VP of Aerospace & Defense Operations

Job not on LinkedIn

🔥 18 hours ago

🇺🇸 United States – Remote

⏰ Full Time

🔴 Lead

⚙️ Operations

👻 Ghost score 12%

What it means: how likely this posting is sitting open without active hiring.How to read it: 60% or higher means we think this is a ghost. Lower scores are less of a worry.How we score it: age, reposts, open roles vs team size, how fast jobs close, and whether pay is listed.Fine print: an estimate from public data, not a judgment of the company. Real jobs can score high, so treat it as a hint, not a fact.

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Element U.S. Space & Defense

WebsiteLinkedInAll Job Openings

201 - 500 employees

Founded 1961

🏭 Manufacturing

💼 Consulting

📦 Logistics

Manufacturing • Consulting • Logistics

Element U. S. Space & Defense is a testing and engineering services provider serving U. S. government, military, and aerospace customers. Formerly NTS and now part of Element Materials Technology, the company operates multiple specialized test laboratories that deliver environmental simulations, EMI/EMC testing, dynamics, hydraulics, and other compliance and qualification services for mission-critical space and defense programs. It emphasizes schedule adherence, technical excellence, and government-focused capabilities, and is a recognized supplier for organizations such as NASA.

📋 Description

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for a portfolio of aerospace and defense testing businesses across multiple facilities and business units • Lead General Managers, Quality, and Safety functions • Drive revenue growth, EBITDA performance, operational excellence, customer and employee satisfaction, safety, quality, and talent development • Develop and execute multi-year strategic plans for sustainable growth, profitability, and market leadership • Lead direct reports responsible for individual business units and align performance with corporate strategy • Drive market expansion, new services, strategic partnerships, investment decisions, business transformation, and acquisition integration • Maintain accountability for revenue, profitability, EBITDA, cash flow, return on investment, annual operating plans, financial targets, and performance metrics • Lead forecasting, budgeting, resource allocation, capital investments, corrective action planning, and execution • Implement standardized processes and continuous improvement initiatives across all locations • Oversee safety, quality, compliance, security, and risk management performance • Build executive-level relationships with aerospace, defense, government, and commercial customers • Partner with Sales, Business Development, Operations, and Engineering on strategic account growth, customer retention, capture, proposals, and major programs • Represent the organization at industry events, customer engagements, and strategic business forums • Develop employee engagement, retention, leadership effectiveness, organizational culture, succession planning, and talent development strategies • Coach leaders and foster a safe, respectful, inclusive, people-first, high-performance culture • Provide executive leadership with business performance insights, strategic recommendations, and actionable plans • Partner with Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Quality, Safety, and other corporate functions on governance, compliance, and operational execution

🎯 Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of military leadership and testing industry experience • 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in testing services, aerospace, defense, engineering services, service industry, or related industries • 10+ years of experience leading leaders, including Directors, General Managers, or equivalent business leaders in a multi-site environment • Demonstrated success managing complex operations with full P&L accountability and driving revenue growth, EBITDA improvement, and operational excellence • Proven ability to develop and execute business strategies across multiple facilities, business units, or geographic regions • Strong knowledge of aerospace and defense markets, customer requirements, regulatory environments, and industry best practices • Exceptional leadership, communication, negotiation, and executive presence • Ability to influence stakeholders at all organizational levels • Ability to travel up to 70% as needed • Preferred: Master’s degree (MBA, Engineering Management, or related discipline) • Preferred: Experience leading multi-site, geographically dispersed organizations exceeding $100M in annual revenue • Preferred: Executive leadership experience within testing, inspection, certification, aerospace, defense, space, service industries, or government contracting environments • Preferred: Experience leading acquisitions, business integrations, and enterprise transformation initiatives • Preferred: Active or previous security clearance • Comprehensive knowledge of aerospace, defense, government, and commercial testing services, including industry regulations, quality systems, customer requirements, and operational best practices • Strong business and financial acumen, including strategic planning, portfolio management, business transformation, P&L leadership, capital planning, forecasting, and EBITDA optimization • Expertise in operational excellence, continuous improvement, KPI management, and data-driven decision-making • Strong understanding of business development, capture management, contract execution, customer engagement, and market expansion strategies • Demonstrated success leading complex organizations in highly regulated environments • Experience leading mergers, acquisitions, integrations, organizational change, and large-scale business transformation initiatives • Physical ability to perform listed duties and occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds

🏖️ Benefits

• Opportunities for professional development and career advancement • Collaborative and innovative work environment • Opportunity to work on groundbreaking space and defense projects • Medical, Dental, Vision, Short- and Long-Term Disability, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts • Seven (7) paid holidays and four (4) paid floating holidays, depending on your hire date • Paid Time Off (PTO), accrued biweekly • 401k with employer match • Twelve (12) hours of Paid Volunteer Time Off (PVTO) each year • Tuition reimbursement and other employee programs • Flexible schedules offered at some of our labs • Monthly Lab Bonus plans (Based on position)