Manufacturing Manager

About the role

We are looking for an experienced Director of Manufacturing to lead and optimise operations for a fast‑growing defence manufacturing organisation in Texas. The role oversees production, quality, safety, workforce development and continuous‑improvement initiatives across multiple facilities.

Key responsibilities

• Lead all manufacturing activities to meet safety, quality, delivery and cost targets.
• Develop and execute manufacturing strategies aligned with growth objectives and customer requirements.
• Oversee production planning, capacity management and resource allocation.
• Drive Lean, Six Sigma and Kaizen initiatives to improve productivity and efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with defence regulations, quality standards and government contract requirements.
• Partner with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Program Management and Finance on new product introductions and scaling.
• Establish and monitor KPIs for productivity, quality, efficiency and safety.
• Mentor manufacturing managers, supervisors and production teams.
• Manage budgets, capital expenditures and cost‑reduction programmes.
• Support customer audits, regulatory inspections and supplier qualification activities.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including senior management responsibility.
• Experience in defence, aerospace, military systems, precision machining or electronics manufacturing.
• Proven ability to lead large‑scale production operations and cross‑functional teams.
• Strong understanding of quality management systems and regulatory compliance.
• Excellent leadership, communication and organisational skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain required security clearances, if applicable.

Required skills

• Lean Manufacturing
• Six Sigma (Black Belt preferred)
• Kaizen
• AS9100
• ISO 9001
• ITAR
• DFARS
• Department of Defense (DoD) contract compliance