Production Manager

Production Manager, Armtec Defense Technologies

Armtec Defense Technologies (Armtec) is an operating unit of the Transdigm Group (NYSE: TDG), an industry leader in aerospace and defense products and services. Armtec is comprised of three business units producing subcomponents for ordnance in Coachella, CA; decoy countermeasure flares in Camden AR; and radar countermeasure chaff in Lillington NC. At Armtec, we welcome skilled and enthusiastic people who share our determination and high standards to join us in our mission‑critical work supporting the US and allied war‑fighters who serve us all by defending democracy and protecting freedom.

This position is staffed in Coachella, at Armtec’s world‑class, sole‑source production facility for felted fiber nitrocellulose combustible cartridge cases for medium and large caliber military ammunition; and pyrophoric payloads for training grenades.

Company: Armtec Defense Technologies is an operating unit of the Trans Digm Group (NYSE: TDG).
Industry: Manufacturing Combustible Ordnance and Countermeasures.

Title: Production Manager

Job Family: Manufacturing Management

Reports to: Site Leader

Works with: Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, Materials, Planning, supervisors, and production employees

Location: Coachella, California

Type: Full‑Time

The Production Manager is the daily driver of plant performance and is responsible for leading manufacturing execution through the Production Supervisors. This role owns the rhythm of production and ensures Safety, Environmental, Quality, Productivity, Schedule, Throughput, Reliability, and employee development objectives are met. The Production Manager is expected to lead from the floor, create clear accountability, remove barriers to performance, and build a high‑performing production organization in partnership with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, Materials, and Planning.

This is not a maintain‑the‑status‑quo role. Armtec is seeking a hands‑on manufacturing leader who is eager to improve departments, develop employees, solve operational problems, and help move the plant to a higher level of performance. The successful candidate will be motivated by challenge, comfortable leading change, and interested in growing into larger leadership roles through demonstrated results in this assignment.

This role is designed for a high‑potential leader who wants to take ownership of a critical manufacturing organization and prove the ability to deliver measurable improvement. Success will be measured not only by daily production execution, but by the ability to improve people, process, reliability, schedule adherence, throughput, and cost performance over time.

The Production Manager is expected to understand the business objectives of the site, translate those objectives into daily execution priorities, and communicate progress, risks, and resource needs clearly to the Site Leader.

• Lead production activities in compliance with Armtec’s Safety and Environmental Policies.
• Drive daily production execution to meet customer schedules, build plans, forecasts, and delivery commitments.
• Own production performance metrics, including safety, quality, schedule adherence, throughput, labor efficiency, scrap, rework, and cost per unit.
• Develop and mentor Production Supervisors so they can lead meetings, own department performance, and drive accountability at the production level.
• Establish manufacturing priorities for Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Materials, Planning, and other support functions.
• Partner closely with Maintenance to improve equipment availability, reduce unplanned downtime, improve MTBF, reduce MTTR, and support reliability‑centered execution.
• Partner closely with Engineering to identify bottlenecks, remove process constraints, execute productivity projects, and implement permanent corrective actions.
• Lead daily management routines, production reviews, IPT meetings, and action‑item follow‑up to ensure the plant is aligned and moving forward.
• Drive continuous improvement, S.M.A.R.T. initiatives, material yield improvement, scrap…