Vice President of Operations

OVERVIEW:

ComAv is a FAR 145 Aerospace Services and Asset Management company in Victorville, CA operating two subsidiaries, ComAv Asset Management (CAM) and ComAv Technical Services (CTS). ComAv offers a fully integrated solution for aerospace asset owners through short-term and long-term aircraft storage, repair, maintenance, and end-of-life solutions. The company consists of a team of highly specialized aviation professionals and FAA-approved technicians trained on a per-aircraft basis to provide the best value for the customer while ensuring ComAv’s financial success. The company is located at the Southern California Logistics Airport in the high desert of Victorville, CA. The location’s climate is ideal for aircraft storage given the year-round low humidity and low rainfall. Likewise, it allows for easy international business through its on-premises TSA checkpoint and proximity to both LAX and ONT. Similarly, the recruitment of technicians is facilitated by the surrounding military bases and nearby Los Angeles market.

ComAv’s two divisions, ComAv Asset Management (CAM) and ComAv Technical Services (CTS), leverage each other’s capabilities and market focus to drive the company as a whole forward through lead introductions, cost synergies, and product offering complementarities.

ComAv Technical Services capabilities include:

• Transitional Maintenance
• Light and heavy maintenance and modification

ComAv Technical Services’ (CTS) heavy maintenance capabilities are in-house, including aircraft and engine re-activation; transitional maintenance; aircraft modifications; light or heavy maintenance including structural, electrical and avionics, engine preservation, inspection; full AOG support including engineering, material certification; off-site aircraft recovery; and aircraft, engine, and component distribution services. Top customers include Boeing, Delta, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska and Fed-Ex.

ComAv is seeking to hire a Vice President Operations over ComAv Technical Services (CTS). This is a replacement hire of the former leader who left the company. The VP will elevate the company and staff supporting the business while maintaining operational excellence and focus on P&L management. The position will be based in Victorville, CA.

SCOPE OF OPERATION:

This position, which is currently held by an Interim Leader, reports to the CEO. The VP will oversee Program Management / Contracts Director, Planning and Production Control Director, and Director of Maintenance.

MISSION:

The VP will drive effective workflow, efficiencies of processes, and accountability across the entire business. With attention to financial performance, fulfilling capacity, mentoring team members, and developing and driving metrics. The VP will be responsible for transforming the business to the next level.

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:

To achieve the mission for this position, the VP must deliver the following critical actions and results:

1. Profit Performance Improvement: The VP must improve the profitability of the business by improving

operational performance across the business. Evaluate the structure and performance of the site and create a plan to

improve the profitability performance. They will bring a renewed organizational focus on profits, which will require an

agile, accountable culture driven toward maximizing efficiency.

2. Management through Metrics: The VP will drive a “management by metrics” approach across the organization. Currently, there is a lack of visibility and tracking across delivery, labor efficiency, job profitability, safety, rework, and scrap. The VP will build out effective metrics and data in each of these areas and tailor company operations accordingly. They will train the team to implement and utilize these metrics in their daily activities, ensuring every action is evaluated and prioritized. Similarly, the development of robust metrics will be carried through to customer interactions, sales, and account-focused processes. 

3. Planning Improvement: The VP will help build out plans and processes that allow the company to effectively schedule and plan across operations. There is currently no master scheduler in place that will allow program managers to be effective. The VP will develop a master schedule and integrate it across all dependent areas. They will also build out the PM group with upgraded talent and increased training. The VP will support the build-out of an effective schedule that integrates long-term objectives, data, and reporting. 

4. Improved Quoting: The VP will develop a dynamic, data-driven, profit-focused quoting system. Currently, the quoting and bidding processes are created with inaccurate historical data, and as such, quotes and bids do not have the necessary fidelity. The VP will develop a quoting process based on current capabilities, workload, analysis, and complex data. The VP will internally track profit for all bids, compare this data to performance, and align future quotes accordingly. They will also set up a new, detailed structure to be rolled out across the organization to standardize the bidding process.  

5. Customer Relationships: The VP will improve customer relationships by increasing communication and consistency across the organization. Customers are conflicted as they love the work done by ComAv but are frustrated with the lack of communication, poor delivery, and misaligned expectations. The VP will improve OTD as well as the reduction of turn times and give greater insight to customers. As the PM group evolves, the VP will move more of the customer side interactions to that division as they are better tied into operations and can give better insights on orders in real-time. 

6. Organizational Development: Develop the organization to its full potential and keep personnel motivated and productive. The VP must also assess the organization and conduct succession planning.

7. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: The success of the VP in achieving the objectives described above will be measured by the following:

• Development of a strong, motivated team that is accountable to data and process
• Profit improvements through variance reporting and cost reductions
• EBITDA growth
• Strong customer relationships that span across the organization
• Improved customer insight and expectation setting
• Accurate quoting and bidding process with increased profits built-in
• Development of a master schedule with long-term horizons
• Cultural turnaround of the team with a renewed focus on core competencies and values
• Turnaround of on-time delivery
• Increased consistency for customers

BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE:

The ideal candidate will have the following education, work history, knowledge, and skills.

Education: Bachelor's degree is preferred, ideally Majors in Mechanical or Structural Engineering. Advanced degree is a plus.

Experience:

• A minimum of ten years of increasingly responsible senior (P&L) -level management experience for small and large companies 
• Must have experience working within the aviation maintenance industry, with a focus on heavy maintenance. 
• Proven track record of driving significant change within an organization 
• Working within an environment with rapidly changing customer needs and relatively short turnaround time. 
• Experience negotiation with airlines and aircraft OEMs customers is required.
• Experience in technical service-based Aviation business is required. 
• A&P certification is a plus.   
• Deep understanding of Labor Laws
• Has worked or understands working with a Private Equity Group.
• Has a deep knowledge of Lean continuous improvement.
• Has developed improvement strategies in the area of Environmental, Health and Safety 

PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER:

The ideal candidate will have most of the following traits:

• Must be a “Hands-on” Leader
• Willing to teach and lead people rather than just order them. – Enjoys teaching people how to be competent at their craft and how to make a process easier.
• Enthusiastic and proactive not reactive.
• Positive leader who leads by example and encourages employees. 
• Has “management by walking around” style. 
• Able to process data effectively and present it as meaningful information to management. Able to see and explain how various financial decisions and results will affect the company.
• Team leader and team player – can easily participate in leadership team, sharing information, and finding consensus on solutions. Able to develop honest, open relationship with personnel. 
• Confident but humble- likes to pass credit for successes along to employees. 
• Analytical problem solver who can make decisions and follow through on implementation.
• Communicator – honest, clear, concise, and direct communication skills. Able to effectively communicate with both management and direct reports. 
• Will always go the “Extra” Mile