manufacturing, and technology capabilities under one organization.

Our teams design, develop, manufacture, and support highly specialized products and solutions for demanding aerospace, defense, and industrial applications. We combine deep technical expertise with shared resources, broader opportunities, and an enterprise-wide approach to growth, creating an environment where specialized teams can do their best work while contributing to a larger mission.

Position Summary

The Malwin Company is seeking a Director of Operations to lead day-to-day operational execution at our Lafayette, Colorado location.

This is a broad, hands-on leadership role responsible for keeping the business moving forward and on track across operations, government-contract execution, compliance, financial performance, workforce matters, customer relationships, and organizational integration.

A central objective of the role is to create operating leverage for the technical team by taking ownership of the financial, administrative, compliance, personnel, proposal-support, and day-to-day operating matters that might otherwise pull engineers away from customer-funded project work.

The successful candidate will be comfortable moving between strategic planning and detailed execution and will bring strong business judgment, curiosity, and a willingness to continually learn across a wide range of disciplines.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day site operations, priorities, operating rhythm, and execution.
• Oversee delivery across an active portfolio of government-funded programs and contracts.
• Maintain a strong DCAA-compliant operating posture across applicable cost-type contracts.
• Serve as a key management interface with government customers, contracting stakeholders, auditors, and funding agencies.
• Support execution and growth of SBIR/STTR programs.
• Own site-level financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and P&L accountability.
• Protect engineering capacity by resolving operational and administrative issues that would otherwise divert technical personnel from project and proposal work.
• Support non-technical aspects of proposal development, including budgets, documentation, certifications, and submission requirements.
• Manage, develop, and retain a highly technical workforce.
• Partner with Human Capital on staffing, development, retention, and organizational needs.
• Work closely with technical leadership to support program execution, customer commitments, and organizational growth.
• Drive site integration and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identify and address operational, financial, compliance, customer, and workforce risks.
• Help evaluate investments in tools, infrastructure, and capabilities that support future growth.

Required Qualifications

• Significant operations leadership experience within a government-contracting or similarly regulated technical environment.
• Experience with cost-type contracts and DCAA requirements, or strong knowledge of DCAA-compliant operating environments.
• Familiarity with SBIR/STTR programs.
• Experience managing technical teams in an engineering, research, electronics, sensors, or similarly complex environment.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, and P&L responsibility.
• Experience working with government customers, contracting stakeholders, auditors, or regulatory functions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, programs, and stakeholder needs simultaneously.
• Strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Ability to move comfortably between strategic planning and hands-on execution.
• Ability to work primarily on-site in Lafayette, Colorado.
• Active security clearance or ability to obtain and maintain the clearance required for applicable programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace, defense, advanced technology, sensors, MEMS, electronics, or related technical markets.
• Direct experience with DCAA or DCMA audits and compliance requirements.
• Experience supporting SBIR/STTR Phase II or Phase III programs.
• Familiarity with AFOSR, ARL, DARPA, or similar government research and development organizations.
• Experience integrating an acquired business or leading through significant organizational change.
• Familiarity with AS9100 or another regulated quality-management environment.
• Experience supporting proposal development in a government-contracting environment.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to lead operations within a technically sophisticated aerospace and defense organization.
• Broad responsibility across financial performance, customers, people, compliance, programs, and growth.
• Direct partnership with technical and enterprise leadership.
• Meaningful influence over how the organization operates, grows, and develops new capabilities.
• Enterprise-level resources and support within a lean, highly engaged operating environment.

Compensation: The anticipated base salary range for this position is $130,000-$165,000 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors.

Additional Compensation: This position may be eligible to participate in the company’s annual profit-sharing program, subject to program terms and company performance.

Benefits: The Malwin Company offers a benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, paid time off, and company holidays.

Application Deadline: Applications are anticipated to remain open through August 24, 2026. The application period may be extended as business needs require.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The Malwin Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.

E-Verify: The Malwin Company participates in E-Verify and uses information from Form I-9 to confirm employment eligibility in the United States.