Vice President, Operations - Autonomous Systems

AeroVironment•Simi Valley, CA

11h•Onsite

About The Position

The Vice President, Operations — AxS is the senior executive accountable for end-to-end tactical operational execution across AeroVironment’s Autonomous Systems Segment. The role ensures that customer and program demand is translated through the enterprise resource planning system into an executable supply response, stable factory performance, on-time product delivery, and effective customer sustainment. This leader owns daily flow, quality, schedule, cost, cash, and operational readiness across a complex, multi-business-unit portfolio of autonomous air, ground, maritime, loitering-munition, and related mission systems. Reporting to the President, AxS, the VP, Operations leads and integrates segment operations across planning, production control, purchasing execution, manufacturing, materials, logistics, quality, sales, inventory and operations planning (SIOP), inventory, repair and overhaul (R&O), and manufacturing engineering. The VP works in close partnership with Business Unit leaders, Program Management, Engineering, Finance, Business Development, and the Global Operations organization to deliver current customer commitments while scaling capacity, industrializing new products, and strengthening the segment’s operating system.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing, operations management, supply chain, business, or related field, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
15+ years of progressive experience in operations, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, or related fields, including 10+ years leading leaders.
Proven leadership of complex, multi-site operations in aerospace & defense, autonomous systems, or similarly regulated, mission-critical manufacturing.
Experience managing operations at scale across multiple product lines/programs/business units with direct accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and working capital.
Demonstrated success scaling production, stabilizing constrained operations, launching new products, and leading cross-functional transformation or recovery.
Working knowledge of defense acquisition/contracting, and applicable quality, export-control, cybersecurity, and regulatory requirements.
Ability to travel 25–40% domestically and internationally.
Ability to obtain and maintain required security clearance.
U.S. Citizenship required

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MBA, M.S. in Engineering, Operations, or Supply Chain).
Lean/Six Sigma leadership experience; Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent preferred.
Experience with SIOP/S&OP, MRP, ERP transformation, MES, PLM, digital manufacturing, automation, and advanced manufacturing technologies.
Experience supporting U.S. DoD and international defense customers under FFP, cost-type, IDIQ, and multi-year contracts, including audits and production readiness reviews.
Experience in repair, overhaul, field sustainment, and lifecycle support operations.
Strong financial acumen (budgets, capital allocation, business cases, standard cost, productivity, inventory, working capital).

Responsibilities

Own the full operations workflow from demand planning and ERP loading through production, shipment, fielding, support, repair, and replenishment.
Drive an integrated operating cadence connecting BD, Programs, Finance, Engineering, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Quality, and Sustainment to one executable plan.
Ensure accurate, timely orders, BOMs, routings, schedules, and inventory signals; lead recovery for material, capacity, quality, labor, and program disruptions.
Develop and execute a multi-year AxS operations strategy aligned with growth, margin, cash, capital, and customer commitments.
Translate annual and long-range plans into clear site, business-unit, and value-stream targets with measurable leading indicators.
Balance near-term delivery with long-term capability (capacity, workforce, capital, footprint, surge) through disciplined operating rhythms.
Lead safe, compliant, efficient assembly, integration, test, and delivery across AxS sites.
Ensure realistic, material-backed, capacity-feasible production schedules and disciplined floor control.
Drive material readiness (MRP execution, supplier commits, shortage triage, kitting, inventory/logistics) and improve throughput, cycle time, schedule attainment, labor utilization, and yield.
Lead the AxS SIOP process, integrating demand, supply, capacity, inventory, financial outlook, and risk into a single plan.
Champion accurate master data, disciplined transactions, and strong system adoption across ERP, MES, PLM, and digital platforms.
Build scenario plans for growth, IDIQ variability, multi-year buys, surge, engineering changes, and constrained supply.
Ensure product conformance and mission success through robust quality engineering, inspection, traceability, and corrective action.
Reduce rework, scrap, escapes, customer returns, and cost of poor quality; maintain compliance with AS9100, ISO, ITAR, EAR, DFARS and other aerospace/defense requirements.
Support customer, government, registrar, and internal audits and production readiness reviews.
Own operations readiness for NPI and transition to production, aligning technical and manufacturing readiness, producibility, test strategy, and supply readiness.
Ensure manufacturing engineering delivers routings, work instructions, tooling, qualified processes, production test capability, standard work, and trained labor before rate commitments.
Sponsor facility moves, line launches, capital projects, automation, and digital manufacturing initiatives with clear governance and benefit realization.
Deploy lean, Six Sigma, standard work, flow/pull, root-cause problem solving, and continuous improvement across AxS operations.
Partner with Global Operational Excellence, Advanced Manufacturing, Operations Data & Digital Transformation, and Global Manufacturing to adopt common systems and proven technologies.
Evaluate and implement modern manufacturing technology and automation with disciplined ROI, risk, cybersecurity, and workforce-readiness criteria.
Serve as the AxS executive authority for operational commitments, production readiness, recovery plans, customer visits, and critical delivery milestones.
Provide credible operations input to bids and proposals (labor, material, capital, capacity, schedule, risk, industrial base, ramp).
Build trusted relationships with customers, government stakeholders, and strategic suppliers; communicate performance, constraints, and recovery actions with transparency and urgency.
Own AxS operations budgets, capital plans, productivity, inventory, working capital, cost reduction, and cost-of-poor-quality performance.
Build and develop a high-performance, multi-site organization with clear accountability, succession plans, and bench strength.
Foster a safety-first, mission-focused culture of urgency, integrity, inclusion, disciplined execution, and continuous learning; maintain strong presence on the factory floor.
Lead tactical AxS performance while partnering with Global Operations on enterprise systems, standards, and scalable capabilities.
Collaborate with Global Quality, EHS, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, Advanced Manufacturing, CTO/technology functions, Programs Office, and Operations Data & Digital Transformation.
Jointly support the warfighter and mission, solving systemic problems and continuously improving the operating system.