Chief Operations Officer

John H. Northrop & Associates • Alexandria, VA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Overview: JHNA, CTSi, and EXPANSIA have come together to form a Defense Technology platform focused on delivering high-impact technologies, technology-enabled services and advanced manufacturing solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense and related national security customers. Backed by Falfurrias Management Partners, the platform brings together deep domain expertise across Army, Navy, and Air Force and Space Force programs, digital engineering, systems integration, and specialized manufacturing capabilities. The combined organization operates as a multi-entity aerospace and defense technology and tech-enabled services and manufacturing enterprise positioned for scalable growth, operational excellence, and long-term value creation. As the platform enters its next phase of disciplined growth and enterprise scaling, we are seeking a dynamic Chief Operating Officer (COO) to architect operational infrastructure, drive execution excellence, and strengthen profitability across the organization. Full-time/Permanent Employee Location: Washington, DC / Virginia / Maryland (DMV region) (Regular presence at operating sites required.)

Requirements

• Clearance: Active security clearance (Secret or higher)
• Years of Experience: 20+ years of progressive leadership experience in the aerospace and defense sector
• Senior operational leadership experience with enterprise-level accountability in $300–$500M revenue organizations
• Deep experience leading services-based businesses in government contracting environments
• Significant, hands-on leadership experience overseeing manufacturing operations, including full P&L ownership
• Demonstrated success scaling operations while maintaining margin discipline and execution excellence
• Operational & Technical Governance: Executive-level oversight experience within AS9100-certified environments and Quality Management Systems
• Strong qualifications and demonstrated wins in the C5ISR and Advanced Technology space is important
• Demonstrated leadership implementing and governing Earned Value Management (EVM) disciplines across program execution and bid support
• Experience institutionalizing disciplined Basis of Estimate (BOE) processes and cost-estimating governance frameworks
• Leadership experience overseeing manufacturing safety programs and shop-floor safety management systems
• Functional Expertise: Manufacturing economics: pricing strategy, cost estimating, labor modeling, and margin management Services delivery and complex program execution Strong financial acumen with enterprise P&L responsibility Organizational scaling and operational process design Cross-functional leadership across engineering, growth, and finance
• Success in the First 12–18 Months: Predictable, disciplined execution across services and manufacturing operations Improved manufacturing and services margin performance with clear pricing and labor models Scalable enterprise operating cadence consistently adopted across the organization Improved win-to-execute transitions through close collaboration with growth and technical leadership Strengthened operational and manufacturing leadership bench capable of supporting continued growth Enhanced enterprise value through margin expansion, operational discipline, and scalable infrastructure Demonstrated collaboration across delivery, growth, and technical leadership to enable sustainable expansion

Responsibilities

• Enterprise Operations & Execution Own end-to-end execution across all delivery organizations, including advanced technologies, tech-enabled services (Army, Navy, and Air & Space Forces business units) and manufacturing Lead and develop Delivery Vice Presidents and enterprise operations leadership across operating companies and business units Design and institutionalize enterprise operating cadence, performance dashboards, and accountability systems Ensure predictable execution across schedule, cost, quality, and customer satisfaction
• Manufacturing Leadership & Profitability Directly oversee manufacturing operations, including fabrication, build-to-print, prototyping, and production support. Own manufacturing P&L, including: Gross and contribution margin performance, Labor planning, utilization, and workforce productivity, Pricing strategy, cost estimating, and bid inputs for manufactured solutions. Drive structural improvements in manufacturing throughput, cost structure, quality systems, and production scalability. Ensure alignment between manufacturing strategy, capital investment, capacity planning, and enterprise growth objectives. Build and lead strong manufacturing management teams with clear performance and accountability. Provide executive oversight of manufacturing safety programs and cultivate a strong safety-first operating culture.
• P&L Ownership & Financial Performance Full P&L responsibility across technology, tech-enabled services and manufacturing delivery organizations. Drive margin expansion through pricing discipline, labor optimization, cost control, and execution excellence. Partner with Finance to enhance forecasting accuracy, variance management, and operational financial transparency. Ensure operational decisions support enterprise growth and profitability objectives.
• Scale & Growth Enablement Design and implement scalable operating models to support organic growth and future acquisitions. Ensure collaboration across service and manufacturing teams to optimize capabilities delivered to clients. Partner with technical leaders to align delivery capabilities with differentiated technical offerings. Collaborate with growth and business development leaders to ensure operational readiness for pipeline conversion and program ramp-up. Remove structural operational constraints that limit growth velocity or margin performance
• Talent, Leadership & Culture Build, coach, and retain high-performing operational and manufacturing leaders Establish clear decision rights, accountability, and ownership across delivery teams Foster a culture of execution excellence, continuous improvement, and disciplined growth
• Relationship to the CEO Reports directly to the CEO Has full operational authority over services and manufacturing delivery organizations, including direct oversight of Delivery Vice Presidents and manufacturing leadership Partners closely with the CEO on strategic priorities, select key customers, and major operational or P&L decisions

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees