Vice President, Manufacturing

Advanced Technology Systems Company•Gilbert, AZ

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Advanced Technology Systems Company is seeking a Vice President of Manufacturing to lead end-to-end manufacturing and materials operations across its government and defense programs. The executive will provide strategic and operational leadership for production, manufacturing engineering, quality, procurement, and material-flow functions, including kitting, receiving, shipping, and storeroom operations. The role also owns manufacturing planning and procurement systems, plant operations, factory overhead, automation, throughput, process controls, and facilities, translating contract commitments into high-quality hardware delivered on schedule and within cost. This hands-on executive role is intended for a leader experienced in scaling defense production and integrating manufacturing, quality, and supply functions to support sustained growth. The position is part of the senior operations leadership team and has an impact on program margins, customer confidence, and company growth. It provides executive-level oversight of the functions needed to plan, source, build, inspect, and deliver products, including hourly assembly and test personnel, manufacturing engineering, quality, procurement, and materials operations. It also has functional ownership and governance of manufacturing resource planning and procurement systems, including Costpoint MRP and Purchasing, in coordination with IT and Finance. The position is based onsite in Gilbert, Arizona, and reports to the Chief Operating Officer. The required clearance is Secret, or eligibility to obtain one.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership, including 7+ years at director or VP level running plant operations for complex electromechanical, electronic, or aerospace hardware.
Demonstrated record of scaling and automating production on large U.S. defense or military contracts from low-rate initial production to full-rate output.
Full P&L or cost-center accountability for factory operations, including labor, overhead, and capital budgets.
Deep working knowledge of AS9100, ITAR, DFARS, CMMC, EVMS, and DCMA oversight.
Hands-on experience implementing automation, robotics, MES, and data-driven process controls with measurable improvements in throughput and quality.
Leadership experience overseeing procurement, supplier performance, materials management, and production-support functions such as kitting, receiving, shipping, and inventory/storeroom operations.
Experience leading or optimizing manufacturing resource planning and procurement systems, such as Costpoint MRP and Purchasing, including cross-functional process and data governance.
Proven ability to lead and develop large, multi-shift teams, including union or hourly workforces.
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field.
U.S. citizenship and an active Secret clearance or ability to obtain one.
For ITAR export-control compliance, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Nice To Haves

MBA or master’s degree in Engineering or Operations Management.
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Master Black Belt certification.
Experience establishing a new production facility or greenfield line, and negotiating with contract manufacturers and key suppliers.
Experience with prime contractors or fast-growing defense technology companies, such as those in unmanned systems, counter-UAS, C4ISR, or missile systems.

Responsibilities

Own manufacturing execution for multi-million-dollar Department of War and government contracts, meeting cost, schedule, and quality requirements from low-rate initial production through full-rate production.
Lead integrated production and materials planning with Program Management, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain; align master production schedules, procurement plans, material availability, capacity plans, and Earned Value Management System reporting.
Lead design-for-manufacturability reviews, production readiness reviews, and transition-to-production activities for new programs.
Lead plant managers, production supervisors, manufacturing engineers, and hourly workforce across shifts; foster safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Manage the manufacturing budget, labor, and factory overhead; drive cost reductions that protect program margins and improve competitiveness.
Set and deliver targets for yield, cycle time, overall equipment effectiveness, first-pass yield, and on-time delivery; remove bottlenecks and balance production lines.
Provide strategic oversight of procurement, supplier performance, sourcing, and material availability, aligning purchasing priorities with production schedules, program requirements, and cost objectives.
Oversee kitting, receiving, shipping, and storeroom operations to maintain inventory control, timely material delivery to production, and effective work-in-process control.
Lead manufacturing quality, corrective and preventive action, inspection readiness, and continuous improvement, integrating quality into production planning and execution.
Own business processes and functional requirements for manufacturing resource planning and procurement systems, including Costpoint MRP and Purchasing; drive data integrity and effective use in coordination with IT and Finance.
Define and execute a multi-year automation roadmap, including robotics, automated test, and MES/ERP integration, with clear return on investment.
Establish statistical process control, configuration management, corrective action, and documentation compliant with AS9100, ITAR, DFARS, and customer quality clauses.
Deploy Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma practices to reduce variation, scrap, rework, and cost of poor quality.
Oversee facilities, maintenance, EHS, and secure-area requirements; lead capital planning, plant layout, and expansion projects to support backlog growth.
Represent manufacturing as the senior leader for DCMA, customer, and third-party audits and source inspections.
Develop a phased automation roadmap, define visible factory KPIs, build leadership capacity across manufacturing functions, and align facilities and capacity plans with the company’s backlog and growth targets.