Director of Operations Air Dominance

RTX•Tucson, AZ

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Operations – Air Dominance will oversee end‑to‑end operational execution for the Air Dominance portfolio, including AMRAAM, which currently represents ~$1.6B in annual production volume at a rate of ~1,200 units. Over the next two years, this leader will scale operations to support ~$2.8B in annual production volume, while executing against a seven‑year production backlog of ~13,000 missiles. The role leads a high‑performing team of operations professionals and partners across factories, engineering, supply chain, quality, finance, and program management to meet production schedules, achieve cost objectives, and uphold the highest standards of quality and compliance.

Requirements

Typically requires a university degree or equivalent experience and minimum 14 years prior relevant experience, or an advanced degree in a related field and minimum 12 years experience.
Minimum of 10 years leadership in manufacturing/operations
Experience managing BOMs and environments with classification aspects.
Proven experience leading multi‑site operations with significant impact on margin, schedule, and output; adept at cross‑functional integration.
Experience in Lean, Six Sigma, and/or structured CI.
Active and transferable U.S. government issued security clearance is required prior to start date.
U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MS, MBA) in Engineering/Operations/Business.
Experience ramping production to >2,000 units/year in aerospace/defense or similarly complex, regulated industries.
Experience in international co‑production and localization requirements (Europe/Japan) and related EXIM/ITAR considerations.
Experience in program operations within fixed/cost‑plus environments and EVMS governance.

Responsibilities

Own the AMRAAM operations value stream across core factories to meet MRP and delivery objectives; ensure integrated planning and flawless execution across functions.
Develop and execute ramp strategies aligned to AMRAAM growth—targeting ~1,900 units in CY2028 and ~2,400 units in CY2029—while enabling new E2 and AXE variants and international co‑production in Europe and Japan.
Lead and coach multiple operations teams; align senior factory directors and cross‑functional leaders (engineering, supply chain, quality) to maintain continuity in the manufacturing plan and rapidly resolve bottlenecks.
Drive performance management and continuous improvement using RTX’s CORE operating system to align goals, empower teams, and deliver measurable customer value.
Establish and manage operational KPIs—Profit (margin impact tied to factory performance), CLIN On‑Time Delivery (OTD), Hours per Unit (HPU), and Factory Output—with weekly governance and recovery plans as needed.
Lead capacity planning, staffing models, and skills development to sustain rate readiness and resilience across U.S. and European factory networks.
Partner with Supply Chain/Procurement to mitigate material constraints, improve supplier performance, and support co‑production/localization requirements.
Ensure compliance with applicable regulations (e.g., ITAR/EXIM), EH&S, and quality standards throughout production and international operations.
Provide clear, persuasive communication to senior leadership; routinely influence divergent viewpoints and secure buy‑in on strategy, resourcing, and execution.
Manage program financials in partnership with Finance (e.g., fixed/cost‑plus/EVMS contexts); maintain alignment to bookings, pipeline, and revenue objectives.
Travel: Up to 30% (domestic/international) to support U.S. and European factory operations and partner engagements.
Achieve/maintain CLIN OTD, reduce HPU, and increase factory output in line with annual targets.
Complete rate‑readiness milestones to support the $2.8B scale target; demonstrate sustained schedule adherence and cost performance.
Stand up governance and CORE OS routines that visibly improve flow, quality, and responsiveness across factories.
Build a resilient leadership bench and skills roadmap aligned to projected 1,900 (2028) / 2,400 (2029) production rates.