Value Stream Manager

Riverbend Energetics; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

Meaningful defense work

Safety-first culture

Professional development sponsorship

Job summary

Riverbend Energetics, based in Alton, IL, seeks an experienced Value Stream Manager to own a dedicated product line within a strict regulatory environment governing energetic materials for U.S. defense.

You will lead cross-functional teams in Production, Quality, Engineering, and Supply Chain to eliminate waste and drive continuous improvement using lean principles. The role requires a strong track record in regulated manufacturing, ISO/AS9100 quality systems, ITAR/ATF compliance, and on-site

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field; equivalent professional experience will be considered.
• 5+ years of progressive manufacturing operations or production leadership experience, including direct supervisory responsibility.
• Experience applying lean manufacturing principles—to drive operational improvement
• Knowledge of ISO 9001 or AS9100 and safety compliance in regulated manufacturing
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage competing priorities across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and morale
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to engage production teams, engineering, quality, and program management stakeholders
• U.S. citizen or U.S. person per ITAR (22 CFR 120.15) due to access to export-controlled data
• Regular on-site presence at Riverbend's Alton, IL facility; on-site work is an essential function
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance if required

Responsibilities

• Ensure safe working environment and compliance with ITAR/ATF and ISO/AS9100 standards
• Manage daily operations, schedules, capacity planning, and resource allocation within the value stream
• Lead continuous improvement using lean tools to reduce waste and improve performance
• Hire, train, and develop a high-performing team with certification matrix
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Product Development, and Program Management
• Maintain regulatory compliance with ATF licenses, Q-D, PHA, and recordkeeping
• Coordinate engineering changes affecting production processes and work instructions
• Own SQDCM metrics and drive daily management within the value stream
• Plan capital equipment and staffing for throughput growth
• Support customer, DCMA, and government audits and site visits

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Cross-functional leadership

Quality management systems

Communication skills

Security clearance readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Job description

About The Role

Riverbend Energetics is seeking an experienced Value Stream Manager (VSM) to take end-to-end ownership of a dedicated product line, with full accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and team morale. In this highly visible leadership role, the VSM leads cross‑functional teams spanning Production, Quality, Engineering, and Supply Chain to eliminate waste and drive continuous improvement through lean principles. This position operates within a strict regulatory environment governing the manufacture of energetic components and CAD/PAD systems for the U.S. defense industry, requiring rigorous adherence to ATF, ITAR, and quality system requirements.

Department: Operations

About The Role

Riverbend Energetics is seeking an experienced Value Stream Manager (VSM) to take end-to-end ownership of a dedicated product line, with full accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and team morale. In this highly visible leadership role, the VSM leads cross‑functional teams spanning Production, Quality, Engineering, and Supply Chain to eliminate waste and drive continuous improvement through lean principles. This position operates within a strict regulatory environment governing the manufacture of energetic components and CAD/PAD systems for the U.S. defense industry, requiring rigorous adherence to ATF, ITAR, and quality system requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Safety & Compliance: Ensure a safe working environment and strict adherence to safety rules, government regulations (including ITAR and ATF Federal Explosives License requirements), and quality management standards (ISO 9001/AS9100)
• Production & Operations Management: Manage daily operations, production schedules, capacity planning, and resource allocation within the value stream to meet customer demands and financial objectives
• Continuous Improvement & Lean Leadership: Champion a culture of continuous improvement using lean principles—including Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen events, Standard Work, and 5S—to identify and eliminate waste and drive measurable operational performance
• Team Leadership & Development: Hire, train, mentor, and develop a high-performing team by establishing clear goals, maintaining a comprehensive training and certification matrix, and ensuring operators are qualified for energetics handling, hazardous material processes, and applicable ITAR/export-control access requirements
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as the primary operational interface with Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Product Development, and Program Management to ensure alignment and timely resolution of technical and commercial issues
• Energetics Safety & Regulatory Compliance: Partner with EHS and Quality to maintain hazard classification, quantity-distance (Q-D), and process hazard analysis (PHA) requirements specific to energetic materials handling; ensure value stream compliance with ATF Federal Explosives License conditions, including explosive materials accountability, magazine/storage inventory reconciliation, and required recordkeeping
• Configuration & Change Control: Coordinate with Engineering on the review, disposition, and implementation of engineering change orders (ECOs) affecting production processes, tooling, and work instructions within the value stream
• Metrics & Performance Management: Own and report SQDCM (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Morale) metrics for the value stream, driving daily management systems and tiered accountability processes
• Capital & Resource Planning: Develop capital equipment, tooling, and staffing plans to support value stream throughput growth in alignment with Riverbend's expanding production requirements
• Customer & Government Interface: Support customer, DCMA, and government audits and site visits related to production, quality, and safety within the value stream

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field; equivalent professional experience will be considered
• 5+ years of progressive manufacturing operations or production leadership experience, including direct supervisory responsibility
• Demonstrated experience applying lean manufacturing principles—including Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, Standard Work, and 5S—to drive measurable operational improvement
• Strong working knowledge of quality management systems (ISO 9001 or AS9100) and safety compliance in a regulated manufacturing environment
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage competing priorities across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and morale objectives
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage production teams, engineering, quality, and program management stakeholders
• Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. person as defined by ITAR (22 CFR
• 120.15) due to access to export-controlled technical data and materials
• Regular, on‑site presence at Riverbend's Alton, Illinois facility is required; on‑site work is an essential function of this role, as the VSM must directly oversee energetics production operations and safety conditions on the production floor and participate in Kaizen events, safety walks, and in‑person coordination with Quality, Engineering, and Production staff
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance if required by program needs

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in defense, aerospace, or other highly regulated energetics or explosives manufacturing environments
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification
• Familiarity with ATF explosives licensing requirements, hazard classification, and quantity-distance (Q‑D) safety standards
• Familiarity with ITAR, EAR, and FAR/DFARS regulations as applied to defense manufacturing operations
• Experience with ERP or MES systems for production scheduling, capacity planning, and performance reporting
• P&L or cost‑center ownership experience within a discrete manufacturing value stream

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package, commensurate with experience
• Meaningful work supporting critical U.S. defense programs with direct impact on warfighter readiness and national security
• A collaborative, safety‑first culture within a specialized and growing organization where leadership contributions are visible and valued
• Professional development support, including lean/Six Sigma certification sponsorship and opportunities for career advancement within an expanding defense manufacturing company

Key Requirements

• Lean Manufacturing Execution & Continuous Improvement Leadership: The VSM is explicitly the lean champion for the entire value stream. At a 150‑person defense contractor, there is no large corporate CI team to lean on - this individual must personally drive kaizen events, own SQDCM metrics, and deliver measurable operational results. Generic familiarity with lean vocabulary is insufficient; Riverbend needs someone who has moved the needle.
• Regulated Manufacturing Operations Leadership with SQDC Accountability: The VSM owns end-to-end P&L or cost‑center performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Morale for a discrete product line. In a defense manufacturing environment with DCMA oversight, government audits, and AS9100 requirements, this person must be comfortable owning hard metrics and standing behind them in front of customers and government representatives - not just reporting upward.
• Experience in Energetics, Explosives, or Analogous High‑Hazard Manufacturing: ATF Federal Explosives License compliance, quantity-distance safety standards, process hazard analysis, and explosive materials accountability are non‑negotiable regulatory requirements at Riverbend. A VSM who has never worked in a high‑hazard, tightly controlled process environment will face a steep and risky learning curve managing operators who handle live energetic materials daily. Prior energetics experience is rare, but adjacent experience in pyrotechnics, propellants, ammunition, or similarly hazard‑classified chemical/industrial environments meaningfully reduces onboarding risk.
• Cross‑Functional Influence & Stakeholder Management in a Defense Context: The VSM has no direct authority over Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, or Program Management, yet must align all of them to keep the value stream moving. In a defense contractor environment, this also means interfacing credibly with DCMA, customers, and government auditors. At 150 people, politics are flat and visibility is high - a VSM who retreats to their lane or escalates everything upward will stall the operation.
• Frontline Team Development & Accountability Culture: Energetics manufacturing requires operators who are rigorously trained, certified to specific processes, and safety‑disciplined without exception. The VSM owns the training and certification matrix, hires and develops supervisors, and must build a culture where safety and standard work are non‑negotiable - while sustaining morale in a physically demanding, high‑stakes environment. At 150 people, the VSM is close enough to the floor that their leadership style is directly observable by the team every day.

About Riverbend Energetics

Riverbend Energetics is a defense and industrial manufacturer based in Alton, IL. We develop and produce energetic materials and specialty munitions for U.S. defense and allied customers. Our mission‑critical work demands precision, safety, and a commitment to excellence.