--- title: "VP of Operations · Tampa · Ascend Recruiting Parnters" description: "Tampa, Florida, United States · On-site — Job Title: VP Operations Industry: Defense Manufacturing/UAS On-site Location: Tampa, FL Relocation Provided:…" canonical_url: "https://www.dronejobs.app/jobs/ascend-recruiting-parnters-vp-of-operations" meta: "og:description": "Tampa, Florida, United States · On-site — Job Title: VP Operations Industry: Defense Manufacturing/UAS On-site Location: Tampa, FL Relocation Provided:…" "og:image": "https://www.dronejobs.app/_og/d/c_JobPosting%2Cslug_ascend-recruiting-parnters-vp-of-operations%2Cp_Ii9qb2JzL2FzY2VuZC1yZWNydWl0aW5nLXBhcm50ZXJzLXZwLW9mLW9wZXJhdGlvbnMi%2Cs_cqiI167T94TbkeWE.png" "og:image:height": "630" "og:image:type": image/png "og:image:width": "1200" "og:title": "VP of Operations · Tampa · Ascend Recruiting Parnters" "twitter:image": "https://www.dronejobs.app/_og/d/c_JobPosting%2Cslug_ascend-recruiting-parnters-vp-of-operations%2Cp_Ii9qb2JzL2FzY2VuZC1yZWNydWl0aW5nLXBhcm50ZXJzLXZwLW9mLW9wZXJhdGlvbnMi%2Cs_cqiI167T94TbkeWE.png" --- > Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://www.dronejobs.app/llms.txt) [Back to jobs](https://www.dronejobs.app/jobs) ![Logo of Ascend Recruiting Parnters](https://assets.jobbb.io/cdn-cgi/image/w=128,h=128,f=auto/logos/01kjg2ak0d3847scwb4z5k967y_1772213325.png) **Ascend Recruiting Parnters** **Actively hiring ** [Website](https://ascendrecruitingpartners.com) # **VP of Operations**
Workplace
**On-site**
Commitment
**Full-time**
Seniority
**Executive**
Salary
$145,000-180,000/yr
Posted
2mo ago
Location Tampa, Florida, United States --- **Job Title: VP Operations** **Industry: Defense Manufacturing/UAS** **On-site Location: Tampa, FL** **Relocation Provided: Yes** **Salary Range: $145,000 - $180,000** **Must be a U.S. citizen (ITAR)** **Job Overview:** Our client is seeking a hands-on, high-impact VP of Operations to build and scale its U.S. operational infrastructure in Tampa, FL. Reporting directly to the CEO, this executive will own the end-to-end U.S. operations lifecycle—from demand and production planning through procurement, receiving, assembly, quality, and customer shipment—while serving as the operational bridge to global headquarters. **The immediate priority is to establish a resilient U.S.-based defense supply chain capable of supporting rapid growth, domestic-content expectations, short UAS production cycles, and stringent regulatory requirements.** **Minimum Requirements:** - 10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations and supply chain management, including at least 5 years in a leadership role in aerospace/defense manufacturing - Significant operations leadership experience within the U.S. defense industry; - Deep knowledge of U.S. Defense contracting standards and compliance - Must have experience managing U.S. supply chain and US sourcing, procurement, etc. - Direct experience in UAS/UAV, drone, autonomous systems, or related unmanned defense platforms. - Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, and scalable production-system expertise. - Must understand the regulatory and contracting environment, including FAR/DFARS and defense supply-chain compliance. - Proven track record leading and optimizing complex manufacturing, production, procurement, logistics, quality, and supplier operations. - Strong working knowledge of ITAR/EAR and export-control requirements relevant to defense hardware and UAS operations. - Demonstrated ability to build, localize, and scale a U.S. supplier base under tight availability, cost, capacity, and compliance constraints. - Hands-on leadership style with the ability to work directly on the production floor, with suppliers, and with business development/customer teams. - Exceptional communication and stakeholder-management skills across different cultures, time zones, and global functions. - Ability to work on-site in Tampa, Florida, and to operate effectively in a fast-growth, startup-style environment. - Must be a U.S. citizen (ITAR) **Preferred Requirements:** - Experience with small UAS supply chains, rapid production cycles, electro-mechanical hardware, batteries, motors, sensors, payloads, or related components. - Experience implementing or optimizing ERP systems and advanced supply-chain planning tools. - Experience working for a smaller, yet international organization. **Responsibilities:** - Lead all U.S. operational functions, including procurement, supply chain, logistics, production, quality assurance, quality control, receiving, and shipping. - Create and execute the U.S. supply-chain strategy, identifying and qualifying domestic suppliers while balancing capacity, cost, lead time, quality, and defense compliance. - Translate business-development and customer demand into resource, procurement, production, and delivery plans that support revenue and program milestones. - Build scalable operational processes for a growing U.S. manufacturing site, with clear accountability, metrics, controls, and operating rhythms. - Drive Lean Manufacturing and continuous-improvement initiatives to increase throughput, quality, predictability, and cost efficiency. - Develop strategic supplier relationships and contingency plans to reduce supply-chain concentration and component-risk exposure. - Own operational performance against production targets, customer commitments, cost objectives, and broader P&L expectations. - Ensure compliance with applicable U.S. and international regulations, including ITAR/EAR and defense-related procurement requirements. - Serve as the U.S. operational liaison to global headquarters with teams such as Finance, HR, IT, and other global functions, maintaining alignment with global policies and culture. - Partner closely with business development, engineering, customers, and external partners to support new programs, changing requirements, and rapid scale-up. - Recruit, develop, and lead the operations organization while remaining personally engaged in day-to-day execution and issue resolution. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@id":"https://www.dronejobs.app/#website","@type":"WebSite","inLanguage":"en","name":"DroneJobs","url":"https://www.dronejobs.app","publisher":{"@id":"https://www.dronejobs.app/#identity"}},{"@id":"https://www.dronejobs.app/jobs/ascend-recruiting-parnters-vp-of-operations#webpage","@type":"WebPage","description":"Tampa, Florida, United States · On-site — Job Title: VP Operations Industry: Defense Manufacturing/UAS On-site Location: Tampa, FL Relocation Provided:…","name":"VP of Operations · Tampa · Ascend Recruiting Parnters","url":"https://www.dronejobs.app/jobs/ascend-recruiting-parnters-vp-of-operations","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.dronejobs.app/jobs/ascend-recruiting-parnters-vp-of-operations#breadcrumb"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.dronejobs.app/#website"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://www.dronejobs.app/jobs/ascend-recruiting-parnters-vp-of-operations"]}]},{"@id":"https://www.dronejobs.app/#identity","@type":"Organization","description":"Connecting the world's best drone pilots with top-tier companies. The future of flight is here.","name":"DroneJobs","url":"https://www.dronejobs.app"},{"@id":"https://www.dronejobs.app/jobs/ascend-recruiting-parnters-vp-of-operations#job-posting","@type":"JobPosting","datePosted":"2026-09-13T21:11:24.000000Z","description":"\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Job Title: VP Operations\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Industry: Defense Manufacturing/UAS\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>On-site Location: Tampa, FL\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Relocation Provided: Yes\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Salary Range: $145,000 - $180,000\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Must be a U.S. citizen (ITAR)\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Job Overview:\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>Our client is seeking a hands-on, high-impact VP of Operations to build and scale its U.S. operational infrastructure in Tampa, FL. Reporting directly to the CEO, this executive will own the end-to-end U.S. operations lifecycle—from demand and production planning through procurement, receiving, assembly, quality, and customer shipment—while serving as the operational bridge to global headquarters. \u003Cstrong>The immediate priority is to establish a resilient U.S.-based defense supply chain capable of supporting rapid growth, domestic-content expectations, short UAS production cycles, and stringent regulatory requirements.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Minimum Requirements:\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations and supply chain management, including at least 5 years in a leadership role in aerospace/defense manufacturing\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Significant operations leadership experience within the U.S. defense industry;\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Deep knowledge of U.S. Defense contracting standards and compliance\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Must have experience managing U.S. supply chain and US sourcing, procurement, etc.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Direct experience in UAS/UAV, drone, autonomous systems, or related unmanned defense platforms.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, and scalable production-system expertise.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Must understand the regulatory and contracting environment, including FAR/DFARS and defense supply-chain compliance.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Proven track record leading and optimizing complex manufacturing, production, procurement, logistics, quality, and supplier operations.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Strong working knowledge of ITAR/EAR and export-control requirements relevant to defense hardware and UAS operations.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Demonstrated ability to build, localize, and scale a U.S. supplier base under tight availability, cost, capacity, and compliance constraints.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Hands-on leadership style with the ability to work directly on the production floor, with suppliers, and with business development/customer teams.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Exceptional communication and stakeholder-management skills across different cultures, time zones, and global functions.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Ability to work on-site in Tampa, Florida, and to operate effectively in a fast-growth, startup-style environment.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Must be a U.S. citizen (ITAR)\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Preferred Requirements:\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Experience with small UAS supply chains, rapid production cycles, electro-mechanical hardware, batteries, motors, sensors, payloads, or related components.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Experience implementing or optimizing ERP systems and advanced supply-chain planning tools.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Experience working for a smaller, yet international organization.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Responsibilities:\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Lead all U.S. operational functions, including procurement, supply chain, logistics, production, quality assurance, quality control, receiving, and shipping.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Create and execute the U.S. supply-chain strategy, identifying and qualifying domestic suppliers while balancing capacity, cost, lead time, quality, and defense compliance.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Translate business-development and customer demand into resource, procurement, production, and delivery plans that support revenue and program milestones.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Build scalable operational processes for a growing U.S. manufacturing site, with clear accountability, metrics, controls, and operating rhythms.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Drive Lean Manufacturing and continuous-improvement initiatives to increase throughput, quality, predictability, and cost efficiency.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Develop strategic supplier relationships and contingency plans to reduce supply-chain concentration and component-risk exposure.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Own operational performance against production targets, customer commitments, cost objectives, and broader P&L expectations.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Ensure compliance with applicable U.S. and international regulations, including ITAR/EAR and defense-related procurement requirements.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Serve as the U.S. operational liaison to global headquarters with teams such as Finance, HR, IT, and other global functions, maintaining alignment with global policies and culture.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Partner closely with business development, engineering, customers, and external partners to support new programs, changing requirements, and rapid scale-up.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Recruit, develop, and lead the operations organization while remaining personally engaged in day-to-day execution and issue resolution.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>","directApply":false,"title":"VP of Operations","validThrough":"2026-12-12T21:11:24.000Z","baseSalary":{"@type":"MonetaryAmount","currency":"USD","value":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":145000,"maxValue":180000,"unitText":"YEAR"}},"employmentType":["FULL_TIME"],"hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Ascend Recruiting Parnters","sameAs":"https://ascendrecruitingpartners.com","logo":"https://assets.jobbb.io/logos/01kjg2ak0d3847scwb4z5k967y_1772213325.png","url":"https://ascendrecruitingpartners.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Tampa","addressRegion":"FL","addressCountry":"US"}},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.dronejobs.app/jobs/ascend-recruiting-parnters-vp-of-operations#webpage"}},{"@id":"https://www.dronejobs.app/jobs/ascend-recruiting-parnters-vp-of-operations#breadcrumb","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","name":"Home","item":"https://www.dronejobs.app","position":1},{"@type":"ListItem","name":"Jobs","item":"https://www.dronejobs.app/jobs","position":2},{"@type":"ListItem","name":"VP of Operations","position":3}]}]} ``` ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](https://www.dronejobs.app/sitemap.md) for all pages.