VP, Operations & Analytics

AAR; Wood Dale (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 205,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary & bonus

Comprehensive benefits package

401(k) with company match

Generous paid time off

Professional development

Career advancement opportunities

Job summary

AAR is seeking a VP of Operations & Analytics in Wood Dale, IL to lead Operations, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Warehousing, Inventory Planning, and Analytics for the OEM Supply business. The role focuses on scalable operating models, disciplined working-capital performance, and exceptional customer service across aerospace programs.

The position requires building leadership depth, driving profitability, and delivering measurable improvements in forecast accuracy, inventory turns, and supplier

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, SCM, operations, engineering, finance, analytics, or related field is required.
• MBA or other advanced degree is preferred.
• Twelve (12)+ years of progressive leadership in operations, supply chain, analytics, or related functions.
• Minimum seven (7) years of senior leadership experience with multiple functions and leaders.
• Proven success in improving customer service, supplier performance, inventory productivity, and profitability.
• Experience building scalable operating strategies for growth.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with business objectives and plans.
• Translate growth initiatives into supply chain, inventory, capacity, and operating plans.
• Lead executive leadership for Supply Chain, Purchasing, Inventory Planning, and analytics.
• Improve product availability, working capital, and profitability through optimized operations.
• Strengthen procurement, replenishment, sourcing, and inventory-control processes.
• Lead supplier performance management and strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Partner with Quality and Compliance on aerospace/defense requirements.
• Build analytics capabilities turning ERP and operational data into insights.
• Establish KPIs, dashboards, and reporting for bookings, backlog, revenue, and cash.

Skills

Leadership experience

Operational strategy

Analytics

Cross-functional collaboration

Supply chain optimization

A&D industry knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/SCM/engineering/related

MBA preferred

Tools

ERP systems

BI analytics platforms

Planning systems

Job description

Title: VP, Operations & Analytics

Location: United States-Illinois-Wood Dale

Job Number: 18811

The Vice President, Operations & Analytics is responsible for successful execution of the business plan and the overall leadership, direction, and performance of Operations, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Warehousing, Inventory Planning, and Analytics for AAR OEM Supply. AAR OEM Supply supports OEM production and critical aerospace and defense programs for customers including, but not limited to, Collins Aerospace, Safran, Boeing, B/E Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and the U.S. Government. The role builds a scalable operating model that supports growth across this complex aerospace and defense OEM supply business while delivering exceptional customer service, disciplined working-capital performance, supplier execution, and sustainable profitability.

What you will be responsible for:

• Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with business objectives, annual operating plans, and long-term growth priorities.

• Translate growth initiatives, supplier agreements, and customer commitments into executable supply chain, inventory, capacity, and operating plans.

• Partner with the General Manager and cross-functional leaders to establish priorities, resolve issues, and ensure business-plan execution.

• Build leadership depth, organizational capability, and a performance-oriented culture that supports growth and increasing operational complexity.

• Provide executive leadership for Supply Chain, Purchasing, Inventory Planning, and operational support functions across the OEM Supply business.

• Optimize customer service, product availability, inventory investment, working capital, operating efficiency, and profitability.

• Strengthen procurement, replenishment, sourcing, material planning, forecasting, supplier management, and inventory-control processes.

• Lead supplier performance management, strategic sourcing, executive supplier relationships, and support negotiation of key supply agreements.

• Partner with Quality and Compliance to ensure processes support aerospace, defense, customer, regulatory, and government-contract requirements.

• Own the inventory planning and optimization strategy, including inventory investment, turns, service levels, safety stock, excess and obsolete inventory, and working-capital performance.

• Establish segmentation and stocking strategies based on customer requirements, supplier lead times, demand patterns, risk, growth opportunity, and expected return.

• Partner with Finance and Commercial leadership on inventory investment decisions supporting new business awards, supplier opportunities, and long-term programs.

• Lead demand planning, forecasting, supply planning, and inventory-planning processes to improve product availability and forecast accuracy.

• Build analytics capabilities that convert ERP, customer, supplier, inventory, and commercial data into actionable business insight.

• Establish dashboards and reporting that connect bookings, backlog, revenue, margin, inventory, fill rates, supplier performance, lead times, forecast accuracy, and working capital.

• Drive common definitions, data governance, and consistent KPI methodologies to support reliable leadership decisions.

• Establish KPIs and operating rhythms that create accountability for customer service, supplier performance, inventory productivity, forecast accuracy, lead times, quality, productivity, and working capital.

• Lead continuous-improvement initiatives that simplify processes, eliminate waste, improve responsiveness, and increase scalability and profitability.

• Identify operational risks and capacity constraints early and lead cross-functional mitigation plans.

• Provide clear performance reporting, insight, and recommendations to business and AAR executive leadership.

• Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing team across supply chain, purchasing, planning, and analytics.

• Establish clear accountability, succession plans, development priorities, and performance expectations.

• Foster collaboration across commercial, operational, financial, quality, and technical teams to solve customer and supplier challenges.

• Strategic and operational leadership with a strong bias toward execution.

• Strong analytical judgment and ability to translate data into business action.

• Commercial mindset and understanding of how supply chain decisions affect growth, margin, cash, and customer relationships.

• Ability to build teams, develop leaders, communicate effectively, influence cross-functionally, and create accountability.

Qualifications:

What you need to be successful in this role:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Engineering, Finance, Analytics, or a related field required. Military Service with comparable experience is an acceptable alternative.

• MBA or other relevant advanced degree preferred.

• Twelve (12) or more years of progressive leadership experience in operations, supply chain, purchasing, planning, analytics, or related functions.

• Minimum seven (7) years of senior leadership experience with responsibility for multiple functions and leaders.

• Demonstrated success improving customer service, supplier performance, inventory productivity, working capital, operating efficiency, and profitability.

• Experience developing operating strategies and organizational capabilities that support significant business growth and scalability.

Preferred Qualifications

• Leadership experience in aerospace and defense distribution, OEM supply, aviation aftermarket, aerospace manufacturing, electronic components/interconnect, or a similarly complex industrial environment.

• Experience managing long-term supplier and customer agreements, constrained supply chains, long lead-time products, and high-mix inventory portfolios.

• Experience supporting U.S. Government and defense customers and operating within regulated aerospace/defense quality and compliance environments.

• Experience implementing or optimizing ERP, planning, business-intelligence, analytics, or supply-chain technology platforms. The rewards of your career at AAR go far beyond just your salary:

• Competitive salary and bonus package

• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• 401(k) retirement plan with company match

• Generous paid time off program

• Professional development and career advancement opportunities

Physical Demands/Work Environment:

• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be regularly required to sit, stand, bend, reach and move about the facility.

• The environmental characteristic for this position is an office setting.

• Candidates should be able to adapt to a traditional business environment.

AAR provides accommodation in accordance with applicable laws through all stages of the hiring process. If you require accommodation for any part of the application and/or hiring process, please advise Human Resources.

Compensation:

The anticipated salary range for this position is $150,000 to $205,000 annually. This range reflects the base salary for candidates who meet the requirements of the role, including experience, education, and location. In addition to base pay, this role is eligible for a bonus. AAR offers a competitive benefits package, including medical/dental/vision/life/and AD&D insurance, 401(k) savings plan with employer match, paid time off and holiday pay, as well as opportunities for professional development and growth.

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We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.