Associate Director, Operations Product Management

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We are seeking an experienced Operations Product Management (OPM) Leader who can move confidently between detailed operational execution and senior-level strategic decision-making. This role offers the opportunity to shape how Operations executes across a significant product and program portfolio. The OPM Leader will work closely with GM, Program, Site and functional leaders and will have broad exposure across the Operations organization. In addition to leading an established team, the successful candidate will help shape and embed the future-state Operations operating model. The OPM Leader will work at the center of Operations and program execution. The role brings together Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Planning, Quality, Finance, Engineering and Program Leadership to ensure commitments are credible, executable and predictable. It provides early visibility into risks and constraints, challenges assumptions before commitments are made, and coordinates timely recovery actions to protect delivery. The goal is to help the organization confidently commit to and deliver against its plans.

Aligned with GM leadership, the role oversees execution performance across a portfolio of products. It provides a consolidated view of execution performance, aligns priorities and supports informed, fact-based decisions at the GM Integrated Product Team (IPT) leadership level. The OPM Leader serves as the escalation point for complex issues that span functions and programs. The role drives alignment and coordinated barrier removal by engaging the appropriate functional owners, assigning clear actions and following through on progress. It does not assume functional accountability for Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Planning, Quality or Finance.

Success in this role requires extensive engagement across the organization and the ability to align functions, programs and sites. The successful candidate will bring together different perspectives to establish a shared, fact-based understanding of operational performance, risk and delivery.

The role does not transfer accountability from Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Planning or Finance. Instead, it integrates their perspectives to establish an aligned view of what the business can credibly commit to and deliver.

The successful candidate will be able to

• Lead complex, cross-functional portfolios in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Turn large volumes of operational information into clear, concise leadership updates.
• Influence stakeholders without relying solely on formal authority.
• Balance competing customer, program and operational requirements.
• Identify risks before they affect delivery.
• Constructively challenge assumptions and commitments.
• Drive accountability without taking ownership of every functional issue.
• Communicate effectively with operational teams and senior executives.
• Develop people and build capability within a globally distributed team.
• Maintain focus and execution discipline amid competing priorities.
• Align functions while maintaining clear accountability for functional owners.

What You Will Do

Portfolio Execution and Performance

• Consolidate execution status, delivery performance, operational risks and recovery plans across multiple business units and programs.
• Provide clear, concise and timely operational updates to GM, Program and Operations leaders.
• Lead portfolio-level delivery, risk and recovery reviews.
• Ensure customer and program commitments are supported by a credible, executable operational position.
• Identify emerging risks early and drive appropriate mitigation and recovery actions.
• Support portfolio-level prioritization and trade-off decisions.
• Monitor execution performance and ensure actions are identified, assigned and completed.

Leadership and Alignment

• Lead, coach and develop a team of OPMs.
• Balance workload, priorities and resources across the OPM team.
• Establish consistent standards for execution management, action tracking, governance and escalation.
• Align priorities across OPMs, Site Leadership, and GM and Program Leadership.
• Promote collaboration, accountability and consistency across the wider Operations organization.
• Ensure clear ownership, effective handoffs and decisions at the appropriate level.
• Build capability and consistency across the OPM community.

Escalation and Decision Support

• Serve as the escalation point for complex issues that span functions and programs.
• Identify and remove barriers affecting delivery and execution.
• Prepare decision-ready escalations for senior leaders, clearly outlining risks, options, impacts and recommendations.
• Enable GM-level trade-off decisions through fact-based analysis and a consolidated view of operational impacts.
• Constructively challenge assumptions and commitments when execution risks arise.
• Align recovery plans when customer or program commitments are at risk.
• Ensure issues are resolved at the appropriate organizational level without unnecessarily transferring functional accountability.

Planning and Business Integration

• Integrate operational execution inputs into SIOP, capacity planning and financial processes at the portfolio level.
• Connect operational performance and recovery actions with broader business planning and financial considerations.
• Work closely with Supply Chain, Materials Management, Planning and Finance to ensure plans reflect operational realities.
• Support integration with Engineering and NPI activities as needed, particularly in relation to readiness, capacity and execution risk.
• Ensure portfolio-level operational constraints and risks are visible in broader business planning and decision-making.

Essential Criteria

• Strong understanding of Operations and manufacturing.
• Demonstrated leadership experience.
• Proven ability to lead and develop people.
• Experience managing complex operational delivery or program execution.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and influencing skills.
• Ability to work effectively without direct authority over all contributors.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to translate complex information into a clear operational position.
• Experience identifying and managing operational risk.
• Demonstrated problem-solving and recovery experience.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to engage with senior leaders.
• Ability to frame issues as clear options, recommendations and decisions.
• Strong stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to challenge constructively and drive accountability.
• Good understanding of the interfaces among Manufacturing, Planning, Capacity, Materials, Supply Chain and program delivery.

Desirable Criteria

• Previous OPM, Operations Program or Program Operations experience.
• Experience leading across multiple products or programs.
• Aerospace manufacturing experience.
• SIOP, production planning or capacity experience.
• NPI or product launch experience.
• Customer-facing experience.
• Significant operational recovery experience.
• Experience working directly with senior GM or Program leaders.

RTX adheres to the principles of equal employment. All qualified applications will be given careful consideration without regard to ethnicity, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

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