Operations Manager

The Operations Manager is a systems-builder and leadership role responsible for designing, implementing, and owning the operational infrastructure that enables Flight Stars to scale with consistency, predictability, and profitability. This is a business-builder position for a systems thinker who turns strategy into repeatable, trainable, and duplicable processes - mapping workflows, building dashboards, designing KPI frameworks, running SWOT analyses, coaching managers, and systematically eliminating the bottlenecks that cost the business time and money.

The ideal candidate creates operational order from complexity, holds teams accountable through metrics and rhythms, and builds the foundation that allows growth to happen without chaos. This role is central to Flight Stars’ vision of scaling the world’s most strategic flight training center. If you thrive on building the machine behind the mission, this is your role.

Flight Stars is a professional aviation training organization dedicated to helping pilots achieve their career goals through structured, high-quality flight instruction and advanced multi-engine training. Based at Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona, the company specializes in accelerated pilot development programs, commercial multi-engine training, instructor certifications, checkride preparation, and advanced flight proficiency using a modern fleet of Diamond aircraft. Built on its core values of Alignment, Accountability, Collaboration, Results, and Growth, Flight Stars is committed to efficient, results-driven training while maintaining the highest standards of safety and performance - a trusted partner for aspiring and professional pilots advancing their aviation careers.

• The operational playbook is fully documented, trained, and actively used - department leads run their areas by the system, not by individual instinct, and new team members ramp quickly because processes are clear, duplicable, and owned.
• Live scoreboards and dashboards exist for every role, and weekly/monthly accountability rhythms drive proactive problem-solving, early issue identification, and consistent, predictable results.
• A bench of systems-thinking leaders is developing - department heads identify issues early, bring solutions rather than just problems, and own outcomes.
• Operations, finance, and capacity planning are tightly aligned, tying daily execution directly to revenue growth and profitability.
• The business scales smoothly - bottlenecks are systematically removed, processes are continuously improved, and friction is replaced by clarity, momentum, and ownership at every level.
• Cross-functional execution is seamless - Sales, Flight Ops, Maintenance, and Admin move in sync through the meeting rhythms, shared language, and accountability you create.

• Translate strategic goals into operational plans, processes, and scalable systems across the company.
• Develop, document, roll out, and train teams on SOPs, and maintain the Process Tracker to standardize and scale operations.
• Design and implement metric frameworks, KPI dashboards, OKRs, and performance trackers that drive data-informed decisions and revenue growth.
• Identify operational gaps across the Flight Stars ecosystem and lead corrective actions, standardization, and continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Identify, analyze, and eliminate operational bottlenecks and disruptions to enhance productivity, quality, and scalability.
• Build and manage capacity-planning systems for people, space, and resources while aligning financial and operational data.
• Partner with Finance to align KPIs, budgets, and cost efficiencies that drive profitability.
• Lead productive team meetings, one-on-ones, and accountability cadences that maximize alignment, ownership, and results across departments.
• Build and utilize MOI Scales and other performance systems to monitor, manage, and continuously refine key metrics and leader behaviors.
• Produce weekly operational reports covering metrics, project status, risks, and strategic recommendations for leadership.
• Attract, hire, develop, retain, and coach high-performing team members…