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Salary: USD 143,000 - 191,000 / annual
Anduril Industries, a defense technology company, is seeking a Senior Manager of Warehouse Operations Excellence to architect and lead the Material Movement & Flow (MMF) organization at Arsenal-1, a multi-program defense manufacturing site. This role is the management system architect responsible for designing and implementing a world-class operating system rooted in Toyota Production System principles, structured PDCA problem-solving, and disciplined daily management.
You will serve as the operational chief of staff to the Director of Material Movement & Flow, translating strategic priorities into structured execution. Key responsibilities include:
**Operating Systems & Methodology:** Design and facilitate tiered daily management systems (DOR, WOR, MOR), including templates, cadence, escalation paths, visual boards, and action tracking. Build tier board systems, leader standard work schedules, and escalation protocols. Serve as the team's Kata coach, owning the continuous improvement pipeline including Kaizen events, A3s, and savings validation.
**Governance & Accountability:** Build the governance framework defining how production programs engage with warehouse operations, including SLAs for material availability, handling requirements, turnaround commitments, and regulatory compliance. Develop scorecarding methodology and hold program leads accountable. Serve as the warehouse-to-planning interface.
**Training & Capability Building:** Design the qualification system including skills matrices, standard work documentation, onboarding programs, and train-the-trainer certification. Partner with the Warehouse Manager to build training capability within the existing team and identify supervisors and team leads as certified trainers.
**Analytics & Performance:** Define and visualize metrics across all warehouse functions using the SQDIP framework. Own calculation methodology and provide labor and budget analysis including headcount modeling and cost-per-unit metrics.
**Audits & Compliance:** Design and execute layered process audits, track standard work and leader standard work compliance, identify systemic gaps, and drive corrective actions.
**Change Management & Scaling:** Lead rollout of new processes, SOPs, and WMS/ERP system changes with communication plans and training requirements. Architect the operating model across multiple buildings and programs as the site builds out, ensuring consistency in management systems and process standards.
**Organization Design:** Partner with the Director to define functional charters, role boundaries, reporting structures, and operating models for new teams and leadership positions as the organization scales.
**Chief of Staff Functions:** Maintain org readiness tracker, prepare briefing packages for WOR and MOR, coordinate cross-functional priorities, surface risks through the operating rhythm, and ensure the Director's time is focused on strategic decisions.
**Budget & Cross-Functional Collaboration:** Own the MMF operating budget build, assemble inputs, prepare quarterly forecasts, and track actuals versus plan. Collaborate with cross-functional teams including production and manufacturing stakeholders, frequently working directly on the production floor.
**REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:**
- 7+ years in operational excellence, lean manufacturing, production system deployment, or warehouse/manufacturing operations, with 3+ years in a leadership role
- Expertise in TPS principles: Kata coaching, A3 problem-solving, Kaizen facilitation, and standard work development
- 3+ years designing and facilitating tiered daily management systems (DOR/WOR/MOR or equivalent)
- Experience building training and qualification systems in a manufacturing or warehouse environment
- Proficiency with KPI design, dashboards, and translating data into operational action
- Experience with ERP/WMS platforms and managing process changes through system transitions
- Strong analytical skills: labor modeling, budget analysis, and cost-per-unit tracking
- Excellent communication and coaching skills across all levels — shop floor to site leadership
- Demonstrated ability to operate as a chief of staff or right hand to a senior leader — synthesizing information, driving meeting cadence, and ensuring leadership bandwidth is protected
- U.S. citizenship required pursuant to contractual obligations
**PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:**
- Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, or related field
- Defense, aerospace, or government-contract manufacturing environment experience
- Experience scaling operations from low-volume/prototype to high-rate production
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Kata Coach certification, or equivalent credential
- Familiarity with DFARS, ITAR, and government property requirements
- Experience with visual management systems, layered process audits, and shop-floor information radiators
- Track record of building management systems from scratch at a new or scaling facility
