UAS Production Manager | On-Site Leader for Drone Ops

COLSA; Madison (AL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

COLSA in Madison, Alabama is seeking an experienced Production Manager to lead day-to-day manufacturing operations. You will own production execution, staffing, scheduling, material readiness, training, and adherence to safety and quality standards while delivering on cost and delivery targets.

You will coordinate across Production, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Planning, and Supply Chain to remove bottlenecks, drive continuous improvement, and ensure compliant, efficient production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 10-12 years of functional area experience, including 5-8 years of direct experience in manufacturing, production, operations, or a related environment.
• Experience leading or supervising production employees.
• Experience in aerospace, uncrewed systems (UAS/drones), robotics, electronics background required.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, production flow, and shop-floor execution.
• Experience using an ERP/MRP system in support of manufacturing operations.
• Experience managing staffing, production priorities, and changing operational requirements.
• Experience using and reporting on manufacturing KPIs such as output, yield, scrap, cycle time, downtime, and labor efficiency.
• Strong leadership, organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to make timely decisions in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Proficient with standard business software and manufacturing systems.
• U.S. Citizenship required; must be able to complete a criminal background check and/or obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance, if required for the position.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily manufacturing operations for assigned production areas.
• Execute production plans while maintaining expectations for safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
• Establish daily targets, priorities, staffing plans, and labor allocation.
• Monitor production performance and quickly upscale material, quality, equipment, process, or staffing constraints.
• Develop recovery plans when production falls behind schedule.
• Maintain strong floor leadership and standards for safety, organization, cleanliness, and 5S.
• Ensure operations comply with applicable OSHA, FAA, FAR, and contractual requirements.
• Directly supervise production leads, technicians, assemblers, and operators.
• Manage daily staffing, attendance, overtime, training, and operator qualification.
• Set clear expectations and provide regular coaching and actionable performance feedback.
• Address productivity, quality, attendance, and performance concerns consistently and promptly.
• Support onboarding and develop production leads and high-performing team members for increased responsibility.
• Foster a culture of accountability, urgency, teamwork, respect, and continuous improvement.
• Track manufacturing metrics and report on performance; partner with Quality and Manufacturing Engineering for root-cause analysis.
• Support NPI and pilot builds as new products and processes transition into sustained production.

Skills

Production leadership

Staffing management

Data-driven decision making

Quality and safety focus

ERP/MRP experience

Cross-functional liaison

U.S. Citizenship

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

ERP/MRP system

Job description

COLSA in Madison, Alabama is seeking an experienced Production Manager to lead day-to-day manufacturing operations. You will own production execution, staffing, scheduling, material readiness, training, and adherence to safety and quality standards while delivering on cost and delivery targets.

You will coordinate across Production, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Planning, and Supply Chain to remove bottlenecks, drive continuous improvement, and ensure compliant, efficient production.