VP of Operations — Lead Lean, Cross-Functional Growth

Socket.dev; Grand Forks (ND); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Every other Friday off

Competitive benefits

Job summary

Ideal Aerosmith is seeking a Vice President of Operations to lead Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Program Management. You will translate strategy into integrated plans, align resources with demand, and drive on-time delivery across multiple functions.

You will champion lean thinking, develop operational leaders, and build a scalable, data-informed operating model. Domestic and international travel and federal contract requirements apply.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations, engineering, manufacturing, program execution, or a related field, including leadership of senior managers or directors.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, complex manufacturing, engineered systems, or another project-based technical environment.
• Demonstrated accountability for on-time delivery and cross-functional execution across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Program Management.
• Travel domestically and internationally and obtain a passport.
• Due to federal contract requirements, candidates must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. Section 1324b(a)(3).

Responsibilities

• Translate company strategy and business priorities into integrated operational plans, priorities, and performance expectations.
• Lead Engineering and Manufacturing through their respective directors, establishing clear accountability, decision rights, and operating rhythms.
• Align operational capacity, resources, and priorities with customer demand, program requirements, and company growth objectives.
• Build scalable processes and organizational capabilities that support sustainable growth and consistent execution.
• Own enterprise on-time delivery (OTD) performance and drive execution against customer commitments.
• Ensure Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Program Management commitments are aligned to the overall master schedule and required delivery dates.
• Establish clear cross-functional priorities and resolve competing demands that put schedule, cost, quality, or customer commitments at risk.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for operational issues and drive timely decisions, ownership, and resolution.
• Ensure critical dependencies, constraints, and resource gaps are identified early and addressed across functions.
• Establish and lead an operating review cadence that provides clear visibility into delivery, schedule, capacity, quality, cost, and risk.
• Define and monitor operational performance indicators; use data to identify trends, root causes, and improvement priorities.
• Ensure program and functional leaders maintain accurate forecasts, realistic commitments, and timely reporting.
• Strengthen coordination between Engineering, Program Management, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain throughout the product lifecycle.
• Partner with Finance and functional leaders to support operating plans, budgets, investment decisions, and performance against business objectives.
• Identify, assess, and proactively mitigate operational risks that could affect delivery, financial performance, quality, or customer satisfaction.
• Champion lean thinking and continuous improvement across the organization, with emphasis on flow, accountability, waste reduction, and predictable delivery.
• Ensure operational processes support applicable quality, safety, regulatory, and customer requirements.
• Sponsor improvements to systems, planning practices, and workflows that strengthen efficiency, visibility, and decision-making.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Director of Engineering, Director of Manufacturing, and other assigned leaders.
• Build a high-performing, collaborative leadership team that operates with shared accountability for company results.
• Set clear expectations, evaluate performance, support succession planning, and strengthen leadership capability across Operations.
• Promote effective communication and partnership across departments, locations, and divisions.

Skills

Enterprise leadership

Strategic planning

Cross-functional leadership

Operations management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Ideal Aerosmith is seeking a Vice President of Operations to lead Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Program Management. You will translate strategy into integrated plans, align resources with demand, and drive on-time delivery across multiple functions.

You will champion lean thinking, develop operational leaders, and build a scalable, data-informed operating model. Domestic and international travel and federal contract requirements apply.