Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Location: Columbus, MS
Industry: Defense, Aerospace, and Highly Regulated Manufacturing

Position Overview
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, responsible for driving operational excellence across manufacturing, supply chain, quality, engineering, and program execution. This individual ensures disciplined performance against cost, schedule, and technical requirements while strengthening organizational capability to support long-term growth.

Core Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Direct all daily operations including production, supply chain, inventory, quality, engineering, and program management.
• Ensure operational precision and consistency across all programs while meeting cost, schedule, and performance commitments.
• Oversee production planning, capacity utilization, materials management, and logistics.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, and advanced manufacturing methodologies.

Strategic & Corporate Execution

• Partner closely with the CEO and executive leadership team to develop, refine, and execute corporate strategy.
• Translate high-level strategy into operational roadmaps, KPIs, and measurable performance outcomes.
• Identify operational risks and ensure compliance with all regulatory frameworks (FAR/DFARS, ITAR, AS9100, NIST/CMMC).
• Lead operational integration efforts tied to mergers, acquisitions, or strategic partnerships.

Program & Contract Performance

• Ensure successful performance across all government and commercial programs.
• Collaborate with program leadership to manage budgets, schedules, risk, and customer requirements.
• Serve as a key interface with government customers (DoD, service branches, prime contractors) to ensure alignment and satisfaction.

Leadership, Culture, and Talent Development

• Build, mentor, and scale high-performing operational teams.
• Foster a culture centered on accountability, continuous improvement, innovation, and mission execution.
• Develop leadership depth, succession plans, and workforce capability across operations.

Financial & KPI Management

• Partner with the CFO to develop operating budgets, forecasts, long-range plans, and capital strategies.
• Monitor operational KPIs (OTD, quality, gross margin, COGS, yield, scrap/rework) and execute mitigation plans when required.
• Support investments in equipment, automation, systems, and facility expansion aligned with corporate growth.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations, or related technical discipline required.
• MBA or advanced technical degree strongly preferred.

Experience

• 15+ years of progressive operational leadership within aerospace, defense, or a highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading large organizations ($100M+ revenue scale) with multi-disciplinary technical teams.
• Deep expertise in DoD contracting, DFARS/FAR, ITAR compliance, AS9100 quality systems, and cybersecurity frameworks (NIST 800-171, CMMC).

Competencies

• Strategic thinker with a strong bias toward disciplined execution.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and change management capability.
• Strong command of supply chain, manufacturing, engineering, and ERP-driven operational environments.
• Demonstrated success driving operational transformation and continuous improvement.