Vice President, Operations - Autonomous Systems

Regular

The Vice President, Operations — AxS is the senior executive accountable for end-to-end tactical operational execution across Aero Vironment’s Autonomous Systems Segment. The role ensures that customer and program demand is translated through the enterprise resource planning system into an executable supply response, stable factory performance, on-time product delivery, and effective customer sustainment. This leader owns daily flow, quality, schedule, cost, cash, and operational readiness across a complex, multi-business-unit portfolio of autonomous air, ground, maritime, loitering‑munition, and related mission systems.

Run the AxS operating system: deliver to customers today, ensure daily flow and quality, and execute to plan. Partner with Global Operations to standardize and improve the enterprise systems, capabilities, and controls that enable sustained performance.

The VP owns the smooth, connected execution of the full operations fulfillment workflow and is accountable for resolving breakdowns at the interfaces between demand, planning, supply, production, delivery, and sustainment. Direct and matrixed accountability includes the following AxS operating functions:

• Planning and SIOP: Demand translation, capacity and constraint planning, executive alignment, scenario management, and commitment setting.

• Production Control: Work-order release, schedule control, priority management, shortage escalation, and factory cadence.

• Purchasing Execution: MRP execution, purchase‑order placement and follow‑up, supplier commitments, line‑down prevention, and tactical recovery.

• Materials, Inventory, and Logistics: Material readiness, inventory accuracy and turns, warehousing, kitting, material movement, packaging, and shipment.

• Manufacturing: Assembly, integration, test, visual management, labor performance, throughput, safety, and daily execution.

• Quality: Quality engineering, inspection and control, product conformance, corrective action, and prevention of escapes.

• Manufacturing Engineering: Routings, work instructions, tooling, process readiness, producibility, and transition to production.

• Repair and Overhaul: Field‑return evaluation, repair, overhaul, replenishment, turnaround time, and sustainment execution.

• End-to-End Fulfillment & Delivery

• Segment Operations Strategy & Execution

• Manufacturing, Production Control & Material Readiness

• SIOP, Planning & ERP Discipline

• Quality, Mission Assurance & Compliance

• Industrialization & New Product Introduction

• Operational Excellence & Technology

• Customer, Program & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Financial & Talent Leadership

• Partnership with Global Operations

Safety; on-time delivery and schedule attainment; quality and yield; material readiness and supplier performance; cost, productivity, and cost of poor quality; flow, lead time, and throughput; inventory turns and working capital; industrialization/NPI success; people and leadership metrics including engagement, retention, safety culture, and bench strength.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing, operations management, supply chain, business, or related field, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

• 15+ years of progressive experience in operations, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, or related fields, including 10+ years leading leaders.

• Proven leadership of complex, multi‑site operations in aerospace & defense, autonomous systems, or similarly regulated, mission‑critical manufacturing.

• Experience managing operations at scale across multiple product lines/programs/business units with direct accountability for…