Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer (COO) - Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing

Location: West Point, MS Area | Onsite

Compensation: up to $180,000 Base plus Bonus

A well-established aerospace and defense manufacturing organization is seeking an accomplished Aerospace manufacturing talent. This is a highly visible executive opportunity for an experienced aerospace/defense operations leader ready to drive performance, scalability, and operational excellence within a growing organization.

Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead enterprise-wide operations and partner directly with executive leadership on strategy, growth, and operational performance.

This executive will oversee Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, and Program Management , ensuring consistent execution across complex defense and commercial programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations across Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, and Program Management.
• Ensure programs achieve cost, schedule, quality, and performance requirements.
• Oversee production planning, inventory control, logistics, resource management, and operational capacity.
• Translate strategic objectives into actionable operational plans, KPIs, and performance targets.
• Partner with executive leadership on budgets, forecasts, financial targets, capital planning, and growth initiatives.
• Monitor key metrics including on-time delivery, quality, gross margin, and COGS and implement corrective actions when necessary.
• Drive Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives throughout operations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable aerospace and defense requirements, including FAR/DFARS, ITAR, AS9100, and cybersecurity standards.
• Oversee operational performance across government and commercial contracts.
• Partner with Program Management to proactively manage schedules, budgets, risks, and customer expectations.
• Interface with government/defense customers and major industry partners.
• Build, mentor, and develop high-performing operational leadership teams.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or related field required.
• MBA or advanced technical degree required.
• 15+ years of progressive operations leadership experience , preferably within aerospace, defense, or highly regulated manufacturing.
• Demonstrated leadership experience within a $100M+ revenue environment .
• Significant operational leadership across manufacturing and multiple supporting functions such as Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, and Program Management.
• Strong financial and KPI management experience, including budgets, forecasts, margin, cost, and capital planning.
• Experience managing complex programs and operational execution at scale.
• Deep knowledge of DoD contracting, FAR/DFARS, ITAR, and ISO/AS9100 .
• Knowledge of NIST 800-171 and CMMC requirements.
• Experience with ERP systems, operational dashboards, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong executive leadership, communication, and change-management skills.