Plant Director – Aerospace Manufacturing

Remote People•USA, North America

1d•Onsite

About The Position

We’re partnering confidentially with an established aerospace manufacturing organization seeking an accomplished Plant Director to lead a large, complex manufacturing operation in Arkansas. This is a senior site leadership mandate with responsibility for approximately 300 employees across multiple facilities, with broad accountability for operational performance, people leadership, financial results, quality, delivery, productivity, and continuous improvement. The operation is entering an important period of growth and transformation. We’re looking for a manufacturing leader who can strengthen operational discipline, develop the leadership team, improve performance, and build the organizational capability required for the next stage of growth. The successful leader will be equally comfortable on the manufacturing floor and at the executive table.

Requirements

Progressive leadership experience within complex manufacturing operations
Experience leading managers and multidisciplinary operational teams
Strong plant/site leadership capability
Strong understanding of P&L, budgeting, manufacturing costs, productivity, and financial performance
Demonstrated success improving manufacturing performance
Experience leading through growth, transformation, integration, or organizational change
Experience within a unionized manufacturing environment
Strong executive communication and decision-making ability
Hands-on leadership style with strong shop-floor credibility
U.S. citizenship is required for this position.

Nice To Haves

Aerospace and/or defense manufacturing
Large-site manufacturing leadership
Lean Manufacturing / Six Sigma
AS9100 or comparable regulated quality environments
Manufacturing automation and modernization
ERP-driven manufacturing operations
Operational transformation or integration
Complex engineered products

Responsibilities

Lead overall performance and day-to-day manufacturing operations
Lead, coach, and develop the site's management team
Establish clear priorities, KPIs, operating rhythms, and accountability
Align people, capacity, processes, and resources with production and customer requirements
Partner across Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, HR, Finance, IT, Sales, and executive leadership
Own and improve performance across: Safety, Quality, On-time delivery, Productivity and throughput, Manufacturing cost and efficiency, Inventory, Customer commitments
Identify operational bottlenecks, strengthen performance management, and implement sustainable improvements throughout the operation.
Lead operational transformation and continuous improvement initiatives
Strengthen standardization, accountability, and execution
Apply Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles
Identify opportunities for automation and manufacturing modernization
Improve processes, systems, and operating discipline
Build the capacity required to support future growth
Own and influence site-level P&L performance
Develop and manage operating budgets
Review financial performance and key variances
Manage headcount, operating expenses, productivity, and capital requirements
Make operational decisions with a clear understanding of their impact on cost, margin, cash, and business performance
Build a high-performance culture centered on accountability and execution
Maintain a visible leadership presence on the manufacturing floor
Develop managers and strengthen leadership succession
Partner with HR on workforce planning, organizational development, and employee relations
Operate effectively within a unionized manufacturing environment