Chief Operating Officer — Job Description

Kennebec Technologies is offering a unique opportunity to an experienced leader who is interested in assuming the growth track of a successful aerospace contract manufacturing company with a blue-chip customer base.

The company is positioned for significant growth, and the COO will be empowered to develop a management team that can propel that growth. This is a professional growth opportunity for those with a desire to transition to CEO status as part of a succession plan.

Kennebec Technologies offers generous benefits plus genuine ownership in a recently established ESOP structure.

As such, the COO is responsible for not only day-to-day activities and profitability but also for recommending strategies that will impact the company's long-term growth and progress.

Reporting to the President and Chairman of the Board, the COO oversees the company’s functions including sales, financial, administrative, engineering, manufacturing, and quality and supply-chain management. Specifically, the COO

• Directs all company functions, including human resources, facilities management, finance, sales and marketing, manufacturing, engineering, and quality
• Oversees customer relationships including negotiating contracts, developing pricing and delivery and quality requirements.
• Oversees supplier relationships and negotiations including inventory expectations, delivery and quality requirements, and costing.
• Oversees the development of company pro forma forecasts and modeling to aid in collaborative decision making.
• Provides collaborative leadership model that continues to break down functional silos, encourages mutual and collaborative problem solving and encourages alignment.
• Provides best in class approaches that routinely differentiate the company from other suppliers and customers. These approaches might lead to
  • Engineering co-developing product for manufacturability with customer engineering teams,
    lower than normal lead time,
  • Reduced inventory,
  • Cross training of employees in non-traditional ways,
  • Reduced costs or increased profitability, and
  • Increased employee ownership of results (that fits with the newly formed Employee Stock Ownership (ESOP) purchase of the company).
• Ensures that the company’s operating goals are being met.
• Develops organizational strategies and policies and monitors the use of company assets and human resources.
• Oversees management alignment with company goals, ensures accountability and ensures that all employees receive annual feedback concerning their performance and their development opportunities.
• Ensures that quality standards & achievements are maintained and where appropriate, augmented.
• Ensures the company’s compliance with all federal, state and local statutory and regulatory requirements and serves as the primary company representative to government entities.
• Provides regular reports to the President and quarterly to the Board of Directors concerning the state of the company and the achievement of its goals.
• Enhances and promotes the company as a great place to work. Facilitates the recruiting of high performing employees at all levels.
• Models company values and participates in company programs such as Employee Health and Safety
• Preserves and enhances the company’s excellent reputation for quality and delivery performance.

IDEAL-CANDIDATE PROFILE

• Proven ability to recruit top-notch talent and build, develop, and lead teams.
• Ability to build a team that is for the company's long-term growth.
• Minimum of 15 years experience in contract manufacturing machine shops.
• Bachelor degree in mechanical engineering with an MBA preferred.
• Substantial manufacturing finance and strategic planning experience.
• Ready to commit to long-term leadership with ambition for succeeding the current owner and growing the company substantially over the long term.
• Vision for the opportunities that Kennebec is positioned to take with its ESOP status.
• Interested in professional growth through this job — reaching for CEO status.
• Background in aerospace parts manufacturing is a plus.

Please send cover letter and resume to employment@kennebec.com

Kennebec Technologies is an equal opportunity employer.