What You Will Do:

We are seeking a highly experienced, hands-on, and results-oriented Director of IT to lead our technology strategy and operations, with a particular emphasis on maximizing the value and effectiveness of our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and ensuring robust cybersecurity posture, especially achieving and maintaining Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). In this critical role, you'll be responsible for the overall planning, organizing, and execution of all IT functions, ensuring our IT infrastructure and applications seamlessly support our complex aerospace manufacturing processes, drive operational efficiency, and provide actionable insights for strategic decision-making. You will direct all IT operations to meet customer requirements, as well as the support and maintenance of existing applications and the development of new technical solutions. You'll be a key leader in our digital transformation journey, ensuring our ERP systems are not just functional, but are a competitive advantage, and that our data and systems are secure and compliant with the highest defense industry standards.

Primary Responsibilities:

• ERP Strategy & Optimization:
• Develop and execute a comprehensive ERP strategy aligned with business goals, ensuring optimal utilization.
• Lead initiatives to identify, prioritize, and implement ERP enhancements, modules, and integrations to improve manufacturing processes, supply chain management, financial reporting, and quality control.
• Key contributor in ensuring effective implementation of significant business tools such as ERP and PLM.
• Champion best practices for ERP data integrity, master data management, and data governance.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing, operations, finance, and engineering teams to understand their needs and translate them into effective ERP solutions.
• Drive user adoption and proficiency through effective training programs, documentation, and ongoing support.
• Develop and monitor KPIs related to ERP performance, efficiency, and ROI.
• Oversee ERP upgrade cycles, patches, and system maintenance.
• IT Leadership & Management:
• Develop and manage the IT department's strategic roadmap, annual budget, and operational plans. Develop and execute a unified strategy for IT throughout the organization and effectively implement that plan.
• Coach, develop, and supervise the IT team in support of business needs, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and customer service.
• As a hands-on IT leader, directly manage and implement technology solutions.
• Oversee all aspects of IT infrastructure, including network, servers, cloud services, and end-user support.
• Analyzes IT infrastructure and systems performance to assess operating costs, productivity levels, upgrade requirements, and other metrics and needs.
• Research technology solutions that best accomplish business objectives.
• Manage vendor relationships and oversee all hardware and software evaluations and maintain vendor contracts.
• Implement and maintain IT policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across all IT functions.
• Performs special projects/tasks as assigned.
• Cybersecurity & Compliance:
• Lead the company's efforts to achieve and maintain Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) at the required level.
• Develop, implement, and enforce comprehensive cybersecurity plans and tools to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Federal Contract Information (FCI) in accordance with CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, DFARS, and ITAR regulations.
• Establish enterprise-wide security policies, develop data breach resiliency plans, oversee system update communications, and manage the information security financials.
• Oversee security of systems, networks, and enterprise information, ensuring robust access controls, continuous monitoring, and threat detection capabilities.
• Facilitate IT security audits and investigations, including third-party CMMC assessments, and ensure timely remediation of any findings.
• Ensure that the IT environment is set up to be in compliance with CMMC, Sarbanes Oxley, ITAR, other relevant regulations, and effectively protect the organization from external risk to minimize system downtime to an acceptable level.
• Develop and implement an effective incident response plan aligned with CMMC requirements.
• Conduct regular risk assessments and vulnerability management activities.

Preferred Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or other STEM discipline. Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10+ years of experience in strategic planning, implementation, and systems integrations, preferably within a manufacturing environment.

Preferred Experience:

• Demonstrated deep expertise in ERP systems, with a proven track record of successful implementation, optimization, and ongoing management within a manufacturing environment. Experience with IFS is highly desirable.
• Extensive hands-on experience and proven success in preparing for and achieving CMMC certification in a Defense Industrial Base (DIB) company.
• Deep understanding and practical experience with NIST SP 800-171, DFARS 252.204-7012, and other cybersecurity frameworks relevant to the aerospace and defense industry.
• Strong understanding of aerospace manufacturing processes, including but not limited to: production planning, inventory control, quality management, supply chain logistics, shop floor control, and engineering change management.
• Proven experience in migrating a variety of legacy IT systems into a unified strategy.
• Management of and strong direct knowledge of large customer-based applications and business processes, specifically with expertise of ERP, CRM, and marketing databases and systems.
• Solid experience with IT infrastructure, data management, and cloud technologies.
• Proven ability to lead and motivate technical teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performance environment. Capable 'talent spotter' – track record of building strong teams and strengthening an organization’s ability to grow and adapt.
• Able to lead and manage projects and drive them to completion meeting schedules and budgets.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex technical information to non-technical stakeholders. Capable of effectively communicating with people at all levels and all functions within the organization including Department Heads, Senior Management, and fellow IT personnel.
• Strong project management skills with a track record of delivering projects on time and within budget.
• Must possess the sophistication, communication, and interpersonal relationship skills to make things happen through the power of influence, often in the absence of direct authority.
• Experience with regulatory compliance in the aerospace industry (e.g., AS9100, ITAR, Export Control, Sarbanes Oxley).

 Preferred Qualifications;

• Certifications in IT service management, project management, and/or cybersecurity.
• Experience with business intelligence and data analytics tools integrated with ERP systems.
• Knowledge of Industry 4.0 concepts and their application in manufacturing.
• Must have a reputation for integrity and high intelligence: creative; able to exercise good judgment, often with little information.

Salary Range:
Please note the typical hiring range is $200,000 - $250,000 annual. Job offers within the range are based on job qualifications and pay equity. This role is also eligible for an Incentive Compensation Plan.