Senior Manager, Operations & Quality

About Us

Founded in 1959, Pacific Air Industries & Air-Cert are the aerospace industry’s trusted partners for expendable airplane parts. We help airlines and other air-carriers keep their planes in the air by providing competitive pricing on our extensive inventory and shipping their orders the same day. We can achieve this level of service through partnership with our in-house FAA Part 145 repair station, Air-Cert.

Today, we service a global client base including commercial airlines, other air-carriers and MRO facilities, leveraging our inventory of 300k+ parts from our facility in Chatsworth, about 30 miles north of LAX. In addition to supplying parts, we partner with our customers to service and repair parts to make sure they can keep their fleets flying. The combination of these two offerings gives us a strategic advantage in servicing our customers.

The Opportunity

Pacific Air and Air-Cert are constantly innovating to improve how we operate. We build our own automation and AI tools for the warehouse floor, and we are working toward AS9120 certification to open new aerospace customers. The Senior Manager of Operations & Quality leads the daily operation behind all of it: a team of 26 teammates, with a layer of leads and supervisors, across order processing, receiving, inspection, inventory, shipping and quality. We are a thriving, growing business, and this role is key to keeping us that way.

Compensation:

• $120,000 to $150,000 per year in base compensation, commensurate with skill and experience. Total compensation will also include a quarterly KPI bonus, and quarterly earnings sharing.
• We are committed to fair and equitable compensation practices, adhering to California's employment guidelines and regulations.

Job Summary

The Senior Manager of Operations & Quality leads daily operations and the quality management system that supports them. Reporting to the Director of Operations & Quality, this role heads a team of 26 teammates through a middle management layer of leads and supervisors; owns order processing, receiving inspection, inventory accuracy, shipping, and documentation control; and ensures every part that leaves the facility is traceable, conforming, and compliant with aviation industry standards (ASA-100 and FAA AC 00-56). The Senior Manager turns the Director's strategy into daily schedules, standard work, and measurable results, oversees our AS9120 certification, and acts as the primary point of contact for internal and external quality audits.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage day-to-day warehouse activities, including receiving, inspection, put-away, picking, packing, and shipping, to meet daily on-time, accuracy, and safety targets.
• Supervise order processing, ensuring customer orders are processed accurately and released to the floor in time to meet same-day shipping commitments.
• Plan and assign daily work, balance staffing against order volume and priorities, and resolve floor-level issues as they arise.
• Manage the team that administers the quality management system in accordance with ASA-100 and company procedures, including document control, records retention, and procedure updates.
• Oversee our AS9120 certification effort, from readiness through the registrar audit, to open the door to new aerospace customers.
• Oversee receiving inspection to verify certifications, Certificates of Conformance, FAA Form 8130-3 and equivalent airworthiness documents, shelf-life, and part condition before parts are accepted into inventory.
• Ensure complete parts traceability and data integrity from receipt through shipment, and that suspected unapproved or counterfeit parts are identified, quarantined, and reported.
• Direct nonconformance, customer complaint, and return investigations, ensuring the team completes root cause analysis and drives corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) to closure.
• Oversee the internal audit program and the team that runs it; host customer, registrar, and supplier audits, and own follow-up on findings.
• Manage inventory control programs, including cycle counts, discrepancy research, and reconciliation, to maintain inventory accuracy targets.
• Coordinate inbound and outbound logistics with carriers, freight forwarders, and customs brokers, including domestic and international shipments.
• Ensure shipments meet packaging, labeling, hazardous materials (DOT/IATA), and export compliance requirements.
• Oversee supplier quality, including supplier performance reviews, approved supplier records, and escalation of supplier quality issues.
• Track and report operational and quality KPIs (on-time shipping, order accuracy, inventory accuracy, nonconformances, audit findings) to the Director of Operations & Quality.
• Maintain a safe, clean, and organized warehouse; enforce safety, FOD, and ESD practices and lead safety and housekeeping inspections.
• Write and update standard operating procedures and work instructions, and identify process improvement and automation opportunities.
• Partner with Sales, Customer Service, Purchasing, and Finance to resolve order, quality, and customer issues quickly.
• Use ERP/WMS systems and our in-house automation and AI tools to keep accurate transaction records, and drive the rollout and adoption of new tools and dashboards.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Lead a team of 26 teammates across order processing, the warehouse, and quality/inspection, through a middle layer of leads and supervisors.
• Create and manage team schedules, approve time off, and ensure adequate coverage across shifts.
• Participate in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring decisions for the warehouse and quality teams in partnership with HR.
• Train new hires and current employees on procedures, quality standards, safety, and systems; maintain training records.
• Set clear performance expectations, provide ongoing coaching and feedback, and conduct annual performance reviews.
• Address performance and conduct issues, including discipline and termination, as needed and in accordance with company policy and in partnership with HR.
• Foster a culture of accountability, safety, and quality ownership on the warehouse floor.

Additional Responsibilities:

• May perform special projects and other duties as assigned or requested.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in warehouse, distribution, or operations, including at least 5 years in a supervisory or management role.
• Experience owning or administering a quality management system (such as AS9120, ISO 9001, or ASA-100), not just working within one. Experience leading a certification effort is a strong plus.
• Proven track record of taking ownership of established systems, processes, and tools (including automation and software) and building on them to drive measurable improvement, rather than starting over.
• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Aviation Management, Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, Business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Working knowledge of ASA-100, AS9120, FAA AC 00-56, and aviation parts documentation and traceability requirements is a plus.
• Experience leading internal audits, nonconformance investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective action (AS9120 internal auditor certification preferred).
• Experience with ERP/WMS systems, inventory control practices, and operational reporting.
• Working knowledge of shipping, hazardous materials (DOT/IATA), and export compliance requirements.
• Thorough understanding of applicable federal, state, local, and company safety policies.
• Strong supervisory and interpersonal skills, with the ability to coach, train, and hold a team accountable.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including active listening.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Versatility, flexibility, and a willingness to work within constantly changing priorities with enthusiasm.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (e.g., Outlook, Excel, Word, etc.), including intermediate to advanced Excel.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:

This position works onsite, dividing time between the warehouse floor and an office/desk environment.

• Work is primarily performed in a warehouse environment with moderate noise levels.
• Regularly communicate in verbal and written form and able to hear.
• Prolonged periods of standing and walking.
• Frequently utilize hand and finger dexterity.
• Must be able to lift, push, pull, and carry items up to 15 pounds.
• Able to reach with hands and arms, bend, stoop, climb and crouch.
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.