Vice President of Operations

San Diego, CA

Full Time

Operations

Executive

GROW WITH US AND STAY EXTRAORDINARY:
Launch your career to new heights with Innoflight—one of San Diego’s fastest-growing Aerospace and Defense innovators. Here, visionary minds engineer the future of space technology through pioneering, compact, and cyber-secure solutions. From software-defined radios to cutting-edge cryptographic systems and avionics, everything we build powers the next era of New Space. Join our small, agile, and mission-driven team where your work has real impact and your growth has no limits. We’re not just reaching for the stars—we’re engineering them. Let’s innovate the infinite, together.

A DAY IN THE LIFE:
As Vice President of Operations at Innoflight, you will lead and oversee the company’s manufacturing operations, driving efficiency, quality, and compliance across all production activities. You will serve as a strategic leader responsible for planning, directing, and optimizing equipment acquisition, facility layout, and end-to-end manufacturing processes. Your work will influence operational strategy, workflow design, compliance adherence, and team development, ensuring production performance, customer satisfaction, and quality standards are consistently met. You will collaborate with executive leadership to implement long-term goals, advanced technologies, and continuous process improvement initiatives across the organization.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

Lead manufacturing operations: Oversee production processes, ensuring performance, safety, quality, and compliance standards are consistently met.
Drive operational excellence: Establish workflows, assembly methods, and production strategies to maximize efficiency and reduce risk.
Supervise and develop teams: Recruit, mentor, and evaluate Operations and Program Management staff, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Manage equipment and facilities: Coordinate with Finance and Facilities teams on equipment acquisition, maintenance, and layout planning.
Ensure regulatory compliance: Collaborate with environmental, health, and safety teams to maintain compliance with federal, state, and industry regulations.
Support executive strategy: Partner with the CEO and CFO on long-range operating goals, expansion plans, budgets, and technology implementation.
Monitor performance: Review production reports and deliver progress updates to the executive team, identifying opportunities for operational improvements.
Foster cross-functional collaboration: Work with Finance, Facilities, Quality, and other departments to align operations with overall company goals.
Identify training opportunities: Ensure staff have access to programs that build skills and support professional growth.

YOU’RE AWESOME AT:

Leading complex manufacturing operations: Driving operational performance and quality in a regulated environment.
Executive influence: Communicating and collaborating effectively across all levels of the organization.
Team leadership and mentoring: Developing high-performing Operations and Program Management teams.
Regulatory and quality compliance: Maintaining adherence to AS9100D, ISO 9001, CMMI, IPC, and other standards.
Strategic decision-making: Aligning operational capabilities with business goals while managing risk and resources.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field required; Master’s Degree preferred.
10 or more years of progressive experience in industrial/manufacturing management, ideally in aerospace, defense, or similarly regulated industries.
Expertise in lean, Six Sigma, and risk-based quality management methodologies.
Deep knowledge of manufacturing processes, contract manufacturing, testing methods, assembly, conformal coating, and post-assembly services.
Demonstrated ability to influence at the executive level and communicate across departments.
Excellent organizational, managerial, verbal, and written communication skills.
Strong ability to set long-term operational goals, motivate teams, and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
Ability to obtain a U.S. Security Clearance.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:
The starting base salary for this position ranges from $150,000 to $230,000 per year, depending on the candidate’s job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition to a competitive base salary, Innoflight offers a well-rounded compensation package that includes a Profit-Sharing Bonus and a Cash Performance Bonus to reward both individual and company performance. Additional benefits include:

401(k) with 3% company match (automatic enrollment)
Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, HSA & life insurance
10 paid holidays + 160 hours PTO (starting in year one)
Access to ancillary benefits such as critical illness, accident, disability, legal and pet insurance.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING HERE:

Flexible Work-Life Balance: Enjoy a 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off—whether you use it to recharge, work on a passion project, or spend time with family, the choice is yours.
Continuous Learning & Development: We’re serious about professional development. From tuition reimbursement to internal "Ask Me Anything" sessions and weekly “Lunch & Learns,” we make learning a core part of the job.
Mission-Driven Culture: We aren’t just building tech—we’re enabling the next era of space exploration. Our Culture Ambassadors help lead initiatives around inclusion, positivity, recognition, and transparency. Here, your voice is heard, your work is respected, and your individuality is celebrated.

BE YOU, WITH US:
At Innoflight, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone belongs. We recognize that great talent comes in many forms, and you don’t need to meet every requirement to bring value to our team. If this role excites you, we encourage you to apply—even if you don’t check every box.

YOU SHOULD KNOW:
Potential new employees must successfully complete a background check which includes criminal search, education certification and employment verification prior to hire. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S as you must have the ability to obtain a security clearance. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa.

REFERRALS:
We love a good referral! If you know someone that would be a great fit for this position, please share!

A NOTE TO STAFFING AGENCIES:
Innoflight does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies, recruiters, or any third-party sources. Any such submissions will be considered property of Innoflight, and no fees will be paid in the event a candidate is hired from an unsolicited referral.

To California residents applying for this job, please read Innoflight’s CCPA Notice: https://www.innoflight.com/careers/california-consumer-privacy-act-notice-for-job-applicants.

#LI-Onsite

Apply for this position

Required*

First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Phone*

Address*

Resume*

We've received your resume. Click here to update it.

Attach resume or Paste resume

Attach resume as .pdf, .doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, or .rtf (limit 5MB) or Paste resume

Paste your resume here or Attach resume file

Who referred you to this position? Enter their first and last name here.

Have you previously applied and/or interview with Innoflight?*

If yes, what source did you apply through?*

Are you a U.S. Citizen?*

Do You Have the Legal Right to Work and be Employed in the U.S.?
(Proof of identity and legal authority to work in the U.S. is a condition of employment)

Pursuant to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, all applicants who are offered employment must produce documents establishing their identity and authorization for employment in the United States. These documents must be produced no later than three (3) business days after employment commences. In addition, all new hires will be required to verify their employment authorization under oath by signing INS Form I-9 upon commencing employment. **

Are you a citizen of any other country besides the United States?*

If so, what country? Type N/A if previously answered no.*

Do you have any relatives who live in a foreign country?*

If so, what country? Type N/A if previously answered no.*

Do you currently have an active Security Clearance?*

Can you obtain a Security Clearance?*

Were you previously denied a Security Clearance?*

Are you in agreement with working primarily in-office at our headquarters in San Diego, CA?*

What is your asking salary? (Please enter an annual amount. Applications submitted without a salary amount will not be considered)*

What is your availability for an interview in the next week to 10 days?*

The following questions are entirely optional.

To comply with government Equal Employment Opportunity and/or Affirmative Action reporting regulations, we are requesting (but NOT requiring) that you enter this personal data. This information will not be used in connection with any employment decisions, and will be used solely as permitted by state and federal law. Your voluntary cooperation would be appreciated. Learn more.

Gender

Race/Ethnicity

Invitation for Job Applicants to Self-Identify as a U.S. Veteran

A “disabled veteran” is one of the following:
- a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or
- a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Veteran status

I IDENTIFY AS ONE OR MORE OF THE CLASSIFICATIONS OF PROTECTED VETERAN LISTED ABOVE
I AM NOT A PROTECTED VETERAN
I DON’T WISH TO ANSWER

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
Blind or low vision
Cancer (past or present)
Cardiovascular or heart disease
Celiac disease
Cerebral palsy
Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
Diabetes
Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
Intellectual or developmental disability
Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
Short stature (dwarfism)
Traumatic brain injury

Please check one of the boxes below:

YES, I HAVE A DISABILITY, OR HAVE HAD ONE IN THE PAST NO, I DO NOT HAVE A DISABILITY AND HAVE NOT HAD ONE IN THE PAST I DO NOT WANT TO ANSWER

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

You must enter your name and date
Name	Date

Human Check*

Submit Application

Innoflight LLC

Thanks for visiting our Career Page. Please review our open positions and apply to the positions that match your qualifications.

Vice President of Operations

Apply for this position