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Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

Summary

The Vice President of Global Manufacturing Operations is a pivotal leader at AeroVironment, responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of the company's global manufacturing operations. This role requires development and deployment of an AeroVironment production system that enables successful transitions of developing products and production processes into full scale production and ensuring optimal operational and financial performance. This leader must align core manufacturing operational functions across multiple regions, ensuring the integration of AeroVironment’s global strategies, and driving synergies between regions and segments.

This leadership role involves seamless coordination with other leadership team members in sourcing, demand planning, inventory management, production, quality management, assurance and control, repair and overhaul, while ensuring that global operations align with the company’s goals of operational excellence and continuous improvement. The VP will work closely with stakeholders across all business segments, ensuring that global strategies are harmonized with broader corporate objectives.

The successful candidate will manage the Lean and Continuous Improvement as well as central the Advanced Manufacturing Development Team, developing and implementing those teams’ global strategies. They will also lead efforts to identify operational inefficiencies, work with stakeholders to develop solutions, and implement innovations that foster global operational growth. They will drive data analysis, solution design, and verification to ensure that global operational needs are consistently met.

Position Responsibilities

+ **Global Leadership in Demand Planning and SIOP:** Lead AeroVironment’s global demand planning and SIOP (Sales, Inventory, and Operations Planning) processes to ensure delivery precision to support are customer needs. Collaborate with regional leaders to align operational strategies with the company's global goals, particularly focusing across all segments of the business.

+ **Supporting Manufacturing Leadership:** Provide support to global manufacturing operations within the Uncrewed Systems, Loitering Munitions Segment and Space and Directed Energy segments, ensuring seamless integration of these business areas with AeroVironment's overall operational goals. Develop and execute operational plans that meet both global and market-specific demands while ensuring the highest standards of performance and efficiency.

+ **Supporting Operational Functions:** Work in close coordination with other VPs in the Global Operations office, including the Supply Chain, Quality, and EH&S leadership teams. Lead cross-functional and cross-segment teams to design, implement, and continuously improve global manufacturing and operations processes. Work closely with AeroVironment’s leadership to ensure that global operations strategies are aligned with corporate goals and initiatives are fully integrated into the broader operational framework.

+ **Continuous Improvement and Innovation:** Manage the Lean and Industrial Engineering function including developing the Global strategy and supporting materials to foster a culture of continuous improvement and directly supporting the business to identify and drive out waste in our processes. Drive continuous improvement efforts across global operations by evaluating new technologies and implementing industry best practices. Identify and capitalize on opportunities to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve performance metrics across the global supply chain.

+ **Lean/Visual Factory and MRP Optimization:** Lead efforts to implement Lean/Visual Factory techniques and optimize MRP (Material Requirements Planning) processes across all global facilities. Ensure that AeroVironment’s global operations are leveraging the latest in Lean methodologies to drive efficiency, reduce waste, and improve operational effectiveness across regions.

+ **Advanced Manufacturing:** Develop and implement a strategy to utilize the latest advances in science and technology to insure AeroVironment is utilizing modern manufacturing technologies to enable AeroVironment to have best in class manufacturing processes that with high ROI.

+ **High-Performance Global Team Leadership:** Build and lead a high-performance global operations team, fostering an environment of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. Ensure that regional operations teams are aligned with AeroVironment's global strategies and cultivate a culture of excellence and innovation across all levels of the organization.

+ **Budget Management and Financial Efficiency:** Develop and manage global operational budgets. Ensure that financial operations are aligned with AeroVironment’s long-term business goals, while maintaining rigorous financial oversight and accountability for operational spending across all segments.

+ Other duties as assigned

Key Metrics

A significant measure of the success of the any candidate in the role is in their ability to impact the organizations performance on these KPI areas.

+ Safety: Recordable Incident Rate, Job Hazard Risk Reduction

+ Quality: Out of Box Failures, First Pass Yield, Customer Returns

+ Delivery: On-Time Delivery

+ Cost: Kaizen Savings, Productivity Improvement

+ Lead time: Manufacturing Lead Time Reduction

+ Inventory: Inventory Turns

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

+ Bachelor’s degree is required (Manufacturing, Mechanical or Industrial Engineering) or in a related field or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

+ Advanced degree, MBA or MS is highly preferred.

+ Experienced/trained in Lean/Six-Sigma practices. Six Sigma Black Belt certification is desirable.

+ 15 + years of relevant experience required.

+ Minimum of 10 years of experience in a leadership role.

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

+ Excellent written and verbal communication skills

+ Strong analytical, critical thinking and interpersonal skills, with the ability to speak and write persuasively

+ Demonstrated experience working with cross-functional teams; ability to develop and maintain internal and external trusting, professional relationships

+ Uses vision to think beyond the immediate situation, explore multiple potential paths, and adapt decision-making style based on the situational circumstances

+ Inspires, motivates, and empowers people to deliver organizational goals, while also delivering value back to employees

+ Brings organizational values to life using personality, uniqueness, and the creation of a shared vision

+ Champions the process of change and promotes a culture of quick adaptation while helping others deal with the effects of change

+ Takes ownership and responsibility for assigned tasks

+ Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company

+ Focuses on teamwork and puts the success of the team above one's own interests

Physical Demands

+ Ability to sit, stand, stoop, reach, lift (up to 10 lbs.), bend, etc. Hand and wrist dexterity to utilize the computer.

+ May require travel to sites/program and special functions.

Environmental Conditions Critical to Performance

+ Work is in an office environment, climate controlled through central air conditioning/heating.

+ May have some exposure to outside environment while traveling.

Special Requirements

+ **U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) or** **_asylee/refugee status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) required._**

+ Must be able to travel within the Continental U.S. and internationally when required.

Clearance Level

No Clearance

The salary range for this role is:

$220,000 - $288,750

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement:

_T_ _his position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements._

**Benefits** : AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits .

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

Principals only need apply. NO agencies please.

Who We Are

Based in California, AeroVironment (AVAV) is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Founded in 1971 by celebrated physicist and engineer, Dr. Paul MacCready, we’ve been at the leading edge of technical innovation for more than 45 years. Be a part of the team that developed the world’s most widely used military drones and created the first submarine-launched reconnaissance drone, and has seven innovative vehicles that are part of the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent collection in Washington, DC.

Join us today in developing the next generation of small UAS and tactical missile systems that will deliver more actionable intelligence to our customers so they can proceed with certainty – and succeed.

What We Do

Building on a history of technological innovation, AeroVironment designs, develops, produces, and supports an advanced portfolio of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company’s hand-launched UAS to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition.

_We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status._

ITAR

About AV:

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.

We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.

Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.

If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

Careers at AeroVironment (https://www.avinc.com/careers/our-team)