Senior Operations Leader — Facilities & Manufacturing

InvestedintheMission; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab Optical Systems in Tucson is seeking a Senior Manager of Operations to oversee facilities, machine shop operations, maintenance, and site infrastructure. You will provide strategic leadership to ensure safe, efficient, and scalable operations across locations, enabling growth and program execution.

The role partners with executive leadership to develop operational strategies, manage budgets, and drive continuous improvement across the organization.

Qualifications

• Requires strong leadership and program management capabilities.
• Experience managing budgets, capital projects, and operations improvement initiatives.
• Proven ability to lead multi‑functional teams in aerospace/defense or high‑precision manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Lead Facilities, Machine Shop, Maintenance, and Site Infrastructure functions.
• Direct supervisor to the Machine Shop & Facilities teams.
• Drive continuous improvement, cost reduction, and performance management initiatives.
• Develop and execute operational strategies to improve efficiency and productivity.
• Manage facility operations, including maintenance, upgrades, and environmental compliance.
• Lead capital projects from planning through execution.
• Develop and manage operational budgets and long‑range capacity plans.
• Establish and monitor performance metrics with corrective actions.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

High School Diploma with 14 years experience

Tools

CMMS

ERP/MRP

Project management systems

Job description

Rocket Lab Optical Systems in Tucson is seeking a Senior Manager of Operations to oversee facilities, machine shop operations, maintenance, and site infrastructure. You will provide strategic leadership to ensure safe, efficient, and scalable operations across locations, enabling growth and program execution.

The role partners with executive leadership to develop operational strategies, manage budgets, and drive continuous improvement across the organization.