Associate Director, Manufacturing

Intellisense Systems•Torrance, CA

2d•$123,000 - $205,000•Onsite

About The Position

Intellisense Systems, Inc. is a rapidly growing Southern California technology innovator delivering advanced sensing, display, and mission-critical systems for aerospace and defense customers. Our Airborne Systems Division leads the development and production of high-performance airborne technologies supporting military, commercial, and government missions. We are seeking an experienced production leader to build, lead, and scale a new production group within our Airborne Systems Division. This position can be filled at either the Associate Director or Director level depending on the candidate’s skills and experience. This leader will be responsible for establishing production processes, driving operational execution, ensuring on-time delivery, and building a strong production team to support growing customer demand. This role is located on-site in Torrance, CA. Job responsibilities within our organization are dynamic. This may not be a complete list of duties. Other responsibilities and duties may be assigned by your supervisor or upper management at any time.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a technical or engineering field, or related technical/industrial discipline.
Proven success scaling production groups, implementing processes, and driving operational discipline.
Strong understanding of production planning, build processes, work instructions, WIP management, and configuration control.
Experience transitioning engineering designs into production, including prototypes, LRIP, and full production.
Knowledge of lean principles, continuous improvement, root cause analysis, and manufacturing best practices.
Excellent organizational, analytical, and communication skills.
Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-growing environment with evolving priorities.
8+ years of experience in production, operations, or manufacturing within aerospace, defense, or complex electromechanical systems.
2+ years in a leadership role managing production teams and overseeing operational execution.

Nice To Haves

Experience in airborne systems, mission equipment, avionics, sensors, or ruggedized electromechanical hardware.
Experience in a defense contractor environment or with FAA/DOD compliance requirements.

Responsibilities

Build and lead the production organization, including hiring, developing, and mentoring a high-performing production team.
Establish and optimize production processes, workflows, and standard operating procedures to support scalable, repeatable, and cost-effective manufacturing.
Manage daily production operations — planning, scheduling, material coordination, and execution — to ensure quality, throughput, and on-time delivery.
Partner closely with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Program Management, and Manufacturing to ensure smooth transitions from development to production.
Implement production readiness reviews, configuration control, and manufacturing best practices to support build consistency and compliance.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on efficiency, yield, cost reduction, and production capacity.
Track and report key performance metrics including schedule adherence, labor utilization, WIP status, quality trends, and delivery performance.
Oversee manufacturing documentation, work instructions, routing, and process validation.
Address production issues, troubleshoot root causes, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
Support proposal development, cost estimation, and production planning for new and existing programs.
Ensure adherence to aerospace/defense standards, safety requirements, and internal quality management systems.
Collaborate with leadership on long-term production strategy, capital equipment planning, and resource forecasting.