Senior Manager, Manufacturing Operations

Beehive Industries, LLC; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Life coverage from day one

401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with company match

Bonus eligibility and equity in the company

Job summary

A defense manufacturing company in Knoxville, TN, is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Operations Manager to lead production and logistics. This role involves overseeing a team, ensuring adherence to quality and safety standards, and advancing additive manufacturing processes. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in manufacturing, strong leadership skills, and familiarity with production environments. Benefits include health coverage, 401(k), and equity opportunities.

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years of experience in manufacturing, ideally in advanced environments.
• 5+ years of leadership experience within production settings.
• Hands-on experience with metal additive manufacturing processes preferred.
• Experience managing production environments with accountability for output.
• Familiarity with CAD and ERP systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily production and logistics operations at the Knoxville site.
• Provide direct leadership to Operations Supervisors and their teams.
• Set daily and weekly priorities in collaboration with Production Control.
• Support and advance additive manufacturing capabilities.
• Drive Lean and Six Sigma initiatives to enhance efficiency.

Skills

Leadership

Additive Manufacturing Knowledge

Continuous Improvement Mindset

Analytical Capability

Communication Skills

Education

8–12 years of experience in manufacturing

Background in aerospace or defense

Tools

CAD software (NX, SolidWorks)

ERP systems

Job description

Overview

Beehive Industries is dedicated to Powering American Defense by revolutionizing the design, development, and delivery of jet propulsion systems to support the warfighter. Through the integration of additive manufacturing, the company aims to meet the growing and urgent needs for unmanned aerial defense by dramatically improving a jet engine’s speed to market, fuel efficiency, and cost.

Founded in 2020, the company is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, with additional facilities in Knoxville, Tennessee, Loveland Ohio, and Mount Vernon, Ohio. Beehive is committed to grow and advance the defense industrial base while manufacturing exclusively in the USA. This role will be located at our Knoxville, Tennessee facility.

Role and Responsibilities

The Senior Manufacturing Operations Manager is responsible for leading all aspects of production, post-processing, and shipping & receiving for the Knoxville, Tennessee site. As Beehive’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence, this role plays a critical part in scaling and industrializing additive manufacturing processes, including Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) and Metal Binder Jetting (MBJ). This role sits between site-level execution and strategic leadership, reporting to the Operations Director. The Senior Manager will lead a team consisting of two Operations Supervisors, with overall responsibility for a team of 15+ employees. This position requires a leader who can bridge engineering and operations, driving process discipline, technical excellence, and production performance while building a high-performing, engaged team.

• Operational Leadership: Lead daily production, post-processing, and logistics operations, ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality execution across the Knoxville site
• Team Leadership & Development: Provide direct leadership to two Operations Supervisors, with overall responsibility for a team of 15+ employees, fostering a culture of accountability, technical growth, and continuous improvement
• Production & Resource Planning: Set daily and weekly priorities in alignment with Production Control, balancing capacity, engineering constraints, and customer delivery commitments
• Additive Manufacturing Excellence: Support and advance additive manufacturing capabilities, including LPBF and MBJ, ensuring processes are optimized from print readiness through final inspection
• Process Optimization & Industrialization: Drive the development and implementation of robust, end-to-end workflows that enable the transition from development to full-rate production
• Continuous Improvement: Lead Lean and Six Sigma initiatives to improve throughput, reduce waste, and enhance process capability across manufacturing and post-processing operations
• Performance Management: Track and drive key metrics including on-time delivery, yield, equipment utilization, and cost performance
• Compliance & Quality: Ensure adherence to EHS, quality, and regulatory requirements, particularly within aerospace and defense manufacturing environments
• Financial & Business Acumen: Monitor and report on operational performance, supporting cost control and productivity improvements aligned with site and company goals
• Talent & Engagement: Build and develop a high-performing team through coaching, performance management, and active participation in hiring and workforce planning

Qualifications

• Experience: 8–12+ years of experience in manufacturing, with a strong emphasis within advanced or additive manufacturing environments
• Leadership: 5+ years of experience leading teams in a production and/or manufacturing engineering setting, with demonstrated success building high-performing teams
• Additive Manufacturing Knowledge: Hands-on or applied experience with metal additive manufacturing processes such as LPBF and/or MBJ is strongly preferred
• Operations Background: Proven experience managing or supporting production environments, with accountability for output, quality, and delivery
• Industry Experience: Background in aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments with strong quality and compliance standards
• Technical & Systems Knowledge: Familiarity with CAD software (NX, SolidWorks), ERP systems, and manufacturing systems
• Continuous Improvement Mindset: Experience applying Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies to drive measurable improvements
• Leadership & Communication Skills: Ability to influence across functions, communicate effectively with both technical and operational teams, and lead through ambiguity in a fast-paced environment
• Analytical Capability: Strong ability to interpret data, identify trends, and drive decisions that improve operational and engineering performance
• Security Clearance: The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government-issued security clearance is required. U.S. Citizenship is required, as only U.S. Citizens are eligible for a security clearance

Note: If this sounds like you, please submit an application with your resume. This could be the opportunity you are looking for to expand your skills, contribute to a winning team, and work with talented people who love what they do and take pride in our mission.

Beehive Industries offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes group Medical, Dental, Life, and Short and Long-Term disability coverage from day one. We also offer a generous 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with a Company match. Every role at Beehive Industries is bonus eligible and will also receive equity in the company.

Beehive Industries is committed to full compliance with applicable anti-discrimination laws. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We strive to create an inclusive work environment and will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.