Director, Operations

Job Description

EBAD is seeking a Director of Operations / Site Leader for our Simsbury, CT facility. This role carries full accountability for site performance across safety, quality, delivery, and cost in a complex, highly regulated aerospace and defense manufacturing environment.

Opportunity

This role offers the opportunity to:

• Lead a critical manufacturing site with full ownership and accountability
• Operate in a high-mix, low-volume, engineer-to-order environment
• Establish and scale EBOS as the site’s operating system
• Drive measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, and cost
• Build organizational capability to support growth and new program introduction
• Partner cross-functionally to support development, qualification, and production ramp of new products

Scope of Responsibility

The Director of Operations has full leadership responsibility for all site-level operations and support functions, including:

• Manufacturing / Production Operations
• Production Support & Test
• Quality Assurance & Compliance
• Supply Chain & Materials Management
• Environmental, Safety & Health (ES&H / EHS)
• Maintenance & Facilities
• Continuous Improvement / EBOS

This role also works closely with Engineering, Program Management, and Business Development to support new product development, qualification, and growth initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Execution

• Lead the organization to achieve Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost (SQDC) objectives
• Own execution of production across launch vehicle, missile, and defense programs
• Ensure adherence to program milestones and delivery commitments
• Drive on-time delivery (OTD), past due reduction, and revenue execution

Safety & Compliance

• Establish and maintain a zero-incident safety culture
• Ensure compliance with aerospace, defense, and regulatory standards

Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Establish and deploy EBOS as the site operating system
• Implement disciplined daily management, KPIs, and leader standard work
• Lead structured problem solving (RCCA) and continuous improvement initiatives
• Build scalable processes to support growth and operational excellence

People & Organizational Development

• Build and lead a high-performing, accountable organization
• Develop leadership capability, succession depth, and team engagement
• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement

Cross-Functional Integration

• Partner with Engineering and Program Management on development and production readiness
• Support Business Development in proposal reviews and new opportunity evaluation
• Align operations with customer requirements and business objectives

Core Competencies

• Enterprise Leadership Mindset: Balances operational execution with long-term business objectives.
• People Leadership & Culture Building: Builds strong teams, develops leaders, and creates accountability.
• EBOS / Lean Leadership: Drives disciplined execution through operating systems and continuous improvement.
• Strategic Execution: Translates complex priorities into clear, actionable plans.
• SQDC Results Orientation: Uses data to drive measurable performance improvements.
• Cross-Functional Influence: Effectively collaborates across engineering, programs, and commercial teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required (Engineering or related field preferred); advanced degree a plus
• 15+ years of operational leadership experience in manufacturing
• Proven experience leading a site or large-scale operations organization
• Background in aerospace, defense, or other regulated manufacturing environments
• Experience in high-mix, low-volume or engineer-to-order production environments
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team development experience
• Deep experience with Lean / operating systems (EBOS, DBS, or equivalent)
• Financial acumen including budgeting, cost control, and capital planning
• Experience working in cross-functional, integrated product team environments
• Energetics experience is a plus