Director of Operations

About Alto Cirra

Alto Cirra is building autonomous atmospheric operations through advanced aerial systems, AI, and meteorological intelligence. We design, manufacture, operate, and maintain our own fleet of aircraft to deliver reliable, scalable operations in support of critical infrastructure and water security.

Role Overview

The Director of Operations is responsible for leading all operational functions across the company, including manufacturing, maintenance, flight operations support, facilities, and operational readiness. This executive will build the systems, processes, and teams required to scale Alto Cirra from prototype development to commercial deployment.

Responsibilities

• Lead all day-to-day operations across manufacturing, maintenance, facilities, and operational support.
• Build, manage, and mentor manufacturing technicians, maintenance personnel, and operations staff.
• Oversee aircraft manufacturing, assembly, integration, testing, and quality assurance.
• Manage post-flight maintenance, inspections, repairs, and refurbishment to ensure aircraft are mission-ready.
• Develop production schedules and coordinate manufacturing with engineering and flight operations.
• Own inventory management, tooling, warehouse operations, procurement, and supplier coordination.
• Manage company facilities, including labs, manufacturing space, equipment, and operational infrastructure.
• Develop and enforce operational SOPs, safety programs, quality standards, and documentation.
• Implement lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
• Establish KPIs for manufacturing throughput, fleet availability, maintenance turnaround, quality, and operational performance.
• Support field deployments, customer demonstrations, and future expansion into multiple operational locations.
• Build the operational organization as the company scales, including hiring, training, and developing future leaders.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of leadership experience in operations, manufacturing, aerospace, robotics, aviation, automotive, defense, or a related industry.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary operations teams.
• Strong background in manufacturing operations, maintenance, and quality systems.
• Experience building operational processes in a startup or high-growth environment.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on execution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with UAS, aerospace, or advanced manufacturing.
• Knowledge of FAA regulations and aviation maintenance practices.
• Experience with lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or operational excellence programs.
• Experience managing facilities, production environments, and supply chains.

Success in the First 12 Months

• Build a scalable operations organization.
• Launch efficient manufacturing and maintenance processes.
• Achieve high fleet readiness and reliability through standardized maintenance and refurbishment.
• Develop operational systems capable of supporting commercial deployments across multiple regions.
• Establish Alto Cirra as an operationally disciplined, high-performance organization.

Compensation

• Competitive salary.
• Meaningful equity participation.
• Performance-based bonus.
• Health benefits and flexible PTO.

Ideal Candidate

A proven operations leader who excels at building teams, scaling manufacturing, optimizing maintenance programs, and creating the operational foundation for a world-class aerospace company.

Pay: $100,000.00 - $180,000.00 per year

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan

Work Location: In person