Operations Manager - Start Center

Operations Manager, Start Center – Aerospace Materials

Sylmar, CA

Are you a passionate and driven Operations Manager who is looking to take their career to new heights?  Then look no further than this opportunity with PPG's Aerospace business! We are looking for someone who is able to see the future of aviation transparencies and take our exceptional products to the next level!

In the Operations Manager, Start Center – Aerospace Materials, you will be responsible for leading all aspects of raw material processing and specialized subcomponent manufacturing supporting the production of aerospace transparencies. This role oversees the processing of polycarbonate, as-cast acrylic, stretched acrylic materials and others, as well as thermal forming operations that produce highly engineered components for aerospace applications.

You will also be accountable for driving operational excellence with a primary focus on strategic objectives aligned to Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory, and Cost (SQDIC). This leader will establish a culture of proactive safety leadership, uncompromising quality standards, continuous improvement, and employee engagement while ensuring operational readiness to meet customer commitments and business objectives.

The role requires that you will be an influential leader who leads with purpose and intent, leverages data to drive decisions, and develops high-performing teams capable of delivering world-class manufacturing performance.

This is an On-site role working from the Sylmar, CA facility.  In this role you will report to the Plant Manager.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the Start Center organization in achieving strategic objectives across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory, and Cost (SQDIC) by developing and executing operational plans, establishing KPIs, and ensuring alignment between operational priorities and broader organizational goals to drive measurable improvements and a culture of ownership and operational excellence.
• Champion a proactive safety culture by leading risk identification, hazard elimination, ergonomic assessments, and Job Safety Analysis while ensuring full compliance with regulatory, company, and EHS requirements — with the ultimate goal of every employee going home the way they came in.
• Promote a "Quality First" mindset across all operations by ensuring compliance with aerospace and AS9100 quality standards, driving root cause analysis and corrective actions, and partnering with Quality and Engineering teams to improve process capability and prevent non-conformances.
• Oversee manufacturing operations involving polycarbonate, acrylic, and specialized aerospace subcomponent forming, ensuring production schedules are met through robust production management systems, daily management strategies, throughput improvements, and optimized resource utilization.
• Drive aggressive productivity improvements, scrap reduction, and waste elimination by applying Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles, identifying hidden factories, and leveraging data analytics to prioritize actions, sustain results, and reduce overall cost.
• Accountable for the planning, execution, and on-budget delivery of CapEx projects, including developing business cases for equipment and facility improvements and coordinating cross-functional resources to ensure operational readiness and safe project completion.
• Coach, mentor, and develop Production Managers, Supervisors, and Manufacturing Engineers through effective succession planning, performance management, and goal setting, while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and leadership through credibility and consistent execution.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in one of the following: Engineering, Manufacturing, Materials Science, Industrial Technology, or other technical/STEM discipline required. OR Ten (10) or more in a directly related manufacturing leadership role may be considered in lieu of formal education.
• Ten (10) or more years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience required.
• Aerospace manufacturing experience strongly preferred with significant AS9100 exposure.
• Previous experience with thermoplastic processing, polymer manufacturing, acrylics, polycarbonate materials, thermal forming, or related manufacturing technologies preferred.
• Previous experience managing capital projects and equipment investments from justification through implementation preferred.
• Five (5) or more years influencing and leading across multiple functions and organizational levels required.
• Only U.S. Citizens, Green Card holders, and political asylees or refugees are eligible to apply

#LI-PRT1

The base salary range for this position is $145,000.00 to $197,000.00, with a possibility of an annual bonus up to 20% of base salary.

PPG offers comprehensive benefits such as Health, Dental, Life, Retirement Plan, Paid Vacation & Holidays, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Disability/Leave, and other Voluntary benefit offerings. Actual benefit offerings confirmed at the time of hire.

About us: 

PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD® 

Through leadership in innovation, sustainability and color, PPG helps customers in industrial, transportation, consumer products, and construction markets and aftermarkets to enhance more surfaces in more ways than does any other company. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com and follow @PPG on X. 

The PPG Way 2030  

We are customer champions 

Proactive. Bold. Trustworthy. Everything we do starts with our customers. We listen, move fast and don’t stop until we solve their biggest challenges. When our customers win, we all grow. 

We act with purpose and speed 

Agile. Data-driven. Empowered. We take smart risks to stay ahead of the competition. We work proactively with agility, using quality data to develop solutions that create value.  

We are excellent operators 

Productive. Collaborative. Accountable. No matter our role, we identify problems, take ownership and always bring solutions. We are both proactive and responsive to drive continuous improvement and deliver results. We support our frontline, the faces of PPG to our customers.   

We compete to win 

Future-focused. Driven. Ambitious. We are passionate about growing our business and winning with our customers. We deliver results, embrace new technologies and leverage agility and speed as strengths. 

We are PPG proud 

Strong. United. Passionate. We work safely, act with integrity and value our diverse perspectives. We celebrate achievements and take pride in the positive impact we create together to protect and beautify the world. 

At PPG we use AI in the hiring process to make the process more efficient. AI tools do not make hiring decisions. You can learn more by going to  https://careers.ppg.com/us/en/candidate-resources.  

PPG provides equal opportunity to all candidates and employees. We offer an opportunity to grow and develop your career in an environment that provides a fulfilling workplace for employees, creates an environment for continuous learning, and embraces the ideas and diversity of others. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, pregnancy, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, disability status, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.  

If you need an adjustment due to a disability, please email [email protected]. 

PPG pay ranges and benefits can vary by location which allows us to compensate employees competitively in different geographic markets. PPG considers several factors in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience and training, qualifications and education, licensure and certifications, and other organizational needs. Other incentives may apply.  
Our employee benefits programs are designed to support the health and well-being of our employees. Any insurance coverages and benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.  Benefits will be discussed with you by your recruiter during the hiring process. 

PPG values your feedback on our recruiting process. We encourage you to visit Glassdoor.com and provide feedback on the process, so that we can do better today than yesterday.