VP Operations

XTEND is seeking an experienced Vice President of Operations to lead and scale the company’s U.S. operational organization in support of rapid growth across the defense and national security markets. 

The VP of Operations will have executive responsibility for supply chain, procurement, production, manufacturing operations, facilities, logistics, inventory, and delivery performance across XTEND’s U.S. business. 

This is a hands-on leadership role for an experienced defense-industry operator who can build scalable processes and teams while maintaining the speed, flexibility, and accountability required in a high-growth defense technology company. 

The successful candidate will ensure that customer and program wins transition into executable procurement, production, delivery, and sustainment plans. 

Key Responsibilities 

Supply Chain & Procurement 

• Own the U.S. supply chain, procurement, planning, and supplier-management functions. 
• Develop a resilient and scalable domestic supplier base supporting defense production requirements. 
• Establish sourcing strategies, supplier qualification processes, LTAs, forecasting, and material-planning disciplines. 
• Manage supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery, and capacity. 
• Identify and mitigate supply-chain risks, including long-lead, single-source, obsolescence, and compliance-related risks. 
• Work closely with engineering to transition engineering BOMs into executable manufacturing BOMs and production plans. 
• Ensure supply-chain activities comply with applicable U.S. government and defense-industry requirements. 

Production & Manufacturing 

• Lead all U.S. production and manufacturing operations. 
• Scale manufacturing capacity to support increasing customer demand and program requirements. 
• Establish production planning, scheduling, work instructions, process controls, and performance metrics. 
• Drive improvements in throughput, yield, cost, quality, and on-time delivery. 
• Ensure manufacturing readiness for new products and programs. 
• Partner with Engineering, Program Management, Quality, and Configuration Management to transition products effectively from development into production. 
• Establish disciplined operational processes without compromising the speed required in a rapidly growing organization. 

Facilities & Logistics 

• Own XTEND U.S. facilities and operational infrastructure. 
• Manage expansion, layout, production-space requirements, equipment, tooling, and capital investments. 
• Lead warehousing, inventory control, receiving, shipping, and logistics. 
• Establish inventory-management processes that provide accurate material visibility and support production forecasting. 
• Ensure secure, safe, compliant, and efficient operation of U.S. facilities. 
• Manage logistics supporting customer deliveries, demonstrations, field operations, and deployments. 

Operational Leadership 

• Build and lead a high-performing U.S. operations organization. 
• Recruit, develop, and manage leaders across supply chain, manufacturing, facilities, logistics, and related functions. 
• Establish KPIs and operating rhythms covering production, inventory, supplier performance, cost, quality, and delivery. 
• Develop operating plans aligned with bookings, backlog, customer commitments, and growth forecasts. 
• Own operational budgets and capital planning. 
• Partner closely with U.S. Program Management, Engineering, Finance, Quality, Business Development, and executive leadership. 
• Coordinate effectively with XTEND's global organization while maintaining clear accountability for execution of U.S. programs. 
• Create an operating culture centered on ownership, urgency, accountability, disciplined execution, and customer delivery. 

• 10+ years of progressive operations, manufacturing, supply-chain, or program-execution experience in the tech industry .. 
• Significant leadership experience within the U.S. defense, aerospace, or defense technology industry is required. 
• Demonstrated experience leading manufacturing and/or supply-chain organizations supporting defense products or systems. 
• Proven ability to scale operations from development or low-rate production into repeatable production. 
• Strong understanding of defense-industry supply chains, manufacturing requirements, government customers, and compliance environments. 
• Experience managing suppliers, procurement, production planning, inventory, logistics, and facilities. 
• Demonstrated ability to build teams, processes, and infrastructure in a rapidly growing organization. 
• Strong financial and operational acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, capacity planning, and cost management. 
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment where priorities and customer requirements can change quickly. 
• Strong leadership, communication, decision-making, and cross-functional management skills. 
• U.S. Person status and ability to work within applicable export-control and security requirements. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience in the UAS / unmanned systems industry is a significant advantage. 
• Experience with Group 1–3 UAS, autonomous systems, robotics, loitering munitions, or related defense technologies. 
• Experience scaling production of complex electromechanical systems. 
• Experience supporting U.S. Department of Defense programs and customers. 
• Familiarity with ITAR, EAR, DFARS, FAR, NDAA requirements, and defense supply-chain compliance. 
• Experience implementing or operating within ISO 9001 or AS9100 quality-management systems. 
• Experience with ERP/MRP implementation and manufacturing planning systems. 
• Experience establishing or expanding a U.S.-based defense manufacturing operation. 

Leadership Profile 

XTEND is looking for a builder and operator. 

• The ideal candidate is equally comfortable developing an operating strategy, negotiating with a critical supplier, walking a production floor, resolving a material shortage, building a team, and personally driving a customer delivery across the finish line.