Operations Manager

Global Precision Products - Middleton (formerly MK Services) is a precision CNC machining operation serving the Aerospace and Defense industries. Our facility is AS9100 registered and ITAR compliant. The Middleton floor runs 15 lathes, 25 mills, and 8 Swiss machines on high-mix, close-tolerance work where delivery dates and dimensional requirements are held with equal seriousness.

Position Summary:

The Operations Manager leads the production and production control teams and is accountable for the site meeting its delivery schedules, quality targets, and cost objectives. This is the person who owns what the floor produces, when it ships, and what it costs to get there.

The role suits an operations leader who wants real ownership of a site rather than a slice of one. You will set the operating rhythm, hold the schedule, develop supervisors and operators, and drive measurable improvement in throughput, on-time delivery, and quality performance. We are looking for someone who leads from the floor, not from a conference room - the expectation is that you know what is running, where it is stuck, and who needs help.

Leading The Production & Production Control Teams:

• Lead and develop the production and production control teams - supervisors, operators, and planning staff.
• Set clear daily and weekly operating priorities and make sure they are understood at every work center.
• Run the production meeting cadence: short, factual, focused on what is at risk and who owns it.
• Build bench strength - cross-train operators and reduce the jobs only one person can run.
• Address performance issues directly and fairly, with the General Manager.
• Recruit, onboard, and retain shop floor talent in a competitive labor market.

Delivery & Schedule Performance:

• Own on-time delivery performance for the site and report it honestly, including when it is short.
• Drive scheduling and capacity planning across lathe, mill, and Swiss work centers.
• Keep jobs moving between operations and through outside processing without stalling.
• Find and clear bottlenecks - sequencing, staffing, tooling, setup reduction, or escalation.
• Surface schedule risk to the General Manager and customers before a date is missed.
• Absorb hot jobs without letting firefighting become the operating norm.

Quality & Continuous Improvement:

• Hold production accountable for quality performance, partnering with the Quality Manager.
• Uphold the AS9100 quality system on the floor - process discipline and traceability as everyday practice, not audit preparation.
• Drive down scrap, rework, and nonconformances with corrective action that sticks.
• Lead continuous improvement as a standing expectation: 5S, setup reduction, cellular layout, standard work, and visual management.
• Build a floor where operators inspect their own work and raise problems early.
• Track the operating metrics that show whether the floor is improving, and act on them.

Cost & Operational Performance:

• Deliver against cost objectives - labor efficiency, machine utilization, overtime, and scrap.
• Get more throughput from the equipment and people already in the building.
• Make the case for capital tooling, and headcount with evidence - then deliver the return.
• Keep the shop safe, organized, and compliant with health and safety requirements.

Required Qualifications:

• Seven or more years in manufacturing operations, at least three of them leading production teams.
• Direct CNC machining experience - You have to be credible on the floor about setups and what a job actually takes.
• Demonstrated ownership of delivery, quality, and cost for a site or major production area.
• Production scheduling and capacity planning in a high-mix, low-volume environment.
• Working knowledge of an ERP or MRP system; comfortable deciding from operating data.
• Proven record of leading and developing people, including supervisors.
• A continuous improvement background with results you can point to.
• Must be a U.S. Person as defined under ITAR (22 CFR 120.62) due to the nature of the work performed at this facility.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Aerospace and Defense manufacturing experience under AS9100 or a comparable quality system.
• Experience with Swiss machining and multi-axis work.
• Formal lean, Six Sigma, or operational excellence training and application.
• Experience improving a site's delivery and quality performance against a defined plan.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, operations, or business - or equivalent shop-earned experience.

Work Environment:

• On-site, full time, in an active machine shop environment; required PPE, including safety glasses and safety footwear, in designated areas.
• Substantial time on the floor rather than at a desk; this role is expected to be visible.
• Occasional extended hours for production demands and off-shift coverage.