What are the responsibilities and job description for the General Manager position at Talent?
Our client, a leading testing partner to the most well-known companies in the Space & Defense sector, is searching for a strong and technical leader to join one of their highest performing labs in Santa Clarita, LA. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone in the space & defense sector to lead a business that's making monumental changes in the industry, and creating a safer world to live in!
The Opportunity
Lead and scale a high-impact, 60-person technical test lab. This role owns the full operation—people, process, and profit—driving performance, safety, and growth in a complex, engineering-driven environment.
Responsibilities:
- Own P&L and overall lab performance, consistently meeting or exceeding profit targets
- Lead, coach, and build a high-performing technical team
- Set operational strategy and implement continuous improvement initiatives (Lean / 5S)
- Partner with Sales to drive year-over-year revenue growth
- Ensure regulatory compliance, safety, and operational excellence
- Make key decisions on hiring, performance management, and organizational structure
Requirements:
- Strong technical foundation (electrical, mechanical, testing, troubleshooting)
- Proven operations leader with full P&L ownership
- Track record of building cohesive, high-performing teams
- Experience driving efficiency, margin, and growth in production or manufacturing environments
- 5–10 years in Engineering, Operations or General Management (aerospace/defense)
- Charismatic, confident leader who thrives in hands-on environments
Education & Experience
- BS in Engineering preferred (MS or MBA a plus), or equivalent combination of technical and leadership experience
This role is fully onsite, 5 days/week in Santa Clarita, CA. Relocation assistance will be provided for qualified candidate's!
If interested, please apply, and feel free to send your resume to Sydney.gagnon@talentinternational.com for an expedited review!