Plant and Production Manager

CoAspire (https://www.coaspire.com) is a cutting-edge defense manufacturing leader in Northern Virginia, specializing in the precision assembly of advanced weapons systems. With over twelve years of a legacy of innovation, we're at the forefront of building reliable, affordable mass weapons that protect and empower our nation’s warfighters. Our tight-knit team thrives in a collaborative environment where safety, quality, and work-life balance come first with a focus on professional growth. Join us to make a tangible impact on mission-critical technology while enjoying Northern Virginia's vibrant community.

Position: You will be the Plant and Production Manager for CoAspire’s first large-scale missile production facility. This is a factory-stand-up role, not a steady-state shift-supervisor job, , where innovation and real-time decision-making will drive the company’s execution success.

You will own the remodeling and commissioning of the plant — mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, power, life-safety, and production infrastructure — and then run the factory that comes out of that work. Once operational, you will lead daily production across precision missile assembly, additive manufacturing, and test, while building the internal capability to vertically integrate selected parts, processes, and suppliers.

You will report to the Director of Production Operations and are the single on-site owner for plant readiness, production output, safety, quality, cost, and the people who make the line run.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the facility remodel from plan through beneficial occupancy: mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, process utilities, power distribution, fire/life safety, compressed air, and production-floor infrastructure.
• Translate production requirements (additive cells, assembly lines, test cells, energetics/battery handling as applicable, special processes, receiving and shipping) into layouts, utility loads, environmental controls, and construction packages.
• Manage contractors, Architectural and Engineering partners, inspectors, utilities, and city/county permitting. Hold schedule, budget, change orders, and punch lists.
• Commission equipment and utilities with manufacturing engineering, environment, health, safety, quality, and Information Technology / Operational Technology so the factory is production-ready — not just construction-complete.
• Build the plant operating system: access control, hazardous-material storage, emergency action, lockout/tagout, and maintenance.
• Stand up and run daily operations across additive manufacturing, missile structure and subsystem assembly, integration, and factory/acceptance test.
• Deliver Safety, Quality, Rate, Cost, and On-time Delivery. Set the visual management and tier-meeting cadence the floor actually uses.
• Convert engineering intent into executable standard work: work orders, staffing, shift patterns, material presentation, and recovery when the line stops.
• Partner with manufacturing engineering on process capability, tooling, work instructions, first-pass yield, and the path from LRIP toward rate.
• Align production planning with program milestones, customer deliveries, and test windows.
• Assist with vertical integration decision-making with the focus on lead time, cost, quality, and program risk.
• Establish and qualify internal cells to AS9100D and customer requirements.
• Build receiving, inspection, inventory, and internal logistics for a factory that is taking work back from the supply base.
• Ensure vertical integration shortens the critical path instead of becoming one.
• Hire, train, and lead supervisors, team leads, technicians, and support staff. Build a bench that can run more than one shift as volume grows.
• Set a non-negotiable safety culture on a weapons manufacturing floor.
• Run the plant inside AS9100D, ITAR, DFARS, OSHA, NFPA, local codes, and customer security requirements.
• Be the manufacturing voice to leadership and customers on plant readiness, rate, cost, and risk.

Qualifications:

• U.S. citizenship. Secret clearance current or obtainable.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Facilities, or related field — or equivalent plant-leadership experience on complex hardware.
• 10 years in manufacturing operations, including 5 years leading people on a production floor.
• Proven stand-up, remodel, or commissioning of a factory, production hall, or major line — including contractor oversight and mechanical, electrical plumbing (MEP) /utility coordination from construction or retrofit to live production.
• Hands-on operations in at least two of: precision electro-mechanical assembly, aerospace/defense hardware, additive manufacturing, or factory test,
• Working knowledge of a certified production quality system (AS9100, ISO 9001, or equivalent) and Enterprise Resource Planning work-order execution.
• Documented ownership of Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost.

Desired Skills:

• Missiles, munitions, energetics, aircraft final assembly, or other flight-critical hardware.
• Additive manufacturing at production scale (process control, post-process, NDT — not only prototypes).
• Facilities capital-project leadership (MEP reviews, utility loads, permitting, commissioning).
• Make/buy or vertical-integration leadership.
• DoD contractor environment: ITAR, AS9100D audits, Manufacturing Readiness Level/Manufacturing Readiness Assessment.
• Multi-shift start-up and a technician pipeline ( community college, veterans).
• Lean applied to assembly / job-shop hybrids.

What We Offer:

Beyond competitive pay, we offer:

• Full benefits from first of month following hire: medical, dental and vision
• 401(k) with generous company match and immediate vesting
• PTO and Federal holidays

This position pays $175,000 - $210,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications.

Apply now! We're reviewing applications on a rolling basis. Let's build the future together. No agencies, please.

#Hiring #ManufacturingJobs #DefenseTech #ManassasVA #AerospaceCareers