Plant Director – Aerospace Manufacturing

Remote People Ltd.

United States

Remote

USD 140,000 - 210,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

Remote People Ltd. is seeking a Plant Director to lead a 300-person aerospace manufacturing operation in Arkansas. You will oversee daily manufacturing, drive safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance while shaping the site strategy.

This role requires hands-on leadership on the shop floor and executive collaboration to align operations with customer requirements and enterprise goals, with a focus on transformation and growth.

Qualifications

Progressive leadership within complex manufacturing operations.
Leading managers and multidisciplinary operational teams.
Strong plant/site leadership capability.
Understanding of P&L, budgeting, costs, productivity and performance.
Experience driving growth, transformation or organizational change.
Experience in a unionized manufacturing environment.
Strong executive communication and decision making.
Hands-on leadership with shop-floor credibility.

Responsibilities

Lead overall performance and day-to-day manufacturing operations.
Lead, coach, and develop the site's management team.
Set priorities, KPIs, rhythms, and accountability.
Align people, capacity, processes with production and customer requirements.
Partner across Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, HR, Finance, IT, Sales and exec leadership.
Own and improve safety, quality, on-time delivery, and cost metrics.
Drive transformation initiatives and continuous improvement.
Build capability to support future growth.
Own site-level P&L and manage operating budgets.

Skills

Hands-on leadership

Executive communication

Union experience

Job description

Plant Director – Aerospace Manufacturing

Location: Arkansas
Employment: Full-Time | Permanent | On-Site
Industry: Aerospace / Advanced Manufacturing

Lead the Operation. Transform Performance. Build for Growth.

We’re partnering confidentially with an established aerospace manufacturing organization seeking an accomplished Plant Director to lead a large, complex manufacturing operation in Arkansas.

This is a senior site leadership mandate with responsibility for approximately 300 employees across multiple facilities, with broad accountability for operational performance, people leadership, financial results, quality, delivery, productivity, and continuous improvement.

The operation is entering an important period of growth and transformation. We’re looking for a manufacturing leader who can strengthen operational discipline, develop the leadership team, improve performance, and build the organizational capability required for the next stage of growth.

The successful leader will be equally comfortable on the manufacturing floor and at the executive table.

What You’ll Own

Site & Operational Leadership

Lead overall performance and day-to-day manufacturing operations
Lead, coach, and develop the site's management team
Establish clear priorities, KPIs, operating rhythms, and accountability
Align people, capacity, processes, and resources with production and customer requirements
Partner across Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, HR, Finance, IT, Sales, and executive leadership

Operational Excellence

Own and improve performance across:

Safety
Quality
On-time delivery
Productivity and throughput
Manufacturing cost and efficiency
Inventory
Customer commitments

Identify operational bottlenecks, strengthen performance management, and implement sustainable improvements throughout the operation.

Transformation & Continuous Improvement

Lead operational transformation and continuous improvement initiatives
Strengthen standardization, accountability, and execution
Apply Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles
Identify opportunities for automation and manufacturing modernization
Improve processes, systems, and operating discipline
Build the capacity required to support future growth

P&L & Business Performance

This role carries meaningful responsibility for the financial performance of the operation.

Own and influence site-level P&L performance
Develop and manage operating budgets
Review financial performance and key variances
Manage headcount, operating expenses, productivity, and capital requirements
Make operational decisions with a clear understanding of their impact on cost, margin, cash, and business performance

People & Organizational Leadership

Build a high-performance culture centered on accountability and execution
Maintain a visible leadership presence on the manufacturing floor
Develop managers and strengthen leadership succession
Partner with HR on workforce planning, organizational development, and employee relations
Operate effectively within a unionized manufacturing environment

What We’re Looking For

Progressive leadership experience within complex manufacturing operations
Experience leading managers and multidisciplinary operational teams
Strong plant/site leadership capability
Strong understanding of P&L, budgeting, manufacturing costs, productivity, and financial performance
Demonstrated success improving manufacturing performance
Experience leading through growth, transformation, integration, or organizational change
Experience within a unionized manufacturing environment
Strong executive communication and decision-making ability
Hands-on leadership style with strong shop-floor credibility

Highly Valued

Aerospace and/or defense manufacturing
Large-site manufacturing leadership
Lean Manufacturing / Six Sigma
AS9100 or comparable regulated quality environments
Manufacturing automation and modernization
ERP-driven manufacturing operations
Operational transformation or integration
Complex engineered products

The Leadership Profile

We’re looking for a hands-on, business-minded manufacturing leader who thinks and acts like an owner.

You can set strategy while staying close enough to the operation to understand what's actually happening on the floor.

You develop leaders, challenge existing processes, make decisions, establish accountability, and understand the relationship between people, operations, customers, and financial results.

This isn't about maintaining the status quo.

It's about building a stronger operation.

Why Consider This Opportunity?