Eikon - General Manager of Operations

Description

The Eikon Research team is expanding. We are hiring a General Manager of Operations (GMO) to lead day-to-day operations and scale our organization in support of advanced radar, sensing, and mission software programs for U.S. defense and national security customers. The GMO will translate strategy into execution, drive program delivery and operational excellence, and build the processes, teams, and systems necessary for sustainable growth.  This is an onsite position in Huntsville, AL.  At least 50%+ onsite work is required.

The ideal candidate is an operations executive from a small to mid-sized, technically focused company who is adept at leading multidisciplinary engineering and program teams, strengthening program controls and business systems, and partnering with the Management Team to deliver results. A high-level understanding of our core domains—radar systems, RF/hardware integration, embedded/real-time software, modeling and simulation, mission applications, and field/test operations—is important for effective leadership, resourcing, risk management, and customer engagement.

Responsibilities may include, but not limited to:

Strategy to Operating Plan

• Partner with the Management Team to convert corporate strategy into a yearly and multi-year operating plan with clear KPIs/OKRs, resourcing plans, and budget targets.
• Own cadence for operating reviews; ensure data-driven decisions using dashboards covering revenue generation (BD), financial management, operations management, and organizational development.
• Provide oversight of all internal, prime, and subcontract programs; lead the Program Management team to ensure on-schedule, on-budget, in-scope delivery with strong customer satisfaction (CPARs).
• Partner with Business Development/Capture to establish and enforce phase/gate reviews (capture, proposal, baseline, design, integration, test, production, deployment, sustainment) and integrated master schedules with risk, issue, and opportunity management.
• Mature program controls (e.g., EACs, ETCs, burn rate, margin as appropriate), change control, configuration management, and technical baseline discipline.

Growth and Capture/Proposal Support

• Partner with Business Development/Capture to maintain a healthy pipeline; participate in gate reviews, bid/no-bid decisions, solution/teaming shaping, staffing plans, Basis of Estimate (BOE), commercial product/licensing model to include support, and price-to-execute alignment.
• Ensure operational readiness for new starts (facilities, tooling, staffing, supply chain, cyber/compliance) and smooth transition from award to execution.

Engineering, Labs, and Hardware-Software Integration

• Partner with CTO to oversee cross-functional engineering operations spanning radar/sensor R&D, RF/hardware-in-the-loop labs, embedded/real-time software, modeling/simulation, and field testing.
• Prioritize investments in tooling, automation, and test infrastructure to accelerate throughput and quality.

Quality, Safety, Security, and Compliance

• Partner with Facilities Manager to build and sustain a fit-for-purpose QMS (ISO 9001/AS9100-style or applicable practices) aligned to R&D-to-production workflows.
• Ensure compliance with FAR/DFARS, ITAR/EAR, NIST SP 800-171/CMMC Level 2, timekeeping and accounting controls (DCAA readiness), subcontract management, and OCI mitigation.

Oversee facility and personnel security in partnership with the FSO for classified work and secure labs.

• Ensure safe, secure, efficient integration/test environments.

Finance and Business Operations

• Own P&L performance; drive annual operating budget, indirect rate strategy, cash flow forecasting, and capital planning.
• Strengthen quoting/pricing, supply chain, and vendor management to protect gross margin and schedule.
• Implement or optimize core business systems (e.g., ERP, CRM, program controls, resource planning) to scale efficiently.

People, Leadership, and Culture

• Cross-train the leadership team to build a high-performing leadership capability (PM lead, Ops/Manufacturing/Integration lead, Supply Chain, Quality, Contracts, Facilities).
• Liaison with shared services to ensure resources are appropriately leveraged within the company.
• Lead workforce planning, hiring, and performance management; mentor managers and technical leads; sustain a respectful, accountable, and mission-focused culture.
• Champion safety, security, and continuous improvement (Lean/Kaizen mindset).
• Demonstrate the Shee Atiká core values through servant leadership; form relationships with direct reports.

Customer and Corporate Engagement

• Serve as an executive interface with government customers and partners; resolve escalations and shape future needs.
• Coordinate with corporate and sister subsidiaries where appropriate to align strategies, share resources, and ensure effective enterprise operations.

What Success Looks Like (First 12–18 Months)

• 95%+ on-time delivery and measurable improvement in gross margin across the program portfolio.
• Operating cadence established: quarterly strategy-to-operations reviews; monthly KPI dashboards for delivery, quality, finance, pipeline, and talent.
• Matured gate reviews for capture and program phases; improved proposal throughput and quality.
• Implemented or optimized core business systems and QMS practices appropriate for Eikon’s technical profile and growth plans.

Requirements

Minimum Candidate Requirements

Candidate must be citizen of United States

Candidate must have active DoD Top Secret Clearance

Candidate must have Bachelor’s degree in one of the following: Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or Business/Operations Advanced degree (M.S./MBA) preferred.

Candidate must be willing to be onsite for 50% or more in the office and reside in the local area.

Candidate must have 10+ years experience with the following:

• Progressive leadership in operations within a small-to-mid-sized, technically focused company (defense, aerospace, advanced sensors, embedded/real-time systems, dual-use tech), including executive oversight of multi-program portfolios.
• Understanding of capture through delivery; proposals and BOEs; subcontractor management; program controls (IMS, EACs/ETCs); configuration/change management.
• FAR/DFARS, ITAR/EAR, timekeeping/accounting controls (DCAA readiness), NIST SP 800-171/CMMC Level 2, and facility/personnel security for classified programs.
• P&L ownership, annual operating plans, indirect rate strategy, pricing, cash forecasting, and cost/schedule risk management.
• Systems mindset—selection and integration of PM tools (e.g., MS Project/Smartsheet/Jira), ERP/PSA, CRM; KPI/OKR design and governance cadences.
• Building and scaling teams; establishing QMS; drives cross-functional alignment across engineering, programs, operations, quality, security, contracts, and finance.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree required (Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or Business/Operations). Advanced degree (M.S./MBA) preferred.
• Servant-minded; establishes a culture to empower the team to achieve excellence, values team members, identifies individuals’ strengths, and encourages personal growth.
• Clearance: Active DoD Secret clearance preferred; at a minimum, the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret clearance.
• Work location: Ability to work on-site in Huntsville for secure and hardware-in-the-loop activities; limited travel (approximately 10–20%) to customer sites, partner facilities, and test ranges.

Desired skills/qualifications (not required)

• Direct experience with radar systems or advanced RF/sensing programs; exposure to lab integration, ruggedized electronics, or field test operations.
• Demonstrated success in standing up or maturing QMS and cyber/compliance programs, leading ERP implementations.
• History of improving on-time delivery, margin, and win rates through process and systems improvements; strong customer CPARs.
• Experience operating within a multi-subsidiary corporate structure and coordinating with shared services.
• Evidence of passion to grow as a leader (leadership classes, leadership books, etc.)
• Proven track record delivering complex R&D-to-fielded systems on time and within budget.