Vice President of Operations

Sparton is an innovative defense contractor headquartered in DeLeon Springs, Florida, with a rich heritage dating back to 1900. Renowned for our exceptional manufacturing capabilities, we specialize in producing high-quality sonobuoys critical to the United States' undersea warfare arsenal, enhancing national security against current and future adversaries. But we are more than manufacturers; we are problem solvers. Our team of dedicated engineers and skilled professionals tackles some of the most challenging issues in defense technology. Our expertise includes advanced research systems, maritime solutions, sophisticated sensor technologies and payload delivery capabilities.

Job Summary

Leads the Operations function to deliver safe, compliant, high-quality manufacturing at scale. Accountable for production execution, manufacturing engineering integration, and continuous improvement to meet financial, delivery, and performance objectives in a regulated environment.

Responsibilities and Tasks

• Set and execute the Operations strategy to deliver safe, compliant, high-quality production aligned to corporate objectives.
• Lead day-to-day manufacturing execution to achieve cost, quality, delivery, and performance targets.
• Own the operational cadence for SIOP in partnership with cross-functional leaders: demand signal review, capacity planning, production planning alignment, constraint management, and executive-level tradeoff decisions.
• Establish disciplined, repeatable manufacturing processes that support high-rate production and scalability.
• Ensure rigorous configuration and change control so production builds to released requirements with controlled implementation of engineering changes.
• Drive operational excellence through standard work, labor and equipment utilization, yield improvement, and throughput optimization.
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering to industrialize new products, improve manufacturability, and increase production readiness and process capability.
• Maintain strong traceability and production records (lot/serial control where applicable), ensuring records integrity and customer/regulatory retention expectations are met.
• Lead nonconformance control and corrective action discipline (MRB support, root cause, CAPA) to reduce escapes, improve yield, and prevent recurrence.
• Ensure readiness for customer, regulatory, and government audits by sustaining objective evidence, training, and process adherence.
• Maintain compliance with applicable federal regulations and customer/quality requirements (including export-controlled handling expectations as applicable to operations).
• Build and develop a high-performing operations leadership team with clear accountability, execution rigor, and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Provide concise, data-driven reporting to senior leadership on operational performance, risks, and capacity outlook.

• Bachelor's degree in business administration or similar (MBA preferred) and 8-12 years of related experience in order to be proficient in the above areas, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Executive operations leadership in regulated manufacturing
• High-rate production and capacity planning expertise
• SIOP execution and operational cadence leadership
• Compliance-driven manufacturing discipline (DoD / A&D)
• Continuous improvement and scalability mindsetEngineering partnership and industrialization experience
• Data-driven, decisive, and execution-focused leadership
• U.S. Citizenship
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

• 8-12 Direct reports
• 300+ Indirect reports

• 20% travel
• The physical demands describe here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. The work environment characteristics described are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. This job operates in a professional office environment and a manufacturing environment. The employee may be exposed to fumes or airborne particles, moving mechanical parts and vibration. The employee is occasionally exposed to a variety of extreme conditions in the plant. The noise level in the work environment may be loud.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, talk, and communicate, use hands/finger, feel, and reach with arms. This position requires the ability to lift, bend or stoop as necessary up to 20lbs.

• Robust medical, dental, vision, & disability coverage.
• Healthcare concierge to help you navigate your benefit selections.
• Virtual health solutions for physical therapy, menopause, and diabetes.
• Company paid Basic Life Insurance. Additional Life & AD&D Insurances are available.
• On-site wellness clinic.

• Competitive compensation.
• 401k program to plan for your future with company match 75% up to 8% plus 1% Employer contribution.
• Company Paid Time Off (Vacation and Sick).
• Paid parental leave.
• Adoption assistance.
• Fertility and family building assistance.

• Flexible work schedules available based on position:
  • 9/80 schedule providing every other Friday off
  • 5/8s
  • 4/10s
  • 3/12s
• Lifestyle spending account.
• Perks at work.
• Generous employee referral program.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Voluntary benefits available: longer term care, legal, identity theft, pet Insurance, and many more options