The Role

Every commitment Gunwerks makes to a customer ultimately lands on the production floor. The Director of Manufacturing owns the delivery of that commitment — on time, on quality, within cost.

This is a systems-builder role, not a shop-floor supervisor role. We're hiring the leader who will develop the people, build the processes, control the inventory, and create the operating discipline that lets our manufacturing environment run without heroics. Our goal is a manufacturing operation that runs itself. Getting there — and keeping it there — is your work.

You will report to the VP of Operations and lead department managers across Production, Supply Chain, Machine Shop, Warehouse, and Facility. You will sit on the operating leadership team and have direct line of sight to the CEO.

What You'll Own

Production Planning & Execution

Schedule and coordinate production across all product lines — custom rifles, ammunition, suppressors, accessories, and the Skunkwerks build calendar.
Own COGS performance and manage to the annual manufacturing operations plan.
Drive labor, equipment, and material utilization. Minimize downtime through planning and preventive maintenance.
Track output, yield, on-time delivery, rework, and scrap weekly. Lead with the numbers.
Own ERP data integrity in Odoo — BOMs, routings, work centers, costing.

Quality Management

Own the Quality Management System end-to-end, from incoming inspection through final shipment.
Lead root cause analysis and corrective action. Close issues with urgency.
Partner with Product Engineering on NPI quality sign-off — no new product enters full production without a documented quality acceptance framework.
Drive first pass yield, defect rate, rework, scrap, and warranty cost in the right direction year over year.

Supply Chain & Inventory

Build procurement strategies that support production without bloating inventory.
Negotiate supplier pricing and terms. Maintain qualified alternates for every critical single-source part.
Own inventory turnover, accuracy, shrinkage, and obsolescence.
Coordinate inbound and outbound logistics and warehouse operations.

Compliance

Ensure full BATF compliance — FFL management, ATF Forms 1/2/3/4, bound book accuracy. Zero tolerance, zero delay.
Maintain ITAR and export compliance across all manufacturing and shipping activities.
Run regular compliance audits. Implement corrective actions before findings become violations.

Facility

Oversee facility maintenance, utilities, and capital improvement projects.
Run preventive maintenance programs across production equipment and infrastructure.
Treat the facility as a brand touchpoint — because it is one.

Team Leadership

Directly manage department leads across Production, Supply Chain, Machine Shop, Warehouse, and Facility.
Run weekly team meetings, quarterly performance reviews, and structured development plans.
Recruit, develop, and retain production talent. Build a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.

How Success Is Measured

You'll be accountable to a clear scoreboard. The standards we hire to:

COGS at or below annual plan.On-time delivery ≥ 95%.Finished goods defect rate < 1%; first pass yield ≥ 98%.Inventory turnover at or above plan.BATF compliance: 100%, zero violations.Safety: zero lost-time incidents.ERP data accuracy ≥ 99%.Production team turnover < 15% annually.

Who We're Looking For

This role is a fit if most of the following describe you:

You have 7+ years leading manufacturing operations, with at least 3 in a director-level or plant-leader role.
You've built and run a real Quality Management System — not just inherited one.
You can read a P&L, own a COGS line, and defend a capital request with a credible ROI case.
You're fluent in lean manufacturing principles and comfortable with ERP systems.
You've operated in a regulated environment. BATF/FFL experience is strongly preferred. ITAR, FDA, aerospace, medical device, or similar regulated manufacturing experience translates well.
You manage to the numbers and to the standard — both. You don't accept one in place of the other.
You build systems that outlast you. You don't run a shop on heroics.
You hold people accountable without being a jerk about it. You develop your team.

A bachelor's degree in engineering, operations, supply chain, or a related field is preferred. Equivalent operating experience is what actually matters.

How We Work

Our core values aren't posters on a wall. They're how we hire, evaluate, and promote:

Ownership Mentality — own the problem, find the solution, drive the result. No excuses.
Winning Team — collaboration and humility. Success here is a team sport.
Never Ordinary — reject mediocrity. Push the standard.
Build to Last — long-term thinking in everything we make and every relationship we build.

Gunwerks

Latest Jobs

Director of Manufacturing