Vice President of Operational Excellence

Hanwha Defense USA Inc•Arlington, VA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President of Operational Excellence leads enterprise-wide performance improvement, quality systems advancement, and Lean transformation across all U.S. operations for Hanwha Defense USA. The role ensures operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and scalable production capabilities aligned to defense manufacturing requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
15+ years of relevant experience in defense manufacturing, OpEx, or quality systems.
Experience with AS9100, ISO 9001, Lean Six Sigma, and CMMI.
Experience leading large-scale, multi-site transformation initiatives.
Strong communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.

Nice To Haves

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead Operational Excellence strategy across all U.S. operations.
Drive Lean transformation, waste reduction, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Develop KPIs and metrics to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance quality.
Strengthen quality systems including AS9100, ISO 9001, and CMMI frameworks.
Ensure compliance with ITAR, DFARS, DoD quality standards, and audit requirements.
Partner with Operations, Engineering, Program Management, and Supply Chain to enhance production readiness.
Lead corrective and preventive action programs and enterprise root-cause analysis.
Coordinate enterprise audit readiness with internal compliance teams.
Support validated cost savings and financial improvements tied to OpEx initiatives.
Standardize core processes across multiple sites using total quality management principles.
Provide executive leadership to operations and quality teams.
Develop OpEx and quality talent pipelines.
Maintain strong relationships with defense customers and strategic partners.
Proactively identify risks and escalate quality or performance issues.
Promote organizational culture aligned with mission and values.