Manufacturing Operations Administrator

Job Description

Job Description

About VetPowered
VetPowered, LLC, named Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year in the United States, is a rapidly growing San Diego-based company specializing in manufacturing, welding, fabrication, machinery repair, and customized training under private and U.S. Government contracts.

VetPowered employs a highly trained workforce operating advanced CNC equipment and is dedicated to bringing advanced manufacturing back to America.

About the Position
The Manufacturing Operations Administrator supports the administrative coordination of RFQ, purchasing, bill of materials (BOM), supplier, and JobBOSS workflows.

This position is responsible for maintaining accurate records, coordinating follow-up activities, entering approved information into manufacturing systems, and helping ensure that required information moves efficiently between Manufacturing, Quality, Production, Accounting, suppliers, and other internal stakeholders.
Reporting to the Controller, the position plays an important role in keeping manufacturing priorities organized, identifying missing or conflicting information, and ensuring that administrative requirements are completed on time.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, dependable, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. The position is well suited for someone who is inspired by VetPowered's mission and core values and enjoys collaborative work that helps keep manufacturing operations moving.

Primary Objective
Provide accurate and timely administrative coordination for RFQs, purchasing, supplier activity, bills of materials, JobBOSS records, and related manufacturing workflows while maintaining complete, traceable, and audit-ready documentation.

The position is responsible for ensuring that approved information is accurately entered, tracked, communicated, and maintained. Technical, engineering, estimating, and Quality decisions remain with the appropriate functional personnel.

Essential Responsibilities
RFQ Administration and Tracking

• Receive, organize, and track RFQ packages, confirming that required drawings, specifications, quantities, due dates, and customer documents are present through submission or closure.
• Route RFQ packages to Manufacturing leadership and appropriate technical personnel for review, estimating, and approval.
• Collect supplier pricing and lead-time information based on approved material, hardware, tooling, and outside-processing requirements.
• Track outstanding RFQ inputs and approaching deadlines and follow up with responsible parties as needed.
• Assemble approved pricing, supplier information, and supporting documentation into complete quote packages for final review and submission.
• Maintain organized RFQ records, including quotations, supporting documentation, revisions, and status information.
• Communicate RFQ status, outstanding actions, and potential schedule risks to the Director of Operations and appropriate team members.

Purchasing and Supplier Coordination

• Create and issue purchase orders based on approved requests, bills of materials, supplier quotations, and technical requirements.
• Before issuing purchase orders, verify approved pricing, quantities, required delivery dates, shipping terms, and applicable documentation requirements.
• Track open purchase orders and supplier commitments and follow up on late or at-risk deliveries.
• Communicate supplier status and anticipated delays to internal requestors and appropriate Manufacturing, Quality, and Operations personnel.
• Work with Manufacturing, Quality, Receiving, and Accounting to resolve quantity, quality, pricing, documentation, receiving, or invoice discrepancies.
• Maintain accurate supplier contacts, quotation history, purchasing records, onboarding documentation, and related files.
• Support approved-supplier evaluations and documentation in accordance with VetPowered procedures.
• Maintain organized records of supplier communications, commitments, and open actions.

BOM and JobBOSS Administration

• Create and maintain JobBOSS records for approved bills of materials, RFQs, jobs, purchase orders, material status, and related manufacturing information.
• Enter approved information accurately and verify that system entries match the applicable source documents.
• Identify missing, incomplete, or conflicting information and request clarification from the appropriate responsible person before entering or changing information.
• Process approved revisions promptly and maintain traceable records of changes to bills of materials, purchasing information, and related JobBOSS records.
• Support data cleanup, reporting, and implementation activities related to JobBOSS, Paperless Parts, ProShop, or other approved manufacturing systems.
• Maintain accurate and organized electronic records supporting manufacturing and purchasing workflows.
• Use only approved information when entering or updating records.
• Do not make technical substitutions or independently change materials, specifications, drawings, processes, inspection requirements, or other technical information.

Purchasing and Shipping Compliance

• Use approved suppliers when required and include applicable customer, Quality, certification, traceability, approval, and documentation requirements on purchase orders.
• Maintain required supplier documentation, including certificates of conformance, material certifications, and traceability records.
• Provide purchasing and supplier documentation for internal and external audits, customer requirements, and supplier corrective actions as requested.
• Coordinate with Shipping, Quality, and Manufacturing to confirm that outbound packages contain required administrative documentation and meet applicable customer-specific packaging, labeling, documentation, traceability, and shipping requirements.
• Review shipping packets for administrative completeness, including required packing slips, certifications, labels, and documented Quality and Manufacturing approvals.
• Provide administrative release confirmation only after required documentation and approvals are complete.
• Hold and escalate shipments when required documentation is missing, incomplete, or conflicting. This role does not independently approve product Quality, technical compliance, or customer acceptance requirements.
• Follow document-control and record-retention requirements and promptly raise missing or conflicting information.

Collaboration and Continuous Improvement

• Participate in manufacturing planning and status meetings as appropriate.
• Report current RFQ, purchasing, material, supplier-risk, and administrative action status.
• Maintain organized action lists, records, and follow-up documentation.
• Coordinate with Manufacturing, Quality, Production, Accounting, Shipping, and suppliers to keep assigned activities moving toward completion.
• Identify recurring administrative issues, delays, or gaps in RFQ, purchasing, BOM, and JobBOSS workflows.
• Recommend practical improvements to administrative processes and help document and implement approved procedure changes.
• Support implementation and adoption of approved process improvements and manufacturing systems.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned in support of departmental and Company goals.

Qualifications and Work Experience

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily, with or without reasonable accommodation. The requirements below represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the position.

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Associate or bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, manufacturing, operations, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of three years of experience in manufacturing administration, purchasing, materials coordination, production control, or a related operations role.
• Experience supporting RFQ, purchase order, supplier, and bill of materials workflows in aerospace, defense, government contracting, or another regulated manufacturing or job-shop environment is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with suppliers and coordinating material, outside-processing, or purchased-service requirements is preferred.

Technical Skills

• Experience with JobBOSS or another manufacturing ERP system preferred.
• Experience with Paperless Parts or ProShop is a plus.
• Familiarity with manufacturing drawings, specifications, bills of materials, material requirements, and outside processes preferred.
• Experience supporting AS9100, ISO 9001, or another documented quality management system preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and related business systems.

Professional Skills

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate recordkeeping.
• Strong organizational and follow-through skills.
• Ability to manage multiple RFQs, purchase orders, supplier commitments, due dates, and open actions simultaneously.
• Ability to identify missing or conflicting information and know when to request clarification or escalate an issue.
• Sound judgment and ability to distinguish administrative responsibilities from technical, engineering, estimating, and Quality decisions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate professionally and effectively with employees, suppliers, customers, and management.
• Ability to work independently while remaining responsive to the Director of Operations and broader team.
• Collaborative, service-minded approach.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and production requirements.

Core Competencies

Attention to Detail
Maintains accurate records and identifies discrepancies, missing information, and inconsistencies before they create downstream problems.

Organization and Follow-Through
Effectively manages multiple responsibilities, deadlines, and open actions and follows tasks through to completion.

Accountability
Takes ownership of assigned responsibilities, communicates promptly when issues may affect deadlines or deliverables, and takes responsibility for mistakes without making excuses or shifting blame.

Communication
Communicates clearly, professionally, and respectfully with employees, suppliers, customers, and management.

Problem Solving
Identifies administrative and process issues, gathers the necessary information, and works with the appropriate personnel to develop practical solutions.

Judgment
Recognizes when information is incomplete, conflicting, or outside the position's authority and appropriately requests clarification or escalates the issue.

Adaptability
Adjusts effectively to changing customer requirements, production schedules, supplier performance, and business priorities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration
Works effectively with Operations, Manufacturing, Production, Quality, Accounting, Shipping, and external suppliers.

Process Improvement
Identifies opportunities to improve administrative workflows, reduce errors, improve communication, and increase efficiency.

What Success Looks Like
Within this role, success means:

• RFQ packages are organized, complete, and tracked through submission or closure.
• RFQ inputs, supplier quotations, and required supporting information are obtained and followed up on in a timely manner.
• Purchase orders are accurate, properly approved, and issued with applicable requirements.
• Open purchase orders and supplier commitments are properly tracked.
• Supplier delays and other risks are identified and communicated before they create larger problems.
• JobBOSS records accurately reflect approved source documentation.
• BOM, purchasing, and manufacturing records are complete, current, and traceable.
• Required supplier certifications and purchasing documentation are maintained and readily available.
• Shipping packets are administratively complete before release and missing or conflicting information is appropriately escalated.
• Manufacturing