Deputy Director of Manufacturing

The Deputy Director of Manufacturing serves as the operational leader responsible for executing daily manufacturing operations while helping scale ACS into a world-class production organization. Reporting to the VP of Manufacturing, this role ensures production goals, quality standards, safety initiatives, and operational excellence objectives are consistently achieved.

Responsibilities

• Manufacturing Operations Leadership
  • Lead day-to-day manufacturing operations across multiple production areas
  • Drive production performance to meet delivery, quality, cost, and safety objectives
  • Partner with Production Managers and Supervisors to optimize throughput and resource utilization
  • Remove operational bottlenecks and rapidly resolve production issues
  • Ensure manufacturing schedules are executed while maintaining flexibility for changing priorities
• Operational Excellence
  • Develop scalable manufacturing systems, standard work, and visual management processes
  • Drive Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives throughout operations
  • Establish and monitor KPIs including:
    • Safety
    • Quality
    • On-Time Delivery
    • Throughput
    • Labor Efficiency
    • Inventory Accuracy
    • Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
  • Lead root cause investigations and implement corrective actions
• Team Leadership & Development
  • Build, coach, and mentor Manufacturing Managers, Supervisors, and production leaders
  • Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
  • Develop succession plans and leadership development programs
  • Partner with Recruiting and HR to support workforce planning and hiring efforts
  • Promote employee engagement while maintaining high performance standards
• Production Scaling
  • Support the transition from low-rate to full-rate production
  • Develop capacity planning strategies aligned with company growth
  • Improve production flow, line balancing, and manufacturing efficiency
  • Partner with Engineering to ensure manufacturability of new products
  • Lead production readiness activities for new product introductions (NPI)
• Cross-Functional Partnership
  • Collaborate closely with Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, Facilities, Finance, and Program Management
  • Ensure material availability aligns with production schedules
  • Support design reviews with Design for Manufacturing (DFM) feedback
  • Drive cross-functional problem solving to improve manufacturing performance
• Safety & Compliance
  • Champion a proactive safety culture across manufacturing operations
  • Ensure compliance with OSHA and company safety standards
  • Support implementation of EHS initiatives
  • Maintain compliance with quality management systems and regulatory requirements
• Site Expansion
  • Support operational planning for the transition into ACS's new Pflugerville manufacturing facility
  • Assist with facility startup activities including equipment moves, workflow optimization, staffing, and production ramp
  • Help establish scalable manufacturing systems to support future company growth

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related field
• 10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience
• 5+ years leading managers and multiple manufacturing departments
• Experience scaling manufacturing operations in a high-growth environment
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems
• Proven success leading cross-functional teams
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and leadership abilities

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in defense, aerospace, robotics, automotive, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments
• Experience supporting new facility launches or manufacturing expansions
• Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt)
• Experience with New Product Introduction (NPI)
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 and/or AS9100 quality systems
• Experience working with DoD or government programs

Success in This Role

Within your first year, you will:

• Improve manufacturing throughput while maintaining exceptional quality
• Help successfully transition operations into our new Pflugerville facility
• Build a high-performing manufacturing leadership team
• Establish scalable production processes that support rapid company growth
• Improve key operational metrics across safety, quality, delivery, and efficiency
• Become a trusted operational partner to executive leadership

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• ACS Equity Package
• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Paid Time Off

This position will initially be based in our Austin facility before transitioning to our new manufacturing campus in Pflugerville, TX during Q3/Q4 2026.