Located in Sarasota, FL
Pay: $90,000-$120,000+
Job Full Description
We are partnered with a family owned and operated aerospace manufacturer in Sarasota, Florida hiring for a Project/Operations Manager. This is a pivotal role for someone who thrives in a high-precision, fast-paced manufacturing environment. The Project/Operations Manager will oversee the day-to-day flow of projects, ensure orders are executed efficiently, and communicate across departments to maintain clear timelines and expectations. The ideal candidate is both a strategic thinker and hands-on leader who knows how to drive accountability, adapt priorities, and keep operations moving smoothly.
You’ll be responsible for managing multiple clients with complex POs—some with 50+ line items—and ensuring accuracy, scheduling alignment, and on-time delivery.
This role also requires acting as a Customer Advocate, ensuring that updates and changes are communicated clearly and integrated into production. You’ll escalate “hot” issues, manage them through to resolution, and proactively scope service plans for new customers or particularly complex orders. This includes organizing cross-functional meetings with Quality, Engineering, and Customer Service to assess how we meet customer-specific requirements. You will become a “go-to” person both internally and externally.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee all active and incoming jobs from scheduling through completion.
- Act as a liaison between production, purchasing, quality, shipping, and management to ensure all stakeholders are aligned.
- Adjust project timelines proactively: escalate urgent orders, de-prioritize others, and make strategic shifts based on capacity and customer needs.
- Monitor progress of jobs on the shop floor and report regularly on job status.
- Walk the floor daily to follow up on production issues, provide support, and maintain visibility.
- Generate and analyze job reports to improve efficiency and aid planning.
- Identify and implement process improvements to optimize throughput and communication.
- Escalate key issues to senior leadership in real time.
- Advocate for customers and help define service plans for new or complex projects.
- Lead collaborative meetings to address customer-specific requirements and ensure successful outcomes.
Key Premium Skills (Highly Preferred)
Candidates with the following experience will be strongly considered for higher compensation within the salary range:
- Aerospace industry experience, including exposure to AS9100 standards and traceability protocols.
- Experience in a manufacturing “job shop” environment. This includes experience with the wide variety of customer orders vs. an environment that makes a few single products.
- Cross-departmental leadership, with a track record of team coordination and schedule management.
- Customer interaction experience, especially handling PO adjustments, expediting requests, and delivery changes.
Minimum Qualifications
- Minimum 7+ years Manufacturing Industry background is required—preferably in precision machining, aerospace, or defense.
- Prior experience in project coordination, production scheduling, or operations management.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Highly organized with strong problem-solving skills.
- Comfortable balancing desk work with daily presence on the shop floor.
- Comfortable with general Office technology, particularly Excel, Word, Email, and general databases.
- As an Excel user, the successful candidate will know how to create a spreadsheet, write simple formulas (addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc.), and format a spreadsheet so it can be clearly viewed and understood by a customer.
- Please note: We are growing fast, and as such, we live in a very fast-paced and changing environment. If this type of environment overwhelms you, please reconsider applying. If it excites you, we want to know about you!
Compensation & Benefits
- Base Salary: $90,000 – $120,000+ DOE
- Performance-based bonuses
- Paid time off, holidays, and health benefits
- Growth opportunity within a stable and growing company
If this is a position that interests you, please contact our office at 941-946-8600!
Sarasota, FL
3094
965 University Parkway
Suite 103
Sarasota, FL 34234
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