Manufacturing Operations Manager Jobs in Virginia
Manufacturing Operations Manager jobs in Virginia are in strong and consistent demand, concentrated in defense manufacturing, shipbuilding, food and beverage processing, and industrial equipment production, with openings at every level from floor supervisor to plant director. The heaviest hiring is in the Hampton Roads corridor, Northern Virginia, and the Richmond metro, where employers like Huntington Ingalls Industries, Northrop Grumman, and Kraft Heinz maintain major production and operations facilities. The most sought-after specializations in Virginia are lean manufacturing leadership, defense and government contract compliance, and continuous improvement program management. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 11+ Manufacturing Operations Manager jobs
Date: Sep 21, 2026
Location: Arlington, VA, Virginia, United States
Company: HII's Mission Technologies division
Requisition Number: 30246
Required Travel: 11 - 25%
Employment Type: Full Time/Salaried/Exempt
Anticipated Salary Range: $128,656.00 - $170,000.00
Security Clearance: None
Level of Experience: Senior
Meet HII’s Mission Technologies Division
Our team of more than 7,000 professionals worldwide delivers all-domain expertise and advanced technologies in service of mission partners across the globe. Mission Technologies is leading the next evolution of national defense – the data evolution - by accelerating a breadth of national security solutions for government and commercial customers. Our capabilities range from C5ISR, AI and Big Data, cyber operations and synthetic training environments to fleet sustainment, environmental remediation and the largest family of unmanned underwater vehicles in every class. Find the role that’s right for you. Apply today. We look forward to meeting you.
To learn more about Mission Technologies, click here for a short video: https://vimeo.com/732533072
Leadership Mindset at HII – Mission Technologies
Leadership at HII is a mindset, not a title. Through our Leadership Capability Framework, we define how every employee grows, leads, and contributes—regardless of role. It sets the standard for how you can develop yourself and what you can expect from leaders across our organization. We look for candidates who want to grow in alignment with these capabilities:
- Know & Grow Your People – Commit to learning and supporting team success.
- Build Relationships – Communicate openly, collaborate well, and build trust.
- Take Ownership – Deliver on commitments and take pride in your work.
- Customer First – Focus on the mission and those we serve.
- Shape the Future – Bring ideas, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
- Act with Urgency – Take initiative and follow through with purpose.
These capabilities guide how all employees contribute to our shared success across Mission Technologies.
Summary:
HII Mission Technologies Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering group is hiring an Operational Systems Manager to act as a cross-cutting leader to mature and implement manufacturing standards, systems, process improvements, and leadership development programs across Mission Technology’s product and technology portfolio.
What You Will Do:
Specific job duties include:
- Deliver manufacturing ramp-ups for strategic products and programs
- Develop high-performing technical and management standards for HII MT manufacturing, including standards for work instructions, capacity modeling, daily work management, continuous improvement, and KPIs
- Lead on-site teams to develop capacity models that account for demand variability, headcount, equipment utilization, and supplier lead times
- Lead on-site teams to establish standard build procedures, perform time-and-motion studies, map value streams, identify bottlenecks, balance flows, and design facility layouts
- Establish, implement, and scale best-practice operational excellence and structured continuous improvement systems that promote relentless execution focus
- Lead on-site teams to implement and tailor production systems for maximum impact
- Apprentice and develop early-tenure industrial, manufacturing, and systems engineers
- Establish structured, systematic operations leadership development program
What We're Looking For:
- 6 years relevant progressive experience with Bachelors in related field; 4 years relevant progressive experience with Masters in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 10 years relevant progressive experience.
- System dynamics modeling and simulation experience (e.g., Simio, Python, MATLAB)
- Preference for experience with operations leadership development programs
- Manufacturing leadership and process improvement experience
- Familiarity with high-complexity / defense manufacturing is a plus
- Exceptional communication skills
- Capable of building rapid trust across a wide range of stakeholders, including front-line craftspeople and senior executives
- Comfort creating structure from ambiguity & moving quickly with imperfect data
- Travel: 25-50% of the time
The listed salary range for this role is intended as a good faith estimate based on the role's location, expectations, and responsibilities. When extending an offer, HII's Mission Technologies division takes a variety of factors into consideration which include, but are not limited to, the role's function and a candidate's education or training, work experience, and key skills.
HII is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to build a new future. We offer competitive benefits such as best-in-class medical, dental and vision plan choices; wellness resources; employee assistance programs; Savings Plan Options (401(k)); financial planning tools, life insurance; employee discounts; paid holidays and paid time off; tuition reimbursement; as well as early childhood and post-secondary education scholarships. Bonus/other non-recurrent compensation is occasionally offered for qualified positions, and if applicable to this role will be addressed by the recruiter at the screening phase of application.
Why HII
We build the world’s most powerful, survivable naval ships and defense technology solutions that safeguard our seas, sky, land, space and cyber. Our workforce includes skilled tradespeople; artificial intelligence, machine learning (AI/ML) experts; engineers; technologists; scientists; logistics experts; and business administration professionals.
Recognized as one of America’s top large company employers, we are a values and ethics driven organization that puts people’s safety and well-being first. Regardless of your role or where you serve, at HII, you’ll find a supportive and welcoming environment, competitive benefits, and valuable educational and training programs for continual career growth at every stage of your career.
Together we are working to ensure a future where everyone can be free and thrive.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, or veteran status or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.
Do You Need Assistance?
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to buildyourcareer@hii-co.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Reasonable accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only those inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address. Additionally, you may also call 1-844-849-8463 for assistance. Press #3 for HII Mission Technologies.
Date: Sep 21, 2026
Location: Arlington, VA, Virginia, United States
Company: HII's Mission Technologies division
Requisition Number: 30246
Required Travel: 11 - 25%
Employment Type: Full Time/Salaried/Exempt
Anticipated Salary Range: $128,656.00 - $170,000.00
Security Clearance: None
Level of Experience: Senior
Meet HII’s Mission Technologies Division
Our team of more than 7,000 professionals worldwide delivers all-domain expertise and advanced technologies in service of mission partners across the globe. Mission Technologies is leading the next evolution of national defense – the data evolution - by accelerating a breadth of national security solutions for government and commercial customers. Our capabilities range from C5ISR, AI and Big Data, cyber operations and synthetic training environments to fleet sustainment, environmental remediation and the largest family of unmanned underwater vehicles in every class. Find the role that’s right for you. Apply today. We look forward to meeting you.
To learn more about Mission Technologies, click here for a short video: https://vimeo.com/732533072
Leadership Mindset at HII – Mission Technologies
Leadership at HII is a mindset, not a title. Through our Leadership Capability Framework, we define how every employee grows, leads, and contributes—regardless of role. It sets the standard for how you can develop yourself and what you can expect from leaders across our organization. We look for candidates who want to grow in alignment with these capabilities:
- Know & Grow Your People – Commit to learning and supporting team success.
- Build Relationships – Communicate openly, collaborate well, and build trust.
- Take Ownership – Deliver on commitments and take pride in your work.
- Customer First – Focus on the mission and those we serve.
- Shape the Future – Bring ideas, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
- Act with Urgency – Take initiative and follow through with purpose.
These capabilities guide how all employees contribute to our shared success across Mission Technologies.
Summary:
HII Mission Technologies Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering group is hiring an Operational Systems Manager to act as a cross-cutting leader to mature and implement manufacturing standards, systems, process improvements, and leadership development programs across Mission Technology’s product and technology portfolio.
What You Will Do:
Specific job duties include:
- Deliver manufacturing ramp-ups for strategic products and programs
- Develop high-performing technical and management standards for HII MT manufacturing, including standards for work instructions, capacity modeling, daily work management, continuous improvement, and KPIs
- Lead on-site teams to develop capacity models that account for demand variability, headcount, equipment utilization, and supplier lead times
- Lead on-site teams to establish standard build procedures, perform time-and-motion studies, map value streams, identify bottlenecks, balance flows, and design facility layouts
- Establish, implement, and scale best-practice operational excellence and structured continuous improvement systems that promote relentless execution focus
- Lead on-site teams to implement and tailor production systems for maximum impact
- Apprentice and develop early-tenure industrial, manufacturing, and systems engineers
- Establish structured, systematic operations leadership development program
What We're Looking For:
- 6 years relevant progressive experience with Bachelors in related field; 4 years relevant progressive experience with Masters in related field; or High School Diploma or equivalent and 10 years relevant progressive experience.
- System dynamics modeling and simulation experience (e.g., Simio, Python, MATLAB)
- Preference for experience with operations leadership development programs
- Manufacturing leadership and process improvement experience
- Familiarity with high-complexity / defense manufacturing is a plus
- Exceptional communication skills
- Capable of building rapid trust across a wide range of stakeholders, including front-line craftspeople and senior executives
- Comfort creating structure from ambiguity & moving quickly with imperfect data
- Travel: 25-50% of the time
The listed salary range for this role is intended as a good faith estimate based on the role's location, expectations, and responsibilities. When extending an offer, HII's Mission Technologies division takes a variety of factors into consideration which include, but are not limited to, the role's function and a candidate's education or training, work experience, and key skills.
HII is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to build a new future. We offer competitive benefits such as best-in-class medical, dental and vision plan choices; wellness resources; employee assistance programs; Savings Plan Options (401(k)); financial planning tools, life insurance; employee discounts; paid holidays and paid time off; tuition reimbursement; as well as early childhood and post-secondary education scholarships. Bonus/other non-recurrent compensation is occasionally offered for qualified positions, and if applicable to this role will be addressed by the recruiter at the screening phase of application.
Why HII
We build the world’s most powerful, survivable naval ships and defense technology solutions that safeguard our seas, sky, land, space and cyber. Our workforce includes skilled tradespeople; artificial intelligence, machine learning (AI/ML) experts; engineers; technologists; scientists; logistics experts; and business administration professionals.
Recognized as one of America’s top large company employers, we are a values and ethics driven organization that puts people’s safety and well-being first. Regardless of your role or where you serve, at HII, you’ll find a supportive and welcoming environment, competitive benefits, and valuable educational and training programs for continual career growth at every stage of your career.
Together we are working to ensure a future where everyone can be free and thrive.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, or veteran status or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.
Do You Need Assistance?
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to buildyourcareer@hii-co.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Reasonable accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only those inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address. Additionally, you may also call 1-844-849-8463 for assistance. Press #3 for HII Mission Technologies.
See All 11 Manufacturing Operations Manager Jobs in Virginia
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Find JobsManufacturing Operations Manager Jobs by City in Virginia
Where Virginia roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Manufacturing Operations Manager Job Market in Virginia
A snapshot from current Virginia openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
What Virginia Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in manufacturing operations manager jobs across Virginia.
- Bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, manufacturing, operations management, or a related field
- Five or more years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience including direct supervisory responsibility
- Demonstrated proficiency with lean manufacturing principles such as Six Sigma, Kaizen, or 5S methodologies
- Experience managing production schedules, supply chain coordination, and quality assurance processes
- Familiarity with OSHA safety standards and Virginia workplace safety compliance requirements
- Proficiency with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft Dynamics for production planning and reporting
Manufacturing Operations Manager Jobs in Virginia: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a manufacturing operations manager in Virginia?
Most Virginia employers expect a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, operations management, or a related technical field, combined with several years of progressive shop floor or production leadership experience. There is no state-issued license required specifically for this role in Virginia. Candidates who have earned a Lean Six Sigma Green or Black Belt certification, or a Certified Manufacturing Engineer credential through SME, consistently stand out in Virginia's defense and industrial manufacturing markets.
How much do manufacturing operations managers make in Virginia?
Manufacturing operations managers in Virginia earn a median of about $128,230 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $83,390 for the lowest 10% to over $206,820 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire manufacturing operations managers in Virginia?
Employers hiring manufacturing operations managers in Virginia right now include Altria, HII, and MCC, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Virginia's concentration of defense contractors and large-scale food and industrial manufacturers means demand for this role remains steady across both coastal and inland regions of the state.
Which Virginia cities have the most manufacturing operations manager jobs?
Richmond, Arlington, and Reston have the most manufacturing operations manager openings in Virginia. Hampton Roads drives a large share of those listings because of its density of shipbuilding, defense, and advanced manufacturing operations, while Richmond and Northern Virginia contribute heavily through food processing, pharmaceutical, and government-contract manufacturing employers headquartered or operating in those corridors.
Are there remote manufacturing operations manager jobs in Virginia?
Yes, but they're rare. About 43% of manufacturing operations manager openings tied to Virginia are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, which reflects the hands-on, plant-floor nature of most roles in this field. The portions of the job most likely to allow remote flexibility are scheduling, reporting, and continuous improvement project work rather than direct production oversight.
How can I get hired as a manufacturing operations manager in Virginia with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is moving up from a production supervisor, shift lead, or quality technician role at a Virginia manufacturer, where you build the floor-level credibility these positions require. Large Virginia employers in shipbuilding and defense, including those based in the Hampton Roads area, often promote internally from operations coordinator and industrial technician roles. Earning a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or completing a Virginia community college workforce development program in operations management makes a candidate significantly more competitive for that first step into management.
Where can I find and apply to manufacturing operations manager jobs in Virginia?
You can find and apply to manufacturing operations manager jobs in Virginia on Migrate Mate, which lists current Virginia openings across the state's major manufacturing hubs. Find roles that fit your experience and location and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 11 Manufacturing Operations Manager Jobs in Virginia
Find roles in Virginia that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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