General Manager – CNC Machining (Aerospace, Defense & Space)

🔍 At a glance
Company: Confidential
Location: Denver, NC 28037
Pay: $165,000 – $175,000/year
Job Type: Full Time
Experience: 10+ years
Machines: Automated 5-axis, mill-turn, wire EDM

Why this job is worth considering

This is a full P&L General Manager role over a precision CNC machining operation that supplies complex, close-tolerance components for space, aerospace and defense customers. The site runs 3 to 5-axis machining, mill-turn equipment and wire EDM, with a fair amount of automation already in place and more planned. Whoever takes this on will have real influence over how the facility scales — not just maintaining what's already running — and will work alongside a broader group of sister operating companies rather than in isolation.

What you'll be doing

• Own the site's P&L, annual operating plan, and financial forecast
• Lead manufacturing, engineering, quality and administration across the full site
• Maximize productive use of the automated 5-axis, mill-turn and wire EDM equipment, including unattended and lights-out production
• Personally ensure quotations accurately reflect technical risk, capacity and profitability — accurate quoting is a key responsibility of this role
• Maintain AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015 and ITAR compliance across every program
• Serve as the senior escalation point for key customers and partner with the commercial team on new business and diversification
• Build out the site's leadership bench and technical depth for future growth

What we're looking for

Required

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, operations, business or a related field; substantial directly relevant leadership experience may be considered in lieu of a degree
• 10+ years of progressively responsible manufacturing experience, including 5+ years of senior leadership responsibility in a machining, aerospace, defense or similar technical manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated P&L responsibility for a plant, business unit or operating company
• Working knowledge of manufacturing financials — revenue, gross margin, EBITDA, labor utilization, overhead absorption, working capital and capital investment
• Experience leading multidisciplinary functions: operations, engineering, quality, production planning, supply chain and customer service
• Strong customer-management, negotiation and organizational-development skills

Preferred

• Direct experience leading a precision CNC machining operation serving space, aerospace or defense customers
• Understanding of simultaneous 5-axis machining, mill-turn, wire EDM, automation, pallet systems and unattended production
• Experience machining titanium, Inconel, stainless steel, aluminum and other aerospace materials
• Familiarity with AS9100D, ISO 9001, ITAR, CMMC and NIST SP 800-171
• Experience with new-product introduction, first-article inspection, program transfers and production scaling
• Experience within a private-equity-backed or multi-site manufacturing organization
• Lean, Six Sigma or comparable continuous-improvement training; MBA or advanced technical/business degree

Pay, benefits and schedule

$165,000–$175,000 per year, based on experience. Full-time, on-site leadership role.

About This Employer and Apply

This employer is a precision CNC machining operating company supplying complex, close-tolerance components for space, aerospace and defense customers, presented here on a confidential basis. It is part of a larger group of CNC machining operating companies, giving this site access to shared technical resources and commercial relationships while running its own P&L. This role reports to the parent organization's CEO.

Apply through hireCNC on a confidential basis — qualified candidates will be contacted directly by hireCNC's recruiter for this search.