Head of Manufacturing

Our client is establishing a Canadian-manufactured, NATO-certified, ITAR-free unmanned aerial systems capability designed to meet allied defence, security, and infrastructure needs at scale.

They are seeking a Head of Manufacturing for this founding executive role who will be responsible for building and leading the manufacturing capability from the ground up. You will define the production strategy, stand up the physical operations environment, and manage all aspects of manufacturing execution across the product lines – beginning with a joint venture platform and expanding to encompass both unmanned air systems.

This is a brownfield retrofit mandate. You will assess an existing industrial space, develop a facility conversion plan, and execute the retrofit – standing up workstations, production flow, tooling, and the physical infrastructure required to support contracted delivery against defence procurement timelines.

The Head of Manufacturing reports directly to the COO and is a member of the senior leadership team.

Key Responsibilities

• Facility Retrofit and Operations Stand-Up
• Lead the assessment of an existing industrial space and develop a detailed facility conversion plan for Southern Ontario final assembly and integration site
• Design and implement workstation layouts, production flow architecture, tooling configurations, and material handling systems suited to defence-grade UAS assembly
• Manage the physical retrofit execution — coordinating trades, equipment procurement, and fit-out sequencing to meet production go-live milestones
• Work with our regulatory and compliance lead to ensure the facility meets all Facility Security Clearance (FSC) requirements, including physical security standards, access controls, and documentation obligations under the Controlled Goods Program and PSPC Industrial Security
• Assess the capital equipment needs and lead procurement and installation of production and test equipment
• Build and implement all Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) documentation and progression plans targeting MRL 8/9 for both platforms

Production Strategy and Platform Execution

• Develop and own the end-to-end manufacturing strategy for all product lines
• Manage platform-differentiated production profiles
• Establish and maintain configuration management, quality assurance, and standardization frameworks across all platforms
• Drive Manufacturing Readiness Level progression and production ramp planning aligned to contracted delivery commitments

Partner and Supply Chain Management

• Manage the Ontario-based manufacturing partner network across defined production stages
• Maintain the centralized program authority over configuration control, production scheduling, and system integration oversight
• Develop and enforce partner performance standards, quality gates, and escalation protocols
• Lead the identification and qualification of additional manufacturing partners as production scale increases

Quality, Compliance, and Controlled Goods

• Ensure full compliance with Controlled Goods Program (CGP) requirements across all manufacturing environments, partner interactions, and personnel access protocols
• Maintain configuration traceability and export compliance documentation (CGP alignment, DND TA-2017 requirements) at all stages of production
• Implement and sustain quality management systems appropriate for defence-grade UAS production
• Establish and own corrective action and non-conformance management processes

Operational Performance and Continuous Improvement

• Own KPI frameworks covering safety, quality, delivery, and cost across all manufacturing operations
• Develop standard operating procedures
• Lead short and long-term investment planning for equipment, automation, and process improvement
• Identify and eliminate production bottlenecks and capacity constraints ahead of ramp milestones
• Drive cost reduction initiatives and efficiency gains as production volumes scale

Leadership and Team Development

• Build, lead, and develop the manufacturing team as headcount scales with production volume
• Set expectations for operational discipline, safety culture, and cross-functional collaboration
• Represent Manufacturing in executive leadership discussions, board updates, and investor due diligence

Proven Ability / Key Skills

Required

• Minimum 12 years of progressive experience in aerospace or defence manufacturing, with at least 5 years in a senior operational leadership role
• Demonstrated experience leading a brownfield facility retrofit or new production line stand-up – facility assessment, conversion planning, workstation design, and operational go-live
• Working knowledge of Facility Security Clearance (FSC) requirements, including physical security standards and documentation obligations applicable to a controlled goods manufacturing environment
• Deep understanding of Controlled Goods Program (CGP) requirements and obligations for a registered organization
• Hands-on knowledge of defence-grade quality management systems, configuration control, and MRL frameworks
• Experience managing multi-partner or distributed manufacturing environments
• Strong command of production planning, capacity management, and operational KPI frameworks

Strongly Preferred

• Experience with UAS, avionics integration, or precision electro-mechanical assembly
• Familiarity with both high-rate and low-volume/high-complexity production environments within the same organization
• Knowledge of ITAR-free production environments and Canadian export compliance frameworks
• Active Secret security clearance, or eligibility and willingness to obtain
• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

Please note, this is a real and current job vacancy. Morson Edge does not use artificial intelligence to screen or select candidates.