SKYCAN SYSTEMS INC.
CAPABILITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE
Head of Manufacturing
Operations Lead - Facility Stand-up, Production, Quality & Supply Chain
LOCATION
Central Ontario (onsite)
REPORTS TO
Chief Operating Officer
DIVISION
Operations
EMPLOYMENT TYPE
Full-time, permanent
WORK ARRANGEMENT
Onsite. This role leads the facility stand-up and production ramp and requires full-time presence at the manufacturing facility, with periodic travel to the Toronto office, suppliers, and partners.
SECURITY REQUIREMENT
Must be eligible for security assessment under the Controlled Goods Program (CGP) and able to obtain and maintain a Government of Canada security clearance (Secret or higher).
ABOUT SKYCANSkyCan Systems Inc. is a Canadian defence technology company building sovereign unmanned systems capabilities to protect Canada and its allies. Drawing on platforms proven in frontline operations in Ukraine, SkyCan is establishing Canadian manufacturing capacity to deliver operationally relevant systems backed by Canadian and allied supply chains. The company’s focus is on combining combat-proven technology with domestic production, secure supply, and long-term support to strengthen Canada’s defence industrial base and serve allied defence requirements. Our manufacturing facility is in Central Ontario, supported by a satellite office in Toronto. We are scaling from a small engineering core to a full production organization.
THE ROLEThis role owns SkyCan's entire manufacturing organization, from design release through delivery and sustainment. It is a ground-level operational build. You will stand up SkyCan's Central Ontario production facility, lead the technology transfer from kit-based assembly to fully Canadian-built units, and scale the line from low-rate initial production to full rate.
You will build the manufacturing, facilities, and supply chain team as production scales, and hold accountability for cost, quality, and on-time delivery throughout. You will work closely with Engineering on design for manufacturability and with Regulatory & Compliance on controlled goods and export requirements at the point of production.
WHAT YOU'LL OWN– Facility stand-up: Lead the brownfield retrofit of SkyCan's Central Ontario facility, converting an existing building into a qualified production line.
– Technology transfer: Support the structured technology transfer from SkyCan's platform partner - integrate embedded specialists on-site, stand up kit-based assembly, and manage first-article inspection and ramp-up through localization to fully Canadian-built units.
– NPI and production ramp: Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) to rate production, drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM) feedback into Engineering, and scale the line from low-rate initial production to full rate.
– Production, quality and test: Own production and assembly - composite fabrication, CNC, and final assembly, integration, and test. Operate an AS9100 quality system: incoming, in-process, and final inspection; First Article Inspection (FAI); Acceptance Test Procedures (ATP); Certificates of Conformance and acceptance data packages; nonconformance, Material Review Board, and CAPA. Support government and customer source inspection and quality-clause flow-down to suppliers.
– Planning, supply chain and materials: Own master production scheduling, MRP, and work-order management; capacity and production-readiness reviews; and on-time delivery, WIP, and bottleneck control. Lead direct and production sourcing and the approved vendor list, supplier delivery and quality performance, and long-lead and critical-component security of supply. Run receiving, shipping, inventory, and warehousing, and own contract-manufacturer relationships.
– Cost, budget and margin: Own the manufacturing operating budget and capital plan, delivering production within budget and to capex commitments. Manage COGS and unit cost to target and protect gross margin as the line scales. Drive cost-down, yield, and affordability programs (design-to-cost with Engineering), and own manufacturing KPIs including OEE, on-time delivery, and cost per unit.
– Facilities, maintenance and EHS: Own facility and equipment management and uptime, including preventive and predictive maintenance. Own occupational and energetics / dangerous-goods safety with stop-work authority, environmental compliance, and controlled-goods storage and energetics magazines to regulatory standard.
– Team and operational excellence: Build and scale the manufacturing organization with the production rate - hire, structure, and develop the team. Own workforce and shift planning, the operator skills matrix, and build certification for controlled and defence builds. Instill a culture of lean, continuous improvement, and standard work.
– Sustainment and compliance execution: Own product sustainment - spares production, technical publications, customer training, field service, the repair line, and out-of-warranty MRO. Execute Controlled Goods Program handling, export controls at the point of production and shipment, and counterfeit-parts prevention, within the policy set by Regulatory & Compliance.
WHAT YOU BRING - TECHNICALProficiency levels indicate the depth expected in each area. Items marked Asset are not required.
– Rate production and industrialization EXPERT: Standing up or industrializing a production facility - brownfield fit-out, NPI-to-volume, and LRIP-to-full-rate ramp - with accountability for rate, cost, quality, and on-time delivery.
– Aerospace quality systems DEEP: AS9100 quality management, FAI, ATP, acceptance data packages, MRB and CAPA, and government or customer source inspection.
– Production planning and control DEEP: Master production scheduling, MRP, work-order management, capacity planning, and production-readiness reviews in an ERP environment.
– Supply chain and contract manufacturing DEEP: Direct sourcing, approved vendor list management, supplier quality and delivery performance, long-lead and critical-component management, and contract-manufacturer oversight.
– Manufacturing finance DEEP: Ownership of a manufacturing operating budget and capital plan, COGS and unit-cost management, and gross-margin performance at scale.
– Composite and airframe production PROFICIENT: Composite fabrication and airframe or UAV production. Strongly preferred.
– Technology and production transfer PROFICIENT: Transferring a product or line from a partner or sister site into a new facility, ideally cross-border.
– Operational excellence PROFICIENT: Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent - standard work, yield improvement, and OEE.
– EHS and energetics WORKING KNOWLEDGE: Occupational safety, environmental compliance, and dangerous-goods and energetics handling and storage.
– Defence manufacturing compliance ASSET: Controlled Goods Program, ITAR, export controls, and counterfeit-parts prevention in a production environment.
QUALIFICATIONS & BACKGROUND– Experience: 12+ years of manufacturing leadership in aerospace, defence, or automotive, including rate-production accountability and leadership of a multi-function manufacturing organization.
– Track record: Demonstrated experience standing up or industrializing a production facility, and owning a manufacturing operating budget and COGS / gross-margin performance.
– Security: Eligible for CGP security assessment and able to obtain and maintain a Government of Canada security clearance (Secret or higher). Existing CGP registration or a federal security clearance is an asset.
– Education: Bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, or a related field. Advanced degree an asset.
CERTIFICATIONS (ASSETS)- Existing federal security clearance, or eligibility to obtain one
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt
- AS9100 lead or internal auditor
- ASCM / APICS CPIM or CSCP
WHY SKYCAN- Ownership of the full manufacturing organization at a company moving from prototype to volume production.
- Platforms that are fielded operationally, with direct feedback from operators.
- The chance to build a production facility, team, and operating system from the ground up.
- Competitive base salary, employee benefits, and paid time off.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, ACCOMMODATION & ELIGIBILITY
SkyCan Systems Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and make hiring decisions on merit, without regard to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital or family status, or disability.
Accommodation is available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process, in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code. Requests can be made through the careers section of the SkyCan website.
This position involves access to controlled goods and controlled technology. Successful candidates must be eligible for and complete a security assessment under the Controlled Goods Program, and may be required to obtain and maintain a Government of Canada security clearance. Eligibility is assessed under Canadian law and does not require Canadian work experience.
SkyCan uses artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants for this position.
