VP Operations: Scale Manufacturing & Govt Contracts

Peak Partners SA; Maryland; On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Peak Partners seeks a Director/VP of Operations to serve as the owner's key operational partner and drive the company through its next growth phase. The role demands owning internal operations, back-office execution, and close collaboration with production leadership to scale manufacturing and meet government contract requirements.

You will establish dashboards, optimize margins and labor efficiency, and implement scalable processes across departments while balancing strategic planning with

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive operations leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience scaling mid-sized or growing manufacturing businesses.
• Experience overseeing back-office workflows, inventory, purchasing, and basic financial metrics (P&L, job costing, labor margins).
• Proven ability to build process, structure, and accountability in founder-led or entrepreneurial organizations while respecting existing floor leadership.
• Ability to move between strategic growth planning and hands-on operational problem solving.
• Familiarity with government/defense manufacturing compliance standards (e.g., FAR/DFARS, ISO 9001/AS9100, or CMMC cybersecurity standards) is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Take complete ownership of internal operations and back-office execution, providing runway for the owner to focus on strategic growth, client solutions, and new contract awards.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the owner on operational capacity, risk management, and scaling strategy.
• Oversee financial and administrative operations, coordinating with external bookkeeping, accounting, and advisory teams.
• Establish dashboards to provide visibility of margins, job costing, labor efficiency, capacity, and overhead.
• Develop and execute an operational roadmap to support rapid growth while maintaining business agility.
• Establish scalable operating procedures, controls, and performance metrics across non-engineering departments.
• Partner with the Production Manager to align capacity, staffing, scheduling, and floor workflows with projected demand.
• Support and empower the Production Manager by removing cross-departmental roadblocks so production can execute smoothly.
• Translate new government contract awards into realistic operational timelines, resource requirements, and facility needs.
• Coordinate with ownership and production leadership to manage supply chain, staffing, equipment, and facility requirements for defense/government work.

Job description

Peak Partners seeks a Director/VP of Operations to serve as the owner's key operational partner and drive the company through its next growth phase. The role demands owning internal operations, back-office execution, and close collaboration with production leadership to scale manufacturing and meet government contract requirements.

You will establish dashboards, optimize margins and labor efficiency, and implement scalable processes across departments while balancing strategic planning with