Head of Operations, ACPI

Amca; Davenport (IA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Amca, a leader in aerospace components, is seeking a Head of Operations in Davenport, IA to oversee production, planning, supply chain, and quality systems. You will partner with engineering on new product introductions, drive continuous improvement, and ensure safe, compliant, and repeatable manufacturing processes across the site.

The role calls for hands‑on leadership of supervisors and frontline teams, development of capacity plans, and close collaboration with program management to meet

Qualifications

• Experience leading manufacturing operations in aerospace or high‑tech environments.
• Strong knowledge of Lean principles, continuous improvement, and shop‑floor discipline.
• Experience in NPI and engineering collaboration to transfer designs to production.

Responsibilities

• Lead day‑to‑day production, assembly, calibration, testing, and material flow at Davenport facility.
• Own site performance on safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and schedule with clear metrics.
• Develop production plans, capacity models, staffing plans, and recovery actions to meet customer commitments.
• Implement standard work, visual management, and Lean practices to improve flow, yield, and on‑time delivery.
• Manage and develop production supervisors and frontline teams with training and succession planning.
• Lead purchasing, planning, supplier management, inventory control, and logistics for efficient operations.
• Drive audit readiness, maintain the quality management system, and coordinate internal and external audits.
• Coordinate new product introduction with engineering, ensuring manufacturability and robust production readiness.

Skills

Operations leadership

Lean manufacturing

Production planning

Supply chain management

Quality management

New product introduction

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Amca is building America's new industrial base. Since the 1990s, our ability to build new aviation and military systems and maintain the ones we already have has eroded. Today, the gap between what the nation needs to produce and what it is capable of producing is the largest it has been in generations.To help close that gap, Amca rapidly develops and manufactures new critical components and subsystems required to build and sustain the planes, military vehicles, and core infrastructure America needs. Today, we operate seven factories nationwide, including our advanced prototyping and testing headquarters in El Segundo, and deliver avionics, hydraulic, and electrical components for platforms such as the F-35, F-16, F/A-18, 737MAX, 787, A320neo, A321, Mk-48, and M1 Abrams.

Overview:

Amca is seeking a Head of Operations to lead day-to-day operations at its Davenport, Iowa factory, which manufactures aerospace hydraulic components and equipment, including pressure switches, float switches, and test stands. Reporting to the General Manager, this leader will be accountable for production, planning, supply chain, quality management system execution and audit readiness, and continuous improvement. The Head of Operations will also serve as the primary factory interface for new product introduction and Amca's engineering organization, converting development programs into safe, compliant, and repeatable production.

Responsibilities:

Production & Operational Excellence

• Lead day-to-day production, assembly, calibration, testing, material flow, and related support activities at the Davenport facility
• Own site operating performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and schedule attainment, supported by clear metrics and a disciplined daily and weekly operating cadence
• Build and maintain production plans, capacity models, staffing plans, and recovery actions required to meet customer commitments
• Implement and reinforce standard work, visual management, Lean manufacturing, and shop-floor accountability, with a focus on flow, yield, cycle time, labor efficiency, and on-time delivery
• Manage and develop production supervisors and frontline teams, ensuring effective training, cross-training, performance management, and succession planning

Supply Chain, Planning & Inventory

• Lead purchasing, production planning and control, supplier management, inventory control, and material logistics
• Identify material constraints early and execute recovery plans through expediting, supplier development, alternate sourcing, and risk mitigation
• Improve supplier quality and delivery performance through clear scorecards, review cadences, and timely corrective actions
• Optimize inventory and working capital while protecting production continuity and customer delivery
• Ensure bills of material, routings, lead times, and ERP planning parameters accurately reflect how products are built, inspected, and tested

Quality Management Systems & Audits

• Own effective execution and continuous improvement of the site's aerospace quality management system, ensuring process discipline and appropriate quality authority
• Maintain continuous audit readiness and coordinate internal, certification or registrar, customer, and regulatory audits
• Ensure robust processes for document and configuration control, training, calibration, inspection, nonconformance, corrective and preventive action, supplier quality, and management review
• Drive timely containment, root-cause analysis, corrective action, and closure of audit findings, customer escapes, and recurring defects
• Partner with the General Manager and quality leaders to maintain required certifications, customer approvals, and compliance commitments

NPI & Amca Engineering Integration

• Serve as the primary operations interface between the Davenport facility and Amca engineering, program management, and strategic sourcing teams
• Lead new product introduction readiness from design through stable production, including design-for-manufacturability input, process planning, make-or-buy decisions, supplier readiness, tooling, work instructions, inspection and test methods, first articles, qualification builds, and capacity planning
• Coordinate prototype and development builds and product transfers while protecting baseline production and customer delivery
• Translate engineering changes into controlled shop-floor implementation with complete documentation, configuration control, training, and material disposition
• Create fast feedback loops from operators, quality, and suppliers to Amca engineering on manufacturability, cost, quality, and supply-chain risk

Business & Parent Company Integration

• Partner with the General Manager on the annual operating plan, forecasts, budgets, working-capital targets, and capital expenditure priorities
• Implement Amca-wide operating standards, key performance indicators, reporting routines, systems, and best practi