Operations Manager
Company: AV8
Position Description: Operations Manager
Location: Houston, TX
Department: Operations
Reports to: Site Leader
ABOUT AV8 MRO
AV8 MRO, a Victor Sierra Aviation company, is a leading FAA and EASA-certified aircraft component repair station specializing in the overhaul, repair, modification, testing, and exchange of aircraft landing gear systems and related components. We are committed to delivering exceptional quality, service, and operational excellence to customers around the world.
ABOUT VICTOR SIERRA AVIATION
Victor Sierra Aviation (VSA) — a TransDigm Group company — is the parent of McFarlane Aviation, McFarlane Alaska, Tempest Aero Group®, AV8, and Aviation Products Systems. We acquire and build businesses that lead in engineering, manufacturing, and distribution of exceptional aerospace products, with 450 employees across Kansas, North Carolina, Illinois, Alaska, and Texas.
THE OPPORTUNITY
We are seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead day-to-day operations at our Houston facility and support the continued growth of our organization. The Operations Manager is responsible for leading all production activities within our repair station, ensuring work is planned, prioritized, and executed safely, efficiently, and in compliance with FAA, EASA, customer, and company requirements.
This role provides leadership for our production and procurement teams and is responsible for balancing customer priorities, workforce capacity, production schedules, material availability, and operational performance to consistently achieve delivery commitments.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Production Operations
Daily Operations: Lead daily production operations across receiving, teardown, machining, plating, inspection, assembly, testing, painting, and shipping
Priorities & Scheduling: Establish and communicate production priorities, schedules, and performance expectations
Workflow & WIP: Monitor workflow and work-in-process (WIP) to identify and remove production bottlenecks
Planning & Capacity
Capacity Planning: Lead workforce and production capacity planning efforts, partnering closely with Planning, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to ensure labor and material resources align with customer demand and operational priorities
Resource Balancing: Balance labor, equipment, materials, and capacity to optimize operational performance
Procurement & Materials
Procurement Leadership: Oversee the procurement team, including purchasing of parts, materials, and outside processing (e.g., plating, NDT) to support production schedules and customer commitments
Material Availability: Ensure timely availability of parts and materials by managing lead times, expediting, and shortages to minimize production delays
Supplier Performance: Monitor supplier on-time delivery, cost, and quality, partnering with Quality on the Approved Supplier/Vendor Program
Cost & Inventory: Drive purchasing cost savings and inventory management to support operational and financial goals
People & Culture
Team Development: Coach, mentor, and develop supervisors and production personnel
Culture: Promote a culture of safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement
Compliance & Continuous Improvement
Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance with FAA Part 145 regulations, EASA requirements, company procedures, and customer specifications
Audit Support: Support internal, customer, FAA, and EASA audits
Continuous Improvement: Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, efficiency, and turnaround time
Performance Metrics: Track and report key performance metrics, including on-time delivery, labor efficiency, schedule attainment, safety, and throughput
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
10+ years of manufacturing or aerospace operations experience, including at least 3 years leading production teams in aerospace manufacturing, aircraft component repair, MRO, or another highly regulated environment
Demonstrated success leading teams of 20 or more employees and improving safety, quality, delivery, and productivity
Strong experience with production planning, scheduling, workflow management, capacity planning, and resource allocation, with the ability to balance customer priorities, labor, material availability, equipment capacity, and production schedules
Experience leading or overseeing purchasing/procurement teams, including supplier management and material planning
Experience operating within highly regulated environments and ensuring compliance with industry, customer, and quality requirements
Hands-on leadership style with strong communication, employee development, problem-solving, and change-management skills
Experience utilizing ERP/MRP systems to support production planning, scheduling, and operational performance
Preferred
FAA Part 145 or EASA repair station experience
Aircraft component or landing gear overhaul experience
AvSight experience
Certifications such as A&P, Lean, Six Sigma, APICS, or Project Management
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
Lead a safe, compliant, and high-performing operation
Improve productivity, labor utilization, and operational throughput
Deliver exceptional on-time performance and turnaround times
Develop and mentor production leaders and employees
Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement
Collaborate effectively across Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Customer Service teams
Ensure reliable material availability and strong supplier performance to support production schedules
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR
You're a visible, hands-on leader who thrives in a fast-paced aerospace manufacturing and MRO environment. You're passionate about developing teams, improving processes, and driving operational excellence.
Why AV8?
At AV8, you're part of a team dedicated to precision, quality, and continuous improvement. Whether you're manufacturing components, solving problems, or sharing new ideas, your work helps keep aircraft operating safely around the world. We believe in doing the right thing, delivering exceptional quality, and working together with integrity to build products our customers can depend on.
We offer: A collaborative, hands-on culture where ideas take flight and your voice matters. Competitive pay and benefits and room to grow. A supportive crew of aviation pros who are passionate about what they do.
AV8 is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.