Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing Director

About the role

An established organization within the advanced manufacturing sector is hiring an accomplished manufacturing leader to oversee and scale a complex production operation within Mississippi's Golden Triangle region. This position will lead both manufacturing strategy and day-to-day execution, ensuring the operation consistently achieves demanding cost, quality, delivery, schedule, safety, and customer-performance expectations.

The ideal candidate has led a manufacturing facility, site, or major production organization within aerospace, defense, or another highly regulated technical manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct plant manufacturing performance, production capacity, workforce utilization, and operating results
• Lead complex prototype, product-introduction, production-ramp, and recurring manufacturing activities
• Improve manufacturing cost, margins, throughput, schedule adherence, quality, and labor productivity
• Build scalable manufacturing processes, organizational structure, and leadership capability
• Allocate labor, equipment, facilities, and production resources based on program requirements
• Develop and manage annual manufacturing budgets and capital-investment plans
• Partner with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, program leadership, and senior executives
• Develop manufacturing managers, supervisors, and production employees
• Lead Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous-improvement initiatives
• Strengthen production planning, ERP utilization, manufacturing reporting, and operating discipline
• Ensure compliance with company policies, safety requirements, customer standards, and applicable regulations
• Support customer relationships and the resolution of complex manufacturing or production challenges

Required Background

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Engineering
• Senior manufacturing leadership experience at the Director, Plant Manager, Site Leader, or comparable level
• Aerospace, defense, or highly regulated manufacturing experience
• Experience managing a manufacturing facility or major production function
• Experience with complex technical products and demanding production programs
• Demonstrated ownership of cost, quality, delivery, schedule, and workforce performance
• Strong Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or operational-excellence background
• Proven ability to reduce manufacturing cost and improve productivity, throughput, or margins
• Experience managing manufacturing budgets and capital expenditures
• ERP implementation, optimization, or manufacturing-system experience
• Strong leadership, planning, communication, and organizational skills
• Ability to satisfy applicable U.S. export-control requirements

What Makes the Opportunity Attractive

• Leadership responsibility for a complete manufacturing operation
• High visibility with senior executives and cross-functional leadership
• Opportunity to build and scale manufacturing capability
• Significant influence over workforce, equipment, facilities, processes, and capital investments
• Advanced technical and highly regulated manufacturing environment
• Strong base compensation, bonus opportunity, benefits, and relocation support

Pay

$135,000–$165,000 Base + Bonus + Benefits

Schedule

This is a fully onsite role within the Golden Triangle region of Northeast Mississippi, approximately 30 minutes from West Point.