Senior Composites Operations Leader (Aerospace)

Firefly Aerospace; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace in Austin, Texas seeks an Operations Manager - Composites to lead the Structures Manufacturing team that fabricates and manufactures composite hardware for Alpha, MLV, and Spacecraft programs. You will establish production metrics, drive continuous improvement, and ensure operations meet Firefly and AS9100 standards.

The role requires strong leadership, lean manufacturing experience, and the ability to scale processes as production grows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or 7+ years of industry experience.
• 5+ years of progressive leadership experience managing production teams.
• Proven track record of scaling manufacturing operations to full-rate production.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a multi-shift team of Supervisors, Leads, and technicians to deliver quality on time and on cost.
• Coach and mentor Supervisors and Leads to strengthen leadership and decision-making at the right level.
• Identify skill gaps and create growth paths, enabling technicians to advance.
• Provide regular feedback and performance conversations to recognize contributions and address gaps.
• Ensure resources, tools, and training are available and manage schedules and PTO to sustain critical operations.
• Foster a strong safety culture with proper handling of composites, resins, solvents, and chemicals.
• Ensure operations adhere to documentation and AS9100 standards.
• Maintain production schedules and drive continuous improvement across the team.
• Collaborate with planning, engineering, quality to align capacity and resolve bottlenecks.

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

Cross-functional leadership

Change management

People development

KPIs and metrics

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Firefly Aerospace in Austin, Texas seeks an Operations Manager - Composites to lead the Structures Manufacturing team that fabricates and manufactures composite hardware for Alpha, MLV, and Spacecraft programs. You will establish production metrics, drive continuous improvement, and ensure operations meet Firefly and AS9100 standards.

The role requires strong leadership, lean manufacturing experience, and the ability to scale processes as production grows.