Senior Director, Plant Manager - Prototyping & System Integration

00181 Dynetics Tech Sol, Inc; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 139,000 - 251,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Health and Wellness programs

Income Protection

Paid Leave and Retirement

Job summary

Leidos in Huntsville, AL, seeks a Plant Manager to lead a brown-field facility startup supporting defense systems. You will direct safe, compliant, high‑volume electronics production, oversee production planning, and drive continuous improvement across safety, quality, and cost metrics.

You will coordinate with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Program Management to align milestones, manage budgets, and ensure on‑time delivery while building organizational capability for current programs

Qualifications

• Experience in defense, aerospace, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Direct experience with complex machining or complex system assembly/integration/testing in a high‑mix, low‑volume manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading facility start‑ups, capital activation, and site construction planning and execution.
• Experience implementing lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, statistical process control, Theory of Constraints, or other structured operational excellence methodologies.
• Experience scaling production, activating manufacturing facilities, introducing new products, expanding capacity, or transitioning programs from development and low‑rate initial production to higher production rates.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems, MES, production scheduling, and data‑driven performance management.
• Experience leading capital equipment investments, facility modernization, test‑capacity expansion, and manufacturing layout optimization.
• Experience managing multiple product lines with differing production volumes, process requirements, technical complexity, and customer priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead all manufacturing and production activities, including missile subsystem integration, system‑level assembly, test operations, and high‑volume electronics manufacturing.
• Foster a zero‑harm culture and ensure compliance with environmental, health, safety, hazardous‑material handling, and facility requirements.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering to maintain process controls, configuration management, and test documentation; ensure regulatory compliance.
• Translate program demand into executable production plans, staffing, material priorities, and test schedules; identify constraints and implement recovery plans.
• Lead lean manufacturing, root‑cause analysis, corrective and preventive actions, waste reduction, and standard work improvements.
• Own plant operating budgets, labor and overhead performance, manufacturing cost, capital planning, and resource utilization.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Procurement, and Planning to improve material availability and supplier performance; establish escalation for material constraints.
• Lead and develop a high‑performing organization spanning production supervisors, technicians, engineers, and support functions.
• Ensure equipment, utilities, and facilities are reliable and capable of meeting demand; prioritize maintenance and capital investments.
• Establish and monitor KPIs: safety, quality, on‑time delivery, throughput, yield, labor productivity, and inventory.

Skills

Defense manufacturing experience

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Data-driven performance management

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

MES

Production scheduling

Job description

At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers’ success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainably. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community. Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide the way we do business. Are you ready for your next career challenge?

Job Summary

The Plant Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and operational effectiveness of a manufacturing facility supporting system prototyping, advanced developmental machining, and integration/testing of large defense systems. This is a ‘brown-field’ facility start-up opportunity that will support multiple rapidly growing programs within Leidos’ Defense portfolio. The Plant Manager role provides strategic and hands‑on leadership across production, manufacturing engineering, quality, materials management, facilities, and talent acquisition to ensure safe, compliant, efficient, and predictable execution of customer commitments. The successful candidate will lead the non‑recurring effort to acquire/activate equipment at a recently acquired facility in the Huntsville area. This leader will also establish a culture of operational excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement while balancing the unique requirements of defense product integration and test with the throughput, process control, and scalability demands of high‑volume electronics production. The Plant Manager will drive performance across safety, quality, cost, delivery, inventory, and productivity while developing organizational capability and ensuring the facility is positioned to support current programs and future growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Plant Operations & Production Execution: Lead all manufacturing and production activities, including missile subsystem integration, system‑level assembly, test operations, and high‑volume electronics manufacturing.
• Safety & Regulatory Compliance: Foster a zero‑harm culture and ensure compliance with applicable environmental, health, safety, hazardous‑material handling, and facility requirements. Maintain disciplined work practices appropriate to defense manufacturing and test environments.
• Quality & Mission Assurance: Partner with Quality and Engineering to maintain rigorous process controls, product traceability, configuration management, workmanship standards, test documentation, and nonconformance resolution. Ensure compliance with applicable customer, contractual, and regulatory requirements.
• Delivery & Production Planning: Translate program demand and customer commitments into executable production plans, staffing requirements, material priorities, equipment capacity, and test schedules. Identify constraints and implement recovery plans to protect on‑time delivery.
• Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement: Lead lean manufacturing, root‑cause analysis, corrective and preventive actions, waste reduction, standard work, and production‑flow improvements. Improve first‑pass yield, cycle time, labor productivity, equipment effectiveness, and overall operational performance.
• Financial & Business Performance: Own plant operating budgets, labor and overhead performance, manufacturing cost, capital planning, and resource utilization. Develop and execute initiatives that improve cost competitiveness without compromising safety, quality, or delivery.
• Supply Chain & Materials Management: Partner with Supply Chain, Procurement, and Planning to improve material availability, inventory accuracy, supplier performance, work‑in‑process flow, and shortage resolution. Establish effective escalation mechanisms for material and component constraints.
• People Leadership & Organizational Development: Lead and develop a high‑performing organization spanning production supervisors, manufacturing personnel, technicians, engineers, and support functions. Establish clear accountability, workforce development plans, cross‑training, succession planning, and staffing strategies aligned with production demand.
• Equipment, Facilities & Capital Investment: Ensure production equipment, test assets, utilities, infrastructure, and manufacturing workspaces are reliable and capable of meeting current and projected demand. Prioritize maintenance, equipment acquisition, facility modifications, and capital investments based on capacity, risk, and business value.
• Performance Management & Reporting: Establish and monitor key performance indicators, including safety, quality, on‑time delivery, throughput, first‑pass yield, scrap and rework, labor productivity, inventory, schedule attainment, and cost performance. Communicate operational risks, recovery actions, and business results to senior leadership.
• Cross‑Functional & Customer Collaboration: Work closely with Program Management, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and customer representatives to align production execution with contractual requirements, program milestones, technical readiness, and business objectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in defense, aerospace, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Direct experience with complex machining or complex system assembly/integration/testing in a high‑mix, low‑volume manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading facility start‑ups, capital activation, and site construction planning and execution.
• Experience implementing lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, statistical process control, Theory of Constraints, or other structured operational excellence methodologies.
• Experience scaling production, activating manufacturing facilities, introducing new products, expanding capacity, or transitioning programs from development and low‑rate initial production to higher production rates.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems, manufacturing execution systems (MES), production scheduling, and data‑driven performance management.
• Experience leading capital equipment investments, facility modernization, test‑capacity expansion, and manufacturing layout optimization.
• Experience managing multiple product lines with differing production volumes, process requirements, technical complexity, and customer priorities.

Core Competencies

• Operational Leadership: Establishes clear priorities, drives execution, and maintains accountability for plant‑wide results.
• Safety & Quality Mindset: Embeds safety, product integrity, process discipline, and compliance into daily operations.
• Manufacturing Excellence: Applies data‑driven problem solving and continuous improvement to improve throughput, yield, and cost.
• Execution & Accountability: Converts business objectives into actionable plans, measurable commitments, and sustained results.
• Strategic & Financial Acumen: Balances near‑term production demands with long‑term capacity, capital, workforce, and cost objectives.
• People Development: Builds capable teams, develops future leaders, and creates a culture of ownership and continuous learning.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Aligns Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management around shared outcomes.
• Change Leadership: Leads organizational, process, technology, and capacity changes while sustaining production performance.
• Customer Focus: Maintains a strong commitment to customer requirements, contractual performance, product reliability, and on‑time delivery.

Key Performance Expectations

• Safety performance and compliance with applicable requirements.
• On‑time delivery, schedule attainment, and achievement of program commitments.
• Product quality, first‑pass yield, scrap, rework, and defect reduction.
• Manufacturing throughput, cycle time, labor productivity, and equipment utilization.
• Operating cost, budget performance, inventory control, and working capital.
• Integration and test capacity, production readiness, and execution against planned milestones.
• Workforce capability, employee development, staffing effectiveness, and organizational stability.
• Continuous improvement results, production scalability, and readiness for future program demand.

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range $139,100.00 - $251,450.00

• competitive compensation
• Health and Wellness programs
• Income Protection
• Paid Leave and Retirement

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary.

Commitment and Diversity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.

Candidate must be a resident of the North Alabama area or willing to relocate to the Huntsville - North Alabama, AL area.

Candidate must be a US Citizen and be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance.

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Original Posting: November 3, 2026