Manufacturing Operations Lead – Defense Production

Anduril Industries; Ashville (OH); On-site; USD 111,000 - 147,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Benefits package

Job summary

Anduril Industries, based in Columbus, OH, seeks a Manufacturing Operations Manager to lead a skilled production team building AD&S hardware for strategic customers. You will drive production ramp, manage line priorities, ensure safety, quality, and on-time delivery, and collaborate across engineering, planning, and supply chain.

In this role you will mentor technicians, oversee a busy production floor, and report progress weekly to leadership while upholding lean manufacturing and continuous

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in production-oriented or electro‑mechanical technician fields, with at least 3+ years in a supervisor or production operations lead/manager role in a high‑volume production environment.
• Experience working with ERP and MES systems.
• A full understanding of the product life cycle (NPI to scaled production), LEAN manufacturing principles, and change management (ECOs).
• Ability to interpret technical documentation (mechanical drawings, work instructions, building plans, equipment specifications, electrical schematics, and similar).
• Experience working directly and communicating with designers and engineers.
• Extremely reliable, organized, and detail‑oriented, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• A passion for employee development, and enjoyment of the process of training and developing both new hires and veteran production staff.
• Proven skills in both process and equipment troubleshooting, allowing you to adapt easily to constantly changing production environments.
• Experience supporting process development.
• Knowledge of 5S, lean manufacturing, or 6‑Sigma principles.
• Proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project).
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Manage technician staff in the production and delivery of AD&S hardware through factory acceptance.
• Set priorities and direct daily operations, including the timely issuing and completion of work orders to the production floor.
• Ensure all operators follow safety procedures and that their teams' safety training is current, document EHS incidents, proactively correct workplace hazards, and empower others to continuously improve operations.
• Manage, coach, mentor, and support production technicians.
• Prioritize work activities for operators to achieve target on‑time delivery goals.
• Ensure quality standards are met throughout the entire production process, and support no defects leaving a station or team area.
• Own the culture on your line: be a stakeholder in the programs and policies that affect life on the floor, and maintain a high bar for excellence while building a strong team.
• Provide clear, high-quality reports out to Production Managers, the Director of Manufacturing Operations, and the Head of Manufacturing as needed.
• Be an active participant in 5S and continuous improvement activities.
• Complete transactions in production systems (NetSuite, JIRA Anduril MES) on a daily basis.
• Work cross-functionally with Manufacturing Engineering, Design Engineering, Planning, Quality, and Supply Chain to ensure inventory levels are maintained and accurate in each work area.
• Provide a weekly report‑out of production progress, blockers, risks, and needs, and generate daily pass‑downs and weekly production reports for the engineering and operations teams.
• Lead daily communication with cross‑functional teams, including engineering, technicians, supply chain, logistics, and quality, as necessary.
• Build a positive and collaborative team culture that promotes product knowledge, skills development, and cross‑training.
• Show up every day with a high level of urgency, ownership, and enthusiasm to get the job done.

Skills

ERP systems

MES systems

LEAN manufacturing

ECOs / change management

Mechanical drawings

Team leadership

5S

MS Office

Security clearance

Education

Associate/Bachelor's degree (technical)

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

Tools

AS9100 standards

OSHA laws

Job description

Anduril Industries, based in Columbus, OH, seeks a Manufacturing Operations Manager to lead a skilled production team building AD&S hardware for strategic customers. You will drive production ramp, manage line priorities, ensure safety, quality, and on-time delivery, and collaborate across engineering, planning, and supply chain.

In this role you will mentor technicians, oversee a busy production floor, and report progress weekly to leadership while upholding lean manufacturing and continuous