Visual Operations Manager Jobs in Oklahoma (NOW HIRING)

Machining Operations Manager

Location: Claremore, OK

Employment Type: Full-Time, Direct Hire

Work Arrangement: Onsite

Compensation: $100,000 to $150,000 base salary, depending on experience, with bonus potential of approximately 10% to 15%

Industry: Aerospace / Precision Manufacturing

About the Opportunity:

Tree Top Staffing is partnering with a growing aerospace and precision manufacturing organization seeking a Machining Operations Manager to lead machining operations in a highly technical, high-mix, low-volume production environment.

This is a hands-on leadership opportunity for someone who understands complex manufacturing, custom production, and the importance of earning trust with highly skilled shop-floor teams. The right person will not be a command-and-control micromanager. This role requires a servant leader who can support experienced machinists, remove roadblocks, use data to drive performance, and help build the organizational structure needed for continued growth.

The facility operates in a 24/7 manufacturing environment and is continuing to expand its floor space, add machines, and grow its machining capabilities. This is a strong opportunity for a manufacturing leader who wants to help shape the future of a critical operation with meaningful long-term growth potential.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead machining operations across production, setup, tooling, finishing, maintenance, and process support.
• Support a team of highly skilled machinists, supervisors, leads, and technical contributors.
• Help build and develop the machining department’s leadership structure, including supervisors and key individual contributors.
• Create a culture of accountability, trust, safety, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Spend significant time on the production floor supporting the team, removing barriers, and helping drive results.
• Partner closely with engineering, quality, supply chain, program management, and business operations teams.
• Optimize machining capacity, reduce cycle times, improve yield, and support on-time delivery.
• Use data, metrics, visual management, and performance tracking to identify current-state issues and drive improvement.
• Work with business operations teams to develop useful reporting, graphs, tables, and visual data tools.
• Support custom production challenges, including complex parts, changing engineering requirements, and customer-driven reengineering cycles.
• Drive lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and operational performance within the machining department.
• Ensure compliance with aerospace and regulated manufacturing standards, including AS9100, FAA, NADCAP, OSHA, ITAR, and related requirements.
• Report operational status, key metrics, and corrective action recommendations to senior leadership.
• Stay informed on emerging machining technologies and manufacturing trends that could improve operational performance.

What We’re Looking For:

• 6+ years of operations leadership experience in manufacturing, preferably within machining, aerospace, defense, precision manufacturing, or another highly technical environment.
• Strong understanding of custom production, high-mix/low-volume manufacturing, complex parts, and iterative problem-solving.
• Experience leading skilled shop-floor teams, supervisors, leads, or technical contributors.
• Proven ability to earn trust with experienced technical employees and support strong personalities without micromanaging.
• Servant-leader mindset with the ability to empower the team, give credit, remove roadblocks, and build buy-in.
• Strong data-driven decision-making skills, including the ability to use metrics, visual reporting, and performance data to drive improvement.
• Experience with operational excellence, lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, root cause analysis, corrective action, and continuous improvement.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work across the shop floor, engineering, quality, business operations, and senior leadership.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving manufacturing environment where priorities can shift based on customer, production, and operational needs.
• Bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering, operations management, industrial engineering, or a related field preferred, but equivalent hands-on leadership experience will be considered.
• Familiarity with ERP systems, CAD/CAM tools, Microsoft Excel, Word, and related manufacturing systems preferred.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

The strongest fit will be someone who has led in a custom production environment, not only repetitive mass production. This person should understand that complex aerospace and precision manufacturing environments often involve high-mix/low-volume work, challenging parts, engineering collaboration, shifting customer requirements, and hands-on problem-solving when a part or process needs to be refined.

A successful candidate will be comfortable leading highly skilled machinists who already know their craft well. This role is not about telling experts how to do their jobs. It is about earning trust, providing support, helping the team make better decisions, and creating the structure, data, and resources needed to perform at a higher level.

Schedule Expectations

This is an onsite leadership role in a 24/7 manufacturing environment. General availability is expected Monday through Friday, with flexibility to support different shifts, training needs, special projects, and occasional weekend-shift priorities as needed.

A typical schedule may align around 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, or 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, but the right candidate must be flexible, responsive, and able to manage their time effectively based on operational needs.

Why This Role:

• Opportunity to lead and help build a growing machining operation.
• Direct visibility to senior leadership.
• Ability to shape team structure, leadership development, and operational systems.
• Strong growth potential as the business expands floor space, adds machines, and increases production capacity.
• Opportunity to work in a challenging, highly technical aerospace and precision manufacturing environment.
• Competitive compensation package with bonus potential.

Additional Requirements:

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Must be able to work onsite in Claremore, OK.
• Must be comfortable working in a safety-sensitive manufacturing environment.
• Must be able to spend regular time on the production floor and wear required PPE as needed.
• Must adhere to applicable OSHA, AS9100, ITAR, FAA, NADCAP, and company-specific safety standards.

About Tree Top Staffing:

Tree Top Staffing partners with manufacturing and technical organizations to identify high-impact talent for critical direct-hire roles. This search is being conducted on behalf of a confidential aerospace and precision manufacturing client.