Senior Vice President, Operations

ABOUT THE JOB  
As a key member of the Cirrus Executive Team, the Senior Vice President of Operations (SVP) is the primary results-oriented operational leader guiding the manufacturing and supply chain teams in delivering safe, high quality, on-time, and at-cost aircraft to our customers. The Senior Vice President of Operations has tactical and strategic responsibilities ensuring near-term production goals are achieved while charting a course for mid and long-range growth and improvement. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of driving operational efficiency and operational excellence, implementing best practices in manufacturing and supply chain strategies, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and employee engagement to ensure efficiency, quality, and scalability.  

The Senior Vice President of Operations actively engages in and contributes to shaping the overarching business strategy. By leveraging expertise and anticipating future trends in current and emerging technologies, they play a pivotal role in influencing the design of operations and manufacturing processes. Additionally, the SVP Operations provides key leadership engagement in business process re-engineering initiatives (such as the Cirrus Operating System) aiming to establish new competitive advantages for the organization. The SVP Operations will also engage with the Executive Team on corporate strategy, mid-range planning, and annual operating planning.   

In collaboration with the VP Manufacturing, the SVP Operations has overall leadership responsibility for all primary aspects of the multi-line manufacturing and assembly process including Composite Fabrication at our Grand Forks, ND Plant and at our Duluth, MN plants, Sub-Assembly Operations (Facility 5 Plant), Machining Operations (Metalworks Plant), Bonded and Aircraft Assembly Operations (Main Plant), Prep-Paint-Detailing Operations (Finishing Center Plant), and Flight Line Operations (Main Plant). In partnership with the VP of Supply Chain, the SVP Operations is also responsible for all aspects of the Supply Chain process including Shipping and Logistics, Production Planning and Control, Material Inventory Management, Handling, and Control, Procurement, and Strategic Sourcing.   

The SVP Operations reports to the President, Innovation & Operations with accountability for the performance management system and results in the areas of safety, people, quality, delivery, and financial metrics for the Operations organization.  

The position is located in Duluth, MN. As the home to our corporate headquarters, Duluth is a four-season city on the western tip of Lake Superior and was voted Best Town by Outside Magazine. The splendor of the largest freshwater lake in the world offers a multitude of outdoor activities for adventure or rejuvenation. The North Shore lifestyle is known its year-round activities, including bicycle and snowmobile trails, kayaking, rock climbing, fishing, hiking, golfing, sailing and skiing. And as a top employer in the area, Cirrus Aircraft was recently named “Best Overall Large Company to Work for in the Northland” and “Best Workplace Culture” by the Duluth News Tribune readers.  

ABOUT YOU 
Strategy  

• Work integrally with the executive leadership team in the development of corporate strategy and product plans meeting the long-term goals of the company.  
  Create a vision for the operations and manufacturing strategies and future-state processes, working with the Executive team and business partners, to identify differentiating manufacturing capabilities, efficiencies and solutions creating competitive advantages.  
• Develop and maintain a mid-range and long-range planning roadmap in alignment with the corporate portfolio, product plans, and demand forecasts. Collaborate with the Program & Planning Office (PPO), Business Development function, and Marketing Product Line Management in the overall planning process.   
• Help determine employment, capital investment parameters, priorities and risks for enterprise-wide operations and manufacturing initiatives to maximize return on investment.  
• Flow down corporate strategy and objectives resulting in Annual Budget & Operating Plan for the area and associated teams.  
  Collaborate with other senior leaders to ensure seamless integration of operations with sales, marketing, and other functional areas.  

Operational Excellence  

• Lead efforts to streamline and enhance end-to-end manufacturing & operational processes to improve safety, quality, delivery, efficiency and costs.  
• Implement and manage key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure and improve operational performance.  
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, identifying opportunities for innovation and efficiency gains.