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Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Company: AVT Simulation Industry: Flight Simulation, Aerospace & Defense Training Systems Location: Flexible / HQ-based with travel Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Position Overview

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is responsible for translating AVT Simulation's strategy into disciplined operational execution across manufacturing, engineering, program management, supply chain, and customer delivery. This role is critical to ensuring scalable growth, on-time program performance, and operational excellence while maintaining the high quality and reliability required for flight simulation and training systems.

The COO will partner closely with the CEO and executive leadership team to optimize internal operations, improve margins, strengthen delivery predictability, and support AVT Simulation's long-term growth across military, commercial, and international markets.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Leadership

Lead day-to-day operations across engineering, manufacturing, integration, program execution, supply chain, quality, and sustainment support

Establish scalable operational processes that support growth while maintaining compliance with aerospace and defense standards

Drive a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational discipline

Program & Delivery Excellence

Ensure on-time, on-budget delivery of complex flight simulation and training programs

Oversee program management rigor, risk management, cost control, and lifecycle execution

Partner with engineering and production teams to improve schedule predictability and throughput

Manufacturing & Supply Chain

Optimize manufacturing operations, supplier performance, and material flow to support complex, low-volume/high-mix production environments

Strengthen supply chain resilience, vendor management, and cost control

Implement lean manufacturing and operational efficiency initiatives

Financial & Performance Management

Own operational KPIs including margins, throughput, cost performance, and capacity utilization

Work closely with Finance to improve forecasting accuracy, cost visibility, and operational decision-making

Drive margin expansion through productivity improvements and operational leverage

Leadership & Talent Development

Build, develop, and retain high-performing operational leadership teams

Align organizational structure, incentives, and performance management with business objectives

Foster collaboration across engineering, programs, and customer-facing teams

Customer & Stakeholder Engagement

Act as an executive point of contact for key customers on delivery, performance, and program execution

Support business development and capture efforts by ensuring operational credibility and execution confidence

Partner with government, commercial, and international customers to ensure satisfaction and long-term relationships

Qualifications & Experience

Required Experience

15+ years of progressive leadership experience in aerospace, defense, flight simulation, or complex engineered systems

Prior experience as a COO, VP of Operations, or equivalent senior operational role

Demonstrated success leading engineering-to-manufacturing environments with long-cycle programs

Strong background in program management, supply chain, and operational execution

Experience operating in regulated environments (AS9100, ISO, FAA, DoD, or similar)

Preferred Experience

Direct experience with flight simulators, training devices, or mission-critical simulation systems

Experience supporting military, defense, or government contracts

Exposure to international programs and customers

Experience scaling operations in a growing or transformational organization

Leadership Attributes

Strategic thinker with a strong bias for execution

Data-driven, metrics-oriented decision-maker

Collaborative leader who can bridge engineering, operations, and commercial teams

Comfortable operating in ambiguity and managing competing priorities

Hands-on, visible leader with high personal accountability

Success Metrics (First 12-24 Months)

Improved program delivery performance (schedule, cost, quality)

Increased operational efficiency and margin performance

Stronger cross-functional execution and communication

Scalable operational foundation to support growth and new program wins