Director OF Manufacturing

Description:

About AEMI

AEMI, an AEM company, is a leading manufacturer of high-reliability electronic components specializing in circuit protection, power conditioning, and radio frequency (RF) components. With a solid global presence, AEMI serves mission-critical industries such as aerospace and defense and the industrial and automotive sectors. Our commitment to innovation and quality has positioned us as a preferred supplier for highly engineered solutions in harsh environments.

Position Summary

The Director of Fuse Manufacturing is responsible for leading the manufacturing operation for a high-reliability electronic component product line to achieve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity objectives. This role provides strategic and operational leadership across production planning, process and quality performance, workforce development, budget management, and data-driven continuous improvement to ensure efficient execution and compliance with aerospace and defense requirements. The position partners closely with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Program Management, and other cross-functional teams to align operational capabilities with customer needs and business goals, and plays a key role in developing and maturing the manufacturing organization.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provide overall leadership and direction for the manufacturing operation of a high-reliability electronic component product line, setting clear expectations, establishing measurable goals, and driving accountability for safety, quality, delivery, and productivity.
• Own the operating plan and budget for the product line; develop and manage production schedules and capacity plans to meet program demands and delivery commitments, optimizing throughput, balancing workload, and minimizing bottlenecks while maintaining flexibility. Analyze capacity requirements, equipment utilization, and workforce allocation to ensure efficient resource deployment.
• Direct manufacturing quality to meet stringent aerospace, defense, and other high-reliability standards. Partner with Quality to maintain and improve quality systems, monitor defect and yield trends, and lead root cause investigations and corrective actions to resolve non-conformances, ensuring product reliability and customer satisfaction.
• Drive a continuous improvement agenda (Lean, Six Sigma, and process technology) to improve cost, cycle time, yield, and on-time delivery. Use operational data and metrics to identify improvement opportunities, establish and track KPIs, and lead structured problem-solving and operational reviews.
• Enforce compliance with all applicable occupational health, safety, and environmental regulations (OSHA, EPA, and local requirements), fostering a culture of safety awareness and risk prevention. Lead incident investigations, safety audits, and employee training to maintain a safe, compliant, and efficient manufacturing environment.
• Lead the implementation and sustainment of 6S practices to maintain an organized, clean, and safe workplace, reinforcing standards for sorting, setting in order, shining, standardizing, sustaining, and safety to support operational efficiency, reduce hazards, and improve consistency.
• Lead, coach, and develop the manufacturing team, including supervisors and production staff. Establish training, qualification, and certification programs and cross-training to improve workforce capability, flexibility, and resilience.
• Partner with Engineering and Quality to review customer contracts and technical requirements, support new product introduction (NPI) and transition to production, and ensure production capabilities, timelines, and quality expectations are clearly understood and integrated into planning and execution.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Planning, Program Management, Sales, and Finance to align operational capability with customer demand, business goals, and financial targets.

Benefits of working with our team:

• This role is full-time, exempt
• Based in San Diego, CA, this is an onsite role
• We offer competitive pay based on knowledge, skills, and relevant experience
• Benefits for eligible employees include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401K with company match

Organizational Overview

AEM, headquartered in San Diego, California, is a portfolio company of Industrial Growth Partners (IGP), a private equity firm focused exclusively on middle-market industrial manufacturing and niche services businesses. Through its industry leading brands AEM, Renaissance Electronics, and Central Semiconductor, AEM serves niche applications across a diverse array of attractive markets including satellite, aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, EV/Battery, and telecom.

AEM is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in engineering, operations, or a related technical discipline; equivalent experience in a relevant operations leadership role may be considered. Advanced degree (e.g., MBA or MS) a plus.
• Progressive manufacturing leadership experience in high-reliability electronics or a comparable regulated, highly engineered manufacturing environment, including responsibility for a production team or value stream.
• Demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to build, motivate, and develop cross-functional teams and influence at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated success leading continuous improvement using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies, and using operational data to drive measurable gains in quality, cost, cycle time, and delivery.
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, including the ability to present complex technical and operational information clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong business and financial acumen, with experience owning an operating budget and operational performance metrics.
• Highly organized, analytical, and results-driven, with a demonstrated ability to use data and metrics to identify, diagnose, and resolve complex operational and process issues with a sense of urgency and ownership.
• Consistent attendance and punctuality are essential requirements for this role.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in the manufacturing and testing of high-reliability electronic components.
• Working familiarity with high-reliability electronic components and circuit protection fundamentalsenough to lead technical teams, ask the right questions, and partner effectively with engineering and quality.
• Experience manufacturing to aerospace and defense requirements and familiarity with applicable quality standards (e.g., AS9100, ISO 9001) and government contracting environments.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or operational excellence certification (e.g., Green/Black Belt) and demonstrated success leading continuous improvement and automation initiatives.

Physical Qualifications:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this job. As a routine part of work, employees will generally be required to use their hands to manipulate, handle, or feel objects, tools (including small tools) or controls; reach with hands and arms; lift up to 20 pounds; climb stairs; sit and stand for long periods of time; and talk and hear. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Compensation details: 135000-170000 Yearly Salary

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