Production Manager – Defense

Production Manger | Oxygen Systems

Pennsauken, NJ
· On-site

This company is a global leader in parachute design and manufacturing, with a foundation of over 100 years designing, developing, and fabricating parachutes for military, space, and defense customers — including personnel and cargo parachute systems, GPS precision-guided cargo delivery, space and air vehicle recovery systems, and oxygen systems.

This company played a key role in the safe return of a NASA crewed spaceflight mission, whose eleven-parachute recovery system slowed the capsule to approximately 20 miles per hour at splashdown, and recently delivered a next-generation oxygen supply system upgrade for an international defense customer.

The Production Manager is responsible for the safe, efficient, and cost-effective operation of the oxygen systems production cell, supplying the oxygen sources military personnel need when jumping from high altitudes. This is a hands-on, floor-level leadership role at the company’s Pennsauken, New Jersey facility, focused on team performance and on-time delivery, with strong potential for growth into broader site leadership over time.

• Lead day-to-day operations of the oxygen systems assembly cell, including scheduling, workload balancing, and overtime management.
• Own cell-level performance metrics, including direct labor, overtime, and on-time delivery, and drive consistent achievement against targets.
• Establish production priorities and allocate labor, materials, and equipment to meet delivery commitments, identifying risks and implementing recovery plans as needed.
• Coach, mentor, and develop the technician and engineering team; conduct performance reviews and manage day-to-day employee relations.
• Ensure compliance with clean-room, contamination-control, and quality procedures during assembly, pressurization, and testing.
• Partner with Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain to resolve production and technical issues.
• Build credibility with a long-tenured team by learning existing processes and relationships before driving change.
• Support periodic domestic travel for supplier visits, product testing, and customer meetings as needed.

• Military background strongly preferred, given the company’s predominantly military customer base; prior service, including former junior military officers, is a significant plus.
• Some hands-on manufacturing or production leadership experience, industry-agnostic — aerospace or defense experience not required.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and work instructions.
• High energy, self-directed, and results-oriented, comfortable driving outcomes without close daily oversight.
• Strong people leadership, coaching, and emotional intelligence, with the ability to build trust with an established team before introducing change.

• General business MBA is a plus.
• Experience in a regulated or process-driven manufacturing environment.
• Prior experience supervising production/manufacturing employees.

Base salary range of $140,000–$160,000. Relocation assistance may be available.