Senior Manager, Manufacturing Operations

As part of our Manufacturing team, you’ll bring innovation to life, transforming visionary designs into world-class training solutions. You’ll play a key role in assembling, refining, and delivering products that support aviation and defence missions worldwide. Every detail you shape contributes to safety, precision, and performance.

About the role

Are you a transformational leader who challenges the status quo and drives operational excellence? Are you energized by building high-performing teams, simplifying complexity, and delivering measurable results on the shop floor?

At CAE, we are undergoing a significant evolution of our manufacturing operations. We are looking for leaders who will not only manage—but fundamentally transform—how we operate. This role requires a balance of strategic thinking and hands-on execution to modernize processes, develop people, and elevate performance to world-class standards within a complex, high-mix manufacturing environment.

The role we are offering you

As Senior Manager, Manufacturing Operations, you will lead production teams through a period of operational transformation. Reporting to the Director of Operations, you will be accountable for performance, process excellence, and team capability building across your area.

You will lead a team of approximately 150 employees, including 8 direct reports (1st level managers), across 7 different operations processes.

You will act as a change agent—challenging existing practices, implementing Lean principles, and building scalable, efficient systems that eliminate waste and improve flow.

Key responsibilities

• Support and maintain operational transformation initiatives aligned with Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement principles.
• Challenge the status quo and identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, and optimize processes in safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement (SQDCE).
• Lead with hands on leadership; understand processes, identify issues, and coach teams to do the same.
• Balance tactical execution with strategic elevation of operations.
• Build, coach, and develop a high-performing leadership team (1st level production managers and team leads) on Lean tools, structured problem-solving, and performance management.
• Instill a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and problem-solving at all levels.
• Actively manage labor relations in a unionized environment, including collaboration with union representatives, application of the collective agreement, and involvement in grievance resolution.
• Drive disciplined daily management routines (tier meetings, escalation processes, action tracking).
• Use data-driven decision-making to prioritize and sustain improvements.
• Ensure effective use and integration of manufacturing systems (ERP, MES, planning tools).
• Partner proactively with internal stakeholders to align operational execution with business objectives (planning, engineering, quality, supply chain, EH&S, industrial engineering).

What we are looking for

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field.
• 8 years of leadership experience in manufacturing or operations in a transformation or continuous improvement context.
• Strong knowledge of Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, assembly and operational excellence methodologies.
• Familiarity with manufacturing systems (ERP/MRP, MES) and data-driven operations (daily management, KPIs, visual controls).
• Proven ability to lead change and influence across all levels of an organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on, pragmatic leader who is comfortable operating at both strategic and tactical levels.
• Strong coaching and talent development skills.
• Ability to challenge constructively and drive accountability.
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, evolving environment with competing priorities.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience working in a unionized environment and navigating labor relations challenges.

Why join CAE?

• Be a key leader in a major operational transformation.
• Work in an environment where innovation and continuous improvement are expected and supported.
• Opportunity to have a tangible impact on performance, culture, and ways of working.
• Collaborative, multidisciplinary teams and challenging projects.

Benefits

• Group Insurance.
• Telemedicine Employee and Family Assistance Program.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
• Group RRSP.
• CAE Pension Plan/Defined Benefit Plan.
• Sabbatical Leave.
• Flex Time.
• Enhanced Parental Leave.

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About CAE

Position Type

Regular

Equal Opportunity & Accommodations

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