Manufacturing Manager

Rock West Composites•San Diego, CA

About The Position

Rock West Composites is seeking a Manufacturing Manager to lead production operations. The company designs and manufactures advanced composite solutions for aerospace, defense, space, and commercial applications. As an employee-owned company, it emphasizes innovation and collaboration. The Manufacturing Manager oversees daily manufacturing operations, including production scheduling, staffing, capacity planning, equipment, materials, and workflow. The role leads production personnel, resolves operational challenges, and collaborates across functions to ensure production goals are met safely, efficiently, and on schedule. The position is responsible for production execution, team development, manufacturing resources, safety, quality, productivity, on-time delivery, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

7+ years of manufacturing or production experience, including 3+ years in a supervisory or management role.
Experience managing production schedules, staffing, capacity, workflow, and manufacturing resources.
Demonstrated experience leading production teams and driving operational performance.
Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, production processes, equipment utilization, and resource planning.
Experience with production scheduling, labor planning, materials, tooling, inventory, and performance metrics.
Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, work orders, and manufacturing documentation.
Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems, Microsoft Office, Lean manufacturing principles, and quality systems such as AS9100.
Strong leadership, employee development, and organizational skills.
Effective problem-solving and decision-making in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Ability to manage changing priorities while maintaining safety, quality, and production goals.
Must meet the U.S. Person definition specified in the posting and be authorized to work in the U.S. without current or future company immigration sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Aerospace, defense, space, aircraft, composites, or precision manufacturing experience is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage daily production schedules, staffing, work assignments, and priorities to meet manufacturing and customer requirements.
Evaluate production demand, equipment capacity, materials, tooling, and labor to maintain efficient workflow and production readiness.
Monitor work in process, resolve bottlenecks, and adjust resources to address changing priorities and production constraints.
Coordinate with Planning, Engineering, Quality, Program Management, and Maintenance to resolve issues and support production requirements.
Oversee manufacturing processes, equipment utilization, department inventory, and resource allocation to maintain productivity and cost control.
Monitor production metrics, including schedule attainment, quality, scrap and rework, downtime, and equipment utilization, and take corrective action when needed.
Support preventive equipment maintenance and drive improvements in workflow, efficiency, productivity, and waste reduction.
Ensure compliance with engineering drawings, work instructions, quality standards, safety requirements, and applicable AS9100 procedures.
Lead, coach, and develop manufacturing personnel while setting expectations for safety, quality, productivity, and accountability.
Manage staffing, employee performance, attendance, training, and cross-training to support production needs and workforce development.
Maintain accurate production documentation, work order transactions, and manufacturing records.
Promote a safe, organized, and efficient work environment through 5S, visual management, and continuous improvement practices.
Perform other duties as assigned.