Vice President Operations

About the opportunity

EXO Talent Partners is conducting a confidential retained search for a Vice President of Operations on behalf of an established, market-leading aerospace and defense precision manufacturer in New Haven County, Connecticut. The company builds proprietary, sole-source components for aircraft and satellite platforms, operates across multiple sites, and continues to grow through a disciplined, value-creation operating model.

This is a senior operations seat reporting directly to the President. The incoming VP will own operational execution across the business, partner closely with the senior leadership team, and take a healthy, growing operation to its next level. This is not a turnaround. Operations are strong, and the mandate is to lead, develop, and scale.

What you'll own

• Full operational leadership across multiple business units and facilities, including a domestic precision-manufacturing site and an international assembly and test operation
• Production, supply chain, quality, and facilities, with operations managers and plant leadership reporting to you
• On-time delivery, quality, and margin performance, with a continuous-improvement mindset and a bias toward action
• Leadership development and succession planning down to the operator and lead level
• Close partnership with sales, engineering, and finance leadership to align operations with commercial and growth objectives
• Representation of operations in corporate reviews and value-creation planning

What we're looking for

• 10+ years of progressive operations leadership in aerospace, defense, or regulated precision manufacturing
• Experience owning full-scope operations and/or a P&L, ideally across more than one site
• A track record of improving on-time delivery, quality, and margin in a high-expectation, high-tempo environment
• Strong leadership, communication, and executive presence, able to present with confidence to senior and corporate stakeholders
• Comfort in a lean, proprietary-product, value-creation operating culture
• Engineering or STEM background preferred, not required. Candidates with strong mechanical aptitude and deep manufacturing depth from other backgrounds will be considered
• U.S. Citizenship is required for this role due to ITAR and EAR export-control requirements
• Willingness to work on-site in New Haven County. Relocation is fully supported, and some travel across sites, including international, is expected

Compensation

• Base salary commensurate with experience
• Target bonus of approximately 40%
• Meaningful equity participation with real long-term upside
• Full relocation package

EXO Talent Partners and our client are equal opportunity employers; all qualified applicants are considered without regard to any protected characteristic.