Head of Manufacturing

FPC of Brighton is partnering with a well-capitalized, high-growth aerospace company developing a next-generation commercial aircraft platform. The organization is moving from aircraft development into industrialization and is building a major new U.S. manufacturing operation. This is an opportunity to shape the production system, factory strategy, and manufacturing organization from the ground up.

The Head of Manufacturing & Quality will lead the manufacturing strategy and execution required to transition from prototype aircraft to full-scale production. Reporting to the President/COO, this executive will play a central role in factory development, production-system design, manufacturing technology, quality, tooling, industrial engineering, and operational scale‑up.

This is not a steady-state plant leadership role. The successful candidate will have previously built or launched a major manufacturing operation and will bring both proven experience and a willingness to rethink traditional aerospace manufacturing methods.

• Develop and execute the manufacturing strategy for a next‑generation commercial aircraft program, including production planning, quality, safety, cost, and scalability.
• Lead the startup and ramp‑up of a large greenfield manufacturing campus, including factory planning, production lines, tooling, automation, and capital deployment.
• Turn the high‑level manufacturing concept into detailed production processes, systems, layouts, and execution plans.
• Partner with construction management, owner‑representative, engineering, and external technology partners to keep factory development and cash deployment aligned with program milestones.
• Bring new thinking to aircraft production, clearly articulating how alternative manufacturing approaches can improve quality, cost, throughput, and scalability.

• Build a high‑performance manufacturing organization across production, industrial engineering, tooling, maintenance, quality, and related disciplines.
• Champion lean manufacturing and continuous improvement while adapting proven principles to a highly automated, digitally enabled production environment.
• Drive adoption and integration of advanced manufacturing technologies, automation, digital manufacturing systems, ERP, and quality‑management tools.
• Ensure manufacturability and design‑to‑cost alignment through close partnership with Design, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Quality.
• Provide executive leadership for aerospace quality systems and the processes required to support FAA production certification.
• Own manufacturing operating and capital budgets and help establish a disciplined roadmap for bringing production facilities online.

• Recruit, develop, and lead a growing cross‑functional manufacturing organization.
• Build strong partnerships with engineering teams, technology providers, automation and tooling suppliers, and external advisors.
• Create a culture of operational excellence, accountability, innovation, and rapid problem solving.
• Support workforce‑development and community initiatives as the manufacturing footprint expands.

• Approximately 15+ years of aerospace or advanced manufacturing experience, including significant senior leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience launching a major greenfield manufacturing site; a substantial brownfield startup or transformation may also be relevant.
• A track record of taking manufacturing operations from concept or early‑stage development through launch, ramp, and higher‑rate production.
• Deep manufacturing leadership experience with strong practical knowledge of lean production, factory design, industrial engineering,…