Acceptance Testing, Advertising Operations, Aerospace and Defense, Budget Management, Customer Conversion, Customer Experience, Customer Relations, Demand Forecasting/Planning, Embedded Systems, Firefighting, Leadership, Manufacturing, On Site Support, Operational Support, Operations Management, Product Demonstration, Project Schedule, Project/Program Coordination, Project/Program Management, Recruiting/Staffing Agency, Revenue Growth, Risk, Risk Management, Safety Compliance, Safety/Work Safety, Supply Chain, Systems Scalability, Time Management, Training/Teaching, User Interface/Experience (UI/UX), Warehousing
About the role
DroneShield is seeking a Operations Director with relevant experience to join the team in Warrenton, VA.
The position will report to the Chief Operating Officer.
The Operations Director – USA is accountable for building and running a field-first, delivery-driven operations engine that enables rapid, reliable demonstrations, deployments, and customer outcomes at scale.
This role is not a traditional back-office operations function. It is a front-line execution leadership role, directly responsible for:
- Winning and enabling customer outcomes through demos and deployments
- Delivering projects and defense programs with predictability and speed
- Building a high-velocity field operations capability across the U.S.
The role ensures operations is a commercial enabler, not a constraint—shifting the organization from reactive execution to planned, repeatable delivery systems.
Responsibilities, Duties and Expectations
Field Operations, Demos & Deployments
Own and lead a world-class field execution engine across the U.S.
Accountability:
- All demonstrations, trials, installations, and field support
- End-to-end execution from customer request mobilization delivery support
Key Outcomes:
- 50% reduction in demo and mobilization time
- Consistent, repeatable demo execution across all regions
- Improved first-time fix rate (>20%)
- Standardized deployment models and field playbooks
- Seamless coordination of assets, people, and sites
Strategic Importance:
- Directly impacts revenue conversion, customer trust, and market influence
- Transforms field ops from ad hoc execution repeatable system
Project Delivery
In concert with the Global Head of PMO build and lead a disciplined, scalable project delivery engine.
Accountability:
- Local management of Project Managers to ensure that priorities are met
- Local coordination of all programs, demos, installations, and complex deliveries
Key Outcomes:
- 85% of projects delivered on time and on budget
- Strong front-end planning replacing downstream recovery
- Clear ownership across all deployments and programs
- Reduced execution risk in complex defense and customer programs
Strategic Importance:
- Moves delivery from heroics system-driven execution
- Underpins the company’s ability to scale complex programs safely
Test Sites & Demo Infrastructure
Establish and operationalize U.S. test sites as core revenue-enabling assets.
Accountability:
- Site establishment, readiness, and integration into planning
- Ensuring test sites are always ready, available, and utilized
Key Outcomes:
- Fully operational regional test sites
- Sites integrated into scheduling (not reactive bookings)
- Reduced setup time and increased utilization
- Repeatable demo environments
Strategic Importance:
- Enables speed, consistency, and scale of demonstrations
- Critical to delivering a globally consistent customer experience
Warehouse & Inventory
Transform inventory into a deployment-ready, execution-critical capability.
Key Outcomes:
- 98% inventory accuracy
- 98% kitting accuracy for demos, projects, and field ops
- Materials always ready for deployment, not just manufacturing
- Warehouse flow aligned to field demand and project schedules
Strategic Importance:
- Directly impacts ability to mobilize quickly and deliver reliably
- Supports the shift to planned execution vs last-minute scrambling
Facilities & Field Infrastructure
Ensure facilities enable, not constrain, field delivery and growth.
Key Outcomes:
- Facilities ready ahead of demand (>90%)
- Infrastructure supports field ops, inventory, and demo capability
- No delays due to lack of space, tools, or readiness
Strategic Importance:
- Enables speed of deployment and operational readiness at scale
Health, Safety & Operational Assurance
Embed safe, compliant field execution at speed.
Key Outcomes:
- Zero major safety or compliance incidents
- Safety embedded into field, demo, and deployment processes
- Strong leading indicators and proactive risk mitigation
Strategic Importance:
- Critical for defense customers and field-based operations
- Ensures scaling does not introduce risk
Measures of Success
U.S. becomes a high-performing field delivery engine
- Demos are faster, repeatable, and reliable
- Projects are delivered predictably without firefighting
- Field operations operate as a scalable system, not a reactive function
- Test sites, inventory, and facilities fully enable execution
- Operations is seen as a direct driver of revenue and customer success
Qualifications, Experience and Skills
- Senior leadership experience in Engineering, Operations, Project Management or similar.
- Background in defence, aerospace, or highly regulated high‑tech manufacturing
- Proven experience operating in global, multi‑site environments
- Engineering or technical qualifications preferred
- Customer-oriented with a strong sense of ownership and accountability
- Relevant tertiary qualification in Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain or Business (desirable))
Note for recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters unless specifically instructed.