Vice President, Operations (Defense Contractor)

Career Guide

Senior executive leading day-to-day operations for a defense contractor, ensuring programs deliver on cost, schedule, and quality while meeting strict government and export-control requirements. Oversees production, supply chain, mission assurance, and site operations to support program execution.

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Key Responsibilities

Set operations strategy and capacity plans aligned to contract deliverables
Oversee production, supply chain, and logistics to meet cost, schedule, and quality
Ensure compliance with FAR/DFARS, ITAR/EAR, NISPOM, and customer requirements
Drive AS9100/ISO 9001 quality, mission assurance, and continuous improvement
Lead EVM, KPI dashboards, and corrective actions for program performance
Manage workforce planning for cleared staff, site safety, and facilities
Partner with engineering, program management, and finance on bids and execution

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

SVP/EVP, Operations

General Manager / Business Unit President

Transition Opportunities

VP, Program Management

VP, Supply Chain

COO (non-defense manufacturing)

Operations Strategy Executive (Consulting)

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

FAR/DFARS application to operations and subcontractingITAR/EAR export-control compliance in production flowsAS9100-based quality system leadership and auditsEarned Value Management (EVM) for cost/schedule controlIndustrial security and CMMC readiness for cleared facilities

Development SuggestionsComplete DAU courses on FAR/DFARS and EVM plus ITAR/EAR training; earn AS9100 Lead Auditor and lead a cross-functional readiness project to apply it.

Market Intelligence Report

Vice President, Operations (Defense Contractor) is part of the Business Operations category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

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Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry Level$180,000–$220,000

Mid Level$220,000–$280,000

Senior Level$280,000–$350,000+

Growth Trend

growing — Defense spending and reshoring sustain demand for experienced ops leaders.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

Lockheed MartinNorthrop GrummanRTX (Raytheon Technologies)

Industry Sectors

Aerospace & DefenseGovernment ContractingAdvanced Manufacturing

Recommended Next Steps

Take Defense Acquisition University (DAU) courses on FAR/DFARS and EVM; complete an ITAR/EAR compliance course.

Earn APICS CPIM (or CSCP) and lead a SIOP/ERP improvement project using SAP/Oracle data to deliver measurable OTIF gains.

Join NDIA/AIA, network with operations leaders, and target a Director/Operations role at a cleared site to build domain credibility.