IPT Operations Leader

Armtec Defense Technologies; East Camden (AR); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Armtec Defense Technologies in Camden, AR, seeks an IPT Operations Leader to manage day-to-day manufacturing within the Integrated Product Team. You will serve as the operations integrator between program management, engineering, quality, planning, and shop floor execution.

You will drive safe, compliant, efficient, and on-schedule production, lead lean initiatives, optimize capacity, and support capital equipment integration while aligning with safety, cost, and delivery goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field.
• 7–10 years of progressive manufacturing/operations experience in defense, aerospace, or regulated manufacturing.
• Experience leading production operations within cross-functional IPT teams.
• LEAN, continuous improvement, and productivity initiatives experience.
• Strong knowledge of production scheduling, capacity planning, and shop floor management.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Provides operational leadership for all manufacturing activities within the IPT.
• Develops and monitors production schedules, including the Integrated Master Schedule.
• Optimizes staffing, labor utilization, equipment availability, and material flow to meet targets.
• Owns KPIs: on-time delivery, first-pass yield, cycle time, throughput, utilization, downtime, OEE.
• Leads or supports LEAN, 5S, kaizen events, and variability reduction with engineers.
• Ensures timely implementation of procedures, engineering changes, and capital equipment.
• Facilitates daily/weekly operations meetings, gemba walks, and problem-solving sessions.
• Champions safety, quality, and regulatory compliance per policies.
• Coordinates with Engineering, Quality, Planning, and Procurement for seamless execution.
• Reports operational status and risks to site leadership and stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Lean/CI

Production scheduling

Cross-functional collaboration

English writing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Operations/Business

Job description

Armtec Defense Technologies (Armtec) is an operating unit of the Transdigm Group (NYSE: TDG), an industry leader in aerospace and defense products and services. Armtec is comprised of three business units producing subcomponents for ordnance in Coachella, CA; decoy countermeasure Flares in Camden AR; and radar countermeasure chaff in Lillington NC. At Armtec, we welcome skilled and enthusiastic people who share our determination and high standards to join us in our mission-critical work supporting the US and allied war-fighters who serve us all by defending democracy and protecting freedom. This position is staffed in Camden, AR., at Armtec's world-class facility for decoy countermeasure Flares.

Company Profile

Company: Armtec Defense Technologies is an operating unit of the TransDigm Group (NYSE:TDG)

Industry: Manufacturing Combustible Ordnance and Countermeasures

Job Overview

Title: IPT Operations Leader

Job Family: Production

Reports to: Site Leader

Works with: Engineering Lead, Quality Engineer, Planner, Production Supervisor, Industrial Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Controls/Automation Engineer, Engineering Technician, Procurement, and shop floor teams.

Location: Camden, AR, USA

Type: Full Time

Job Summary: Responsible for leading all day-to-day manufacturing operations within the Integrated Product Team (IPT) for assigned programs. Serves as the primary operations integrator between the Program Manager, engineering, quality, planning, and shop floor execution. Ensures safe, compliant, efficient, and on-schedule production of countermeasures while driving operational excellence, resource optimization, and continuous improvement. This position proactively supports LEAN initiatives, productivity projects, capital equipment integration, and cross-functional collaboration to meet safety, quality, delivery, cost, and customer requirements.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provides operational leadership and direction for all manufacturing activities within the IPT, including chemical mixing, extrusion, tooling, and related manufacturing processes.
• Works closely with the Planner to develop, monitor, and adjust realistic production schedules (including the Integrated Master Schedule) while identifying and mitigating capacity, resource, and bottleneck risks.
• Collaborates with the Production Supervisor to optimize staffing, labor utilization, equipment availability, and material flow to achieve production targets.
• Owns and drives key operational KPIs including on-time delivery, first-pass yield, cycle time, throughput, utilization, downtime, scrap rate, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Leads or supports continuous improvement initiatives using LEAN principles, 5S, kaizen events, and variability reduction in partnership with the Industrial Engineer and Quality Engineer.
• Ensures timely and effective implementation of manufacturing procedures, engineering changes, productivity projects, and new capital equipment on the shop floor with minimal disruption.
• Facilitates daily/weekly operations meetings, gemba walks, and problem-solving sessions; escalates major production, quality, safety, or delivery issues as needed.
• Champions safety programs and ensures full compliance with Armtec's Safety, Environmental, and Quality policies, including proper handling of hazardous materials and PPE usage.
• Supports the integration of new products, processes, and automation while coordinating operator training and production ramp-up.
• Actively participates in scrap reduction, process improvement, and productivity projects; provides operational input to capital project planning and execution.
• Maintains strong cross-functional coordination with Engineering, Quality, Planning, and Procurement to ensure seamless program execution.
• Prepares and communicates operational status, risks, and performance metrics site leadership and program stakeholders on a regular basis.
• Maintains the highest ethical standards, even when challenged from above.
• Understands and lives by Armtec's ethics and business conduct policies.

Qualifications

• Must be well organized, detail oriented, knowledgeable of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Ability to effectively compose letters and correspondence.
• Possesses familiarity with business math, internet, calculator, copier, telephone and fax machine.
• Projects an outstanding degree of judgment, organization, planning, initiative, flexibility and creativity.
• Must maintain accuracy, concentration, alertness, and be detail-oriented.
• Must maintain accuracy, concentration, alertness, and be detail-oriented.
• Must be able to perform calmly and reasonably under pressure from demand for production and other exigencies.
• Must be resourceful and very creative pertaining to equipment design, performance and repair.
• Physical capabilities include walking up and down steps, to various programs as the situation warrants and exposure to loud noises in a manufacturing environment.

Armtec Competencies

• Must be able to demonstrate ability in the Armtec competencies for all employees, customer focus, ethics & values, problem solving, integrity & trust, functional/technical skills, listening, action-oriented, composure and values diversity.

Education/Previous Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field (preferred).
• Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive manufacturing/operations experience in a defense, aerospace, or regulated manufacturing environment.
• Previous experience leading or managing production operations, preferably within a cross-functional team or IPT structure.
• Demonstrated success implementing LEAN, continuous improvement, and productivity initiatives.
• Strong working knowledge of production scheduling, capacity planning, and shop floor management.
• High energy level with excellent reasoning, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Dedicated to meeting production commitments while maintaining safety and quality standards.
• Able to interface productively with all levels of employees and functional groups.
• Ability to read and write English.

Work Hours

4/10 workweek with overtime as required

Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Protected Vet

Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

To conform to U.S. export control regulations, applicant should be eligible for any required authorization from the U.S. Government

This position requires access to export control information.