Manufacturing General Manager

Join to apply for the Manufacturing General Manager role at Aqua Membranes, Inc. Location: Knoxville, TN (onsite leadership role) Relocation: A relocation package may be provided for the right candidate. Position Summary This role reports directly to the CEO and oversees all site operations for the Knoxville facility. The General Manager will lead a team of approximately 4 to 7 direct reports and up to 40 total personnel across production, maintenance, and supply chain. Aqua Membranes is seeking a strategic and execution-focused General Manager (GM) to lead the successful launch and ramp-up of our Knoxville high-volume reverse osmosis (RO) membrane element manufacturing facility, which is currently completing equipment installation and entering its production startup phase. The GM will be accountable for site-level leadership across production, maintenance, supply chain, safety, and daily plant performance. This role is critical in delivering operational excellence, cost-effective scaling, and on-time production to support company growth. You won’t just manage a plant—you’ll shape how clean water technology is built and delivered at scale. As GM, you’ll play a critical leadership role in a high-impact, high-growth company. Key Responsibilities Provide day-to-day leadership for all plant activities in Knoxville Ensure operational readiness, ramp-up milestones, and production targets are met Drive a culture of safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and employee engagement Lead and develop a high-performance team including Production, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and HR managers Partner with HR on staffing, training, and employee development initiatives Ensure execution of production plans aligned with customer demand and company goals Collaborate with QA Director to maintain quality systems and compliance (e.g., ISO, NSF) Champion continuous improvement, yield enhancement, and process control initiatives Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, and the Albuquerque Design Center to support scale-up, product validation, and sample builds Coordinate resources to support co-creation projects and customer evaluations Oversee equipment maintenance, facility upgrades, and operational expansion as required Lead cost control and efficiency programs in coordination with finance and operations leadership Key Success Metrics (First 12 Months) Commissioning and qualification of all production equipment Yield improvement to >90% by end of steady-state ramp-up Implementation of lean initiatives with measurable cost or efficiency benefits Execution of on-time production aligned with sales forecasts Cross-functional alignment with Engineering and QA teams Qualifications Experience: 10+ years in manufacturing leadership, preferably in membrane, water treatment, or high-precision assembly Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or related field; MBA preferred Operations Expertise: Proven success managing production teams, implementing KPIs, and scaling operations People Leadership: Strong team development, conflict resolution, communication, cross-functional leadership skills and stakeholder management skills Systems Knowledge: Proficiency with ERP systems (NetSuite preferred), quality systems (ISO 9001), lean methodologies, and performance dashboards Startup Agility: Experience launching or expanding facilities and navigating rapid growth phases with ability to operate hands-on while building scalable systems Why Join Aqua Membranes? At Aqua Membranes, we’re pioneering next-generation water treatment technologies to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Our Knoxville facility will be the cornerstone of scaled manufacturing, and we’re looking for a leader who thrives in an environment of innovation, accountability, and impact. We believe in empowering people, investing in operational excellence, and building a culture that values integrity, innovation, and execution. Seniority level Executive Employment type Full-time Job function Management and Manufacturing #J-18808-Ljbffr