Director of Operations

The Director of Operations is the senior on-site operating leader and the execution counterweight to the Head of Operations. The role owns the daily, weekly, and monthly execution required to deliver against operational objectives. The site is in active buildout, and the successful candidate will run today's operations while standing up the processes, systems, and teams that Phase 2 and Phase 3 will require. The role holds direct ownership of four functional pillars: Logistics / Supply Chain, Site Operations, Health, Safety, and Security, and IT / InfoSec. Finance/Accounting is a coordination-only function.

Responsibilities

Own the daily, weekly, and monthly operating cadence for the site; Serve as decision-maker of record for day-to-day operational trade-offs; Translate the 1-year plan into executable weekly and monthly objectives; Maintain a single, current operational picture of the campus and report it to the Head of Operations; Ensure consistency of process and standards across departments, programs, and product lines; Own order management, customer service execution, purchasing, and procurement; Oversee inbound and outbound shipping operations; Ensure customs, trade, and import/export compliance; Own inventory control end to end; Direct production planning and scheduling; Manage the physical campus, including contractors and trades; Provide oversight of capital improvements and construction activity; Own the condition and availability of roads, bridges, buildings, grounds, systems, and equipment; Ensure land compliance in accordance with guidance from the Legal team; Direct site maintenance programs; Maintain a qualified on-site or near-site presence sufficient to meet DCMA response requirements; Own physical and site security posture, including access control, gate operations, and incident response; Direct general site safety, including medical and emergency response readiness; Own process and facilities safety programs; Ensure and evidence regulatory compliance (ATF, OSHA, DCMA, DSCA, ESSP, SSP); Own safety and compliance training programs, records, and audit readiness; Own campus IT operations and business systems, including ERP/MRP selection and implementation; Direct technology infrastructure supporting site operations; Own CMMC compliance posture; Direct information security across IT and OT environments; Ensure DFARS and NIST SP 800-171 requirements are met and evidenced; Manage IT vendors, service providers, and licensing; Build the IT/InfoSec function; Develop and retain the Phase 1 functional team; Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and decision rights; Build bench strength and succession depth

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Business, Supply Chain, or a related field; equivalent experience will be considered; Minimum 8–10 years of progressive operations leadership, including at least 3 years with direct P&L or multi-function operational ownership; Demonstrated experience leading multiple dissimilar functions simultaneously (e.g., supply chain and facilities and safety); Proven track record in a regulated manufacturing or industrial environment with substantive compliance obligations; Direct experience with inventory control, procurement, and production scheduling; Experience hiring and building teams from a small base; Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance; U.S. person status as required by ITAR/EAR

Nice to have

Experience in defense manufacturing or as a DoD supplier, with working familiarity with DCMA, DSCA, and DFARS requirements; Experience with ATF-regulated operations and explosives or energetics safety frameworks (ESSP, SSP); Greenfield or brownfield site buildout experience; ERP/MRP implementation or optimization experience; Familiarity with CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, and DFARS cybersecurity flow-down requirements; Exposure to OT/ICS cybersecurity in a production environment; Formal continuous improvement credentials (Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent); Prior military logistics, engineering, or installation-management leadership; Experience supporting an acquisition integration