Director, Operations

Socket.dev; Camarillo (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

AllClear Aerospace & Defense is seeking a Director of Operations to lead Supply Chain, Planning, and Production for Engineered Products, ensuring alignment of material, capacity, and labor with customer demand and backlog.

The role requires hands-on leadership on the manufacturing floor, across sheet metal fabrication, precision machining, welding, and assembly processes, while driving safety, quality, delivery, and cost improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations, Business, or a related field
• 10+ years of progressive aerospace/defense manufacturing operations experience
• Demonstrated leadership across manufacturing and at least one of: supply chain, production planning, materials management, or production control
• Experience with multiple manufacturing processes (machining, sheet metal, welding, assembly)
• Strong problem-solving, safety, quality, delivery, and cost improvement track record
• Lean manufacturing, standard work, daily management, and 5S/6S familiarity
• Proven ability to lead managers, supervisors, and frontline teams
• Excellent cross-functional leadership and communication skills

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end manufacturing operations, planning, and procurement across multiple processes
• Translate demand, backlog, and priorities into executable production plans
• Drive safety, quality, delivery, productivity, inventory, and cost improvements
• Establish and sustain daily management systems and visual controls
• Identify constraints and drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions
• Apply Lean and Kaizen to improve flow and capacity
• Develop leaders and build accountable, high-performing teams
• Collaborate across Engineering, Quality, Program Management, Sales, and Finance to align priorities

Skills

Operational leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Lean manufacturing

ERP/MRP systems

Production planning

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering/Manufacturing/Operations/Business

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Description

About AllClear Aerospace & Defense

AllClear Aerospace & Defense is the military aviation aftermarket industry’s leading provider of mission-ready solutions. We provide excellence in sustainment for the U.S. militaries and its allies. Headquartered in Miramar, Florida, AllClear’s sustainment solutions cover over 25 of the most utilized military aircraft platforms, supported with distribution agreements from leading OEMs, in‑house and managed repair services, engineered products, manufacturing, and logistics solutions.

AllClear represents more than 30 years of defense aerospace sustainment experience and expertise, focused on the bigger mission mindset of keeping militaries mission ready. AllClear locations include Abu Dhabi, UAE; Camarillo, CA; Cambridge, UK; Chatsworth, CA; Greenville, SC; Macon, GA; Miramar, FL; Seoul, S. Korea; Singapore; South San Francisco, CA; and Tokyo, Japan.

To learn more visit GoAllClear.com.

Summary

The Director of Operations is responsible for leading Supply Chain, Planning, and Production for AllClear Aerospace & Defense’s Engineered Products business, with accountability for execution from customer demand and backlog through material planning, supplier performance, production scheduling, manufacturing, and delivery.

This role provides hands‑on leadership across manufacturing operations, including sheet metal fabrication and forming, precision machining, welding, assembly, and related processes supporting aerospace and defense customers. The Director is responsible for ensuring material, capacity, labor, and production priorities are aligned to business and customer requirements while driving performance in safety, quality, delivery, inventory, productivity, cost, and manufacturing flow.

The position requires a strong floor presence, sound business judgment, effective cross‑functional leadership, and the ability to build capable teams, establish clear accountability, identify operational constraints early, and drive sustainable improvement.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Excellence

• Lead Supply Chain, Planning, and Production across the end‑to‑end operating cycle, establishing clear priorities, accountability, and performance expectations.
• Translate customer demand, backlog, and business priorities into executable material, capacity, staffing, and production plans.
• Drive performance in safety, quality, delivery, schedule attainment, productivity, inventory, cost, and customer commitments.
• Establish and sustain effective operating systems, including tiered daily management, KPI reviews, visual management, standard work, 5S/6S, and structured problem solving.
• Identify and resolve material, capacity, supplier, quality, and production constraints through disciplined escalation, root‑cause analysis, and timely corrective action.
• Apply Lean principles, Kaizen, and data‑driven improvement to increase flow, capacity, productivity, and overall operating effectiveness.
• Lead and develop operational leaders, building accountability, succession depth, and a culture of ownership, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Engineering, Quality, Program Management, Sales, Finance, and other functions to align execution with customer and business priorities.

Manufacturing, Planning & Production Control

• Lead daily manufacturing execution across machining, sheet metal fabrication and forming, welding, assembly, and related production operations.
• Own the planning and production‑control process from customer demand through manufacturing completion and delivery.
• Establish achievable production schedules based on backlog priorities, material availability, labor, capacity, tooling, and other operational constraints.
• Ensure manufacturing standards, work instructions, quality requirements, and applicable aerospace and defense requirements are consistently followed.
• Drive schedule attainment and ensure production misses, constraints, and recovery actions are visible, prioritized, and actively managed.
• Improve planning accuracy, backlog visibility, work‑order execution, WIP management, manufacturing lead time, throughput, and overall production flow.
• Develop staffing, equipment, capacity, and manufacturing strategies to support current demand and future growth.
• Improve equipment utilization, labor effectiveness, and quality performance while removing barriers to execution.
• Maintain a strong presence on the manufacturing floor and ensure Planning, Supply Chain, and Production operate from a common set of priorities and commitments.

Supply Chain & Material Execution

• Lead purchasing, supplier management, material planning, inventory, receiving, and related supply chain activities.
• Ensure material availability supports the production schedule while balancing inventory, working capital, lead time, and supply risk.
• Establish and manage supplier expectations for quality, delivery, responsiveness, lead time, and cost.
• Improve inventory accuracy, material flow, shortage management, and visibility of supply constraints.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering on supplier qualification, corrective action, outside processing, and supplier performance improvement.

Business & Cross‑Functional Management

• Develop and manage operating budgets, labor plans, inventory objectives, productivity targets, and capital requirements.
• Support capacity planning, capital equipment decisions, manufacturing technology, supplier strategy, and make/buy decisions.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering to improve manufacturability, process capability, supplier quality, first‑pass quality, and corrective‑action effectiveness.
• Ensure operations support applicable customer, regulatory, AS9100, NADCAP, and aerospace and defense requirements.
• Provide the VP/GM and leadership team with clear visibility to operational performance, risks, constraints, recovery plans, and resource requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations, Business, or a related field; significant relevant operational leadership experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in aerospace, defense, or complex manufacturing operations, including at least 5 years leading manufacturing or operational teams.
• Demonstrated leadership experience across manufacturing and at least one of the following areas: supply chain, production planning, materials management, or production control.
• Experience leading operations involving multiple manufacturing processes such as precision machining, sheet metal fabrication/forming, welding, assembly, or special processes.
• Demonstrated success improving operational performance in areas such as safety, quality, delivery, productivity, inventory, cost, and manufacturing flow.
• Strong understanding of ERP/MRP systems, production planning, purchasing, inventory management, capacity planning, manufacturing metrics, and cost drivers.
• Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing, standard work, root‑cause problem solving, daily management, and continuous improvement practices.
• Proven ability to lead and develop managers, supervisors, planners, supply chain professionals, and frontline manufacturing teams.
• Strong business acumen, communication, decision‑making, and cross‑functional leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in an AS9100‑certified aerospace and defense manufacturing environment.
• Experience with NADCAP‑controlled processes, welding, special processing, and outside processing.
• Experience managing complex aerospace supply chains, including long‑lead or constrained materials.
• Working knowledge of GD&T, engineering drawings, manufacturing routings, BOMs, and aerospace specifications.
• Experience implementing or improving S&OP, production planning, visual management, Lean manufacturing, and 5S/6S.
• Experience scaling, restructuring, or transforming manufacturing operations while maintaining customer delivery commitments.