Overhaul & Repair - General Manager

Smiths Group • Laconia, NH

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The General Manager of Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) is responsible for the overall leadership, operational performance, and strategic growth of the MRO operation. The General Manager is expected to be a hands-on, working leader capable of stepping into the operation as needed to address gaps, remove bottlenecks, and maintain workflow continuity while also serving as a strong people manager who builds capability, accountability, and engagement across the team.

Requirements

• Strong operational acumen with the ability to move seamlessly between strategic leadership and hands-on execution.
• Demonstrated success developing inexperienced or early-career teams.
• Experience serving as a working or “player-coach” leader in an MRO or production environment.
• Familiarity with Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong understanding of aviation regulatory environments and repair station operations.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Aviation, Operations Management, Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience) and 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul, aviation, manufacturing, or a regulated industrial environment; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Nice To Haves

• FAA Repairman Certificate

Responsibilities

• Own full P&L responsibility for the MRO operation, driving safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance.
• Lead daily operations to ensure on-time delivery, regulatory compliance, and adherence to customer and contractual requirements.
• Act as a working manager when required, stepping into the process to troubleshoot issues, cover staffing gaps, or accelerate critical work.
• Identify, prioritize, and resolve production constraints in a high-growth environment.
• Upholds Smiths Leadership Behaviors and Organizational Values of Passion, Integrity, Respect, Ownership, Customer Focus, & Ethics.
• Consistently, regularly and predictably at work and on time.
• Lead, coach, and develop a largely inexperienced workforce, establishing clear expectations, structured training, and mentorship.
• Build bench strength through hiring, onboarding, cross-training, and succession planning in a tight labor market.
• Foster a strong safety culture, accountability mindset, and continuous improvement orientation.
• Partner closely with HR to address labor shortages and attrition.
• Ensure continuous compliance with 14 CFR Part 145, Repair Station Manual (RSM), Quality Control Manual (QCM), training program requirements, and customer/regulatory standards, and all applicable regulatory requirements (ie FAA, EASA, etc)
• Promote and enforce a “zero harm” culture across all levels of the organization.
• Train team members on safety rules and enforces safe behaviors. Conduct safety meetings, safety observations, safety leadership tours, and incident investigations to ensure a culture of zero harm.
• Serve as the senior site leader responsible for repair station compliance, audit readiness, and effective corrective and preventive action (CAPA).
• Ensure personnel authorization, training, and qualification requirements are met and documented in accordance with Part 145 and company procedures.
• Develops and maintains sound internal control structure for business.
• Implement Lean, continuous improvement, innovation strategy, and capacity-expansion initiatives to support rapid market growth.
• Develop and execute strategies to balance demand growth with labor, tooling, and facility limitations.
• Collaborate with executive leadership on long-term growth planning, capital investments, and capability expansion.
• Serve as a senior point of contact for customers, ensuring transparent communication and issue resolution.
• Partner with supply chain, engineering, quality, and commercial teams to align priorities and drive results.
• Promotes organization in industry, manufacturing or trade associations
• Manages 2 subordinate supervisors who supervise a total of 40-60 employees in the Sales, Operations and Engineering and manufacturing areas. Is responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of these units. Also directly supervises 3-5 non-supervisory employees. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Benefits

• Equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics.
• Inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.
• Smiths Group, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager