ABOUT THE JOB  
As a key member of the Cirrus Executive Team, the Senior Vice President of Operations (SVP) is the primary results-oriented operational leader guiding the manufacturing and supply chain teams in delivering safe, high quality, on-time, and at-cost aircraft to our customers. The Senior Vice President of Operations has tactical and strategic responsibilities ensuring near-term production goals are achieved while charting a course for mid and long-range growth and improvement. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of driving operational efficiency and operational excellence, implementing best practices in manufacturing and supply chain strategies, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and employee engagement to ensure efficiency, quality, and scalability.  

The Senior Vice President of Operations actively engages in and contributes to shaping the overarching business strategy. By leveraging expertise and anticipating future trends in current and emerging technologies, they play a pivotal role in influencing the design of operations and manufacturing processes. Additionally, the SVP Operations provides key leadership engagement in business process re-engineering initiatives (such as the Cirrus Operating System) aiming to establish new competitive advantages for the organization. The SVP Operations will also engage with the Executive Team on corporate strategy, mid-range planning, and annual operating planning.   

In collaboration with the VP Manufacturing, the SVP Operations has overall leadership responsibility for all primary aspects of the multi-line manufacturing and assembly process including Composite Fabrication at our Grand Forks, ND Plant and at our Duluth, MN plants, Sub-Assembly Operations (Facility 5 Plant), Machining Operations (Metalworks Plant), Bonded and Aircraft Assembly Operations (Main Plant), Prep-Paint-Detailing Operations (Finishing Center Plant), and Flight Line Operations (Main Plant). In partnership with the VP of Supply Chain, the SVP Operations is also responsible for all aspects of the Supply Chain process including Shipping and Logistics, Production Planning and Control, Material Inventory Management, Handling, and Control, Procurement, and Strategic Sourcing.   

The SVP Operations reports to the President, Innovation & Operations with accountability for the performance management system and results in the areas of safety, people, quality, delivery, and financial metrics for the Operations organization.  

The position is located in Duluth, MN. As the home to our corporate headquarters, Duluth is a four-season city on the western tip of Lake Superior and was voted Best Town by Outside Magazine. The splendor of the largest freshwater lake in the world offers a multitude of outdoor activities for adventure or rejuvenation. The North Shore lifestyle is known its year-round activities, including bicycle and snowmobile trails, kayaking, rock climbing, fishing, hiking, golfing, sailing and skiing. And as a top employer in the area, [redacted] was recently named “Best Overall Large Company to Work for in the Northland” and “Best Workplace Culture” by the Duluth News Tribune readers.  

Required Qualifications   

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or technical discipline required  

• 20+ years of operational, or combined technical and operational, experience required  

• 15+ years of leadership experience required  

• Executive level leadership experience required including administrative, strategy development, and financial oversight experience required 

Preferred Qualifications   

• Deep production operations experience required with strong continuous improvement / lean manufacturing leadership capability  

• Conversant in materials and logistics aspects of supply chain and working knowledge of procurement related processes and practices  

• International business experience required  

• Familiarity with FAA-related certification and production approval holder process experience preferred.   
  Deep understanding of current and emerging technologies and how other enterprises are employing them to drive digital business and how they may be applied to Cirrus.  

• Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to develop and communicate an information and technology vision that contributes to the business strategy.  

• Ability to identify and leverage resources internally and externally to the enterprise to enhance capabilities that drive digital business.  

• Ability to drive people, process and technology change in a dynamic and complex operating environment.  

• Deep understanding of current and emerging technologies and how other enterprises are employing them to drive digital business and how they may be applied to Cirrus.  

• Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to develop and communicate an information and technology vision that contributes to the business strategy.  

• Strong business acumen, including industry, domain-specific knowledge of the company.   

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain digital concepts and technologies to business leaders, and business concepts to the IT workforce.  

• Exceptional influence and negotiation skills.  

• Ability to identify and leverage resources internally and externally to the enterprise to enhance capabilities that drive digital business  

• Ability to drive people, process and technology change in a dynamic and complex operating environment  

• Strong business acumen, including industry, domain-specific knowledge of the company.  

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain digital concepts and technologies to business leaders, and business concepts to the

• IT workforce  

• Exceptional influence and negotiation skills.