Operations Manager

Greystone of Virginia, located in Toano, VA — just minutes from Colonial Williamsburg and the greater Hampton Roads area — is a world-class, ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 certified high-volume plating and finishing facility specializing in products with tight tolerances. The plant serves automotive, defense, firearms, and medical customers, and is part of Greystone, Inc., a global contract manufacturer with over 92 years of finishing expertise and operations in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Core processes at the Virginia plant include Precision Plating System® (PPS®) selective plating, Hard Chrome, Type II and Type III Hardcoat Anodizing (including proprietary Greystone Defense Brown®), abrasive blasting, dry film lubrication, and laser engraving. The plant recently added ITAR-controlled precision machining as a growing complement to its finishing capabilities.

The Operations Manager is an entry-level management role designed for early-career engineers who want genuine, broad ownership from day one. The PLM has end-to-end accountability for a dedicated production line — which may encompass electroplating, anodizing, secondary finishing operations, or ITAR-controlled machining — from receipt of customer order through final inspection, packaging, and shipment. Equally important, the PLM is the primary point of contact for the customer(s) assigned to their line, responsible for building strong relationships and consistently delivering on Greystone’s commitments to quality, speed, and cost.

This is a high-visibility role with a clear path to senior operations and plant leadership.

• Direct day-to-day production on an assigned line — which may include electroplating (hard chrome), anodizing (Type II/III, Greystone Defense Brown®), secondary operations, or ITAR machining — to meet output, quality, and delivery goals.

• Develop and manage daily and weekly production schedules; coordinate with maintenance, chemistry, scheduling, and support functions to protect delivery commitments and minimize downtime.

• Monitor and report line performance metrics — OEE, cycle time, scrap/rework rate, on-time delivery — to the Plant Manager on a daily basis.

• Lead structured troubleshooting on process, chemistry, and equipment issues; implement and verify corrective actions using disciplined problem-solving methods.

• Drive continuous improvement through Lean, 5S, and Kaizen initiatives to improve yield, reduce scrap, and lower cost on your line.

• Manage line-level labor assignments, overtime, tooling, and consumable usage to established budgets.

• Ensure all activities conform to Greystone’s quality system and applicable certifications: IATF 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, NADCAP AC7004/AC7108/4.

• Maintain accurate process documentation: control plans, FMEAs, work instructions, inspection records, and traceability records in compliance with customer, Mil-Spec, and ITAR requirements as applicable.

• Lead layered process audits, SPC monitoring, and daily quality checks; own root cause and corrective action (RCCA) for non-conformances on your line, including customer-facing 8D responses.

• Ensure tight tolerance plating specifications are met consistently; leverage Precision Plating System® (PPS®) capabilities to maintain Cpk targets on selective plating applications.

• For lines involving ITAR-controlled machining or defense finishing: ensure strict compliance with export control regulations for controlled parts and technical data; escape potential violations immediately.

• Enforce safety procedures and environmental compliance, including proper handling and documentation of plating chemistry (chromic acid, nickel, zinc,…