Director of Assembly

Overview

The Director of Assembly Operations is responsible for leading assembly operations to ensure safe, efficient, high-quality production that meets customer, regulatory, and business requirements. This role provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for assembly teams, drives operational performance, supports continuous improvement initiatives, and partners cross-functionally with quality, engineering, supply chain, program management, and executive leadership to achieve production, delivery, cost, safety, and customer satisfaction goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead assembly operations, including production execution, staffing, scheduling, safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance.
• Develop and implement operational strategies that support business objectives, customer commitments, and long-term growth.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and direction to managers, supervisors, leads, and production employees within assembly operations.
• Drive accountability for production schedules, labor utilization, first-pass quality, on-time delivery, and overall operational performance.
• Partner with quality, engineering, supply chain, program management, and customer teams to resolve production constraints, technical issues, and delivery risks.
• Champion a culture of safety, compliance, communication, continuous improvement, and professional accountability across the assembly organization.
• Monitor key performance indicators and use data to identify trends, improve processes, reduce waste, and increase operational efficiency.
• Support workforce planning, employee development, succession planning, performance management, and training needs within assembly operations.
• Ensure assembly activities are performed in accordance with company policies, customer specifications, aerospace quality standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Prepare and present operational updates, performance metrics, risks, and improvement plans to senior leadership.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, or a related field required.
• Experience in aerospace assembly, aircraft structures, complex manufacturing, or high-mix/low-volume production environments.
• Experience with lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, root cause analysis, corrective action, and operational excellence initiatives.
• Experience supporting customer programs, audits, production readiness, rate increases, and cross-functional improvement projects.
• Bilingual proficiency is preferred, particularly the ability to communicate effectively in English and Spanish.