Link to apply listed at the bottom of this Job Description. Only applications submitted through this link will be considered.
WHO WE ARE
Rock Manufacturing is a small-caliber ammunition manufacturer based in Sweet Springs, Missouri, producing projectiles, load ammunition, and components, along with in-house loading and priming. Founded in its current form in 2023, we are a well-capitalized company in a high-growth chapter, vertically integrating our production and building toward a significant revenue milestone over the coming year. Our equipment is owned outright and our capital position is strong, which gives us a rare combination of startup speed and financial stability.
Our vision is to deliver the complete spectrum of small-caliber ammunition solutions — projectiles, cases, components, materials, and services — that empower our customers with unmatched reliability. Our mission is to support the ammunition industry with top-tier projectiles, cases, components, services, and materials — from copper strip to propellants — delivered with speed, consistency, and integrity. Driven by passion and collaboration, we continuously improve to exceed expectations and ensure reliable performance in every product we make.
Our Core Values are:
- Precision First: We never compromise on accuracy — from material sourcing to final delivery.
- Integrity Always: We do what we say, and we stand behind every round, component, and commitment.
- Customer-Centered: Our partners rely on us. We deliver with responsiveness, reliability, and value.
- Continuous Improvement: We seek better processes, smarter solutions, and higher standards — every day.
- Pride in Production: We take ownership of our work, our machines, and our results.
- American Ingenuity, Global Perspective: We build with American excellence while sourcing and selling with global agility.
We are looking for someone who genuinely connects with our mission and the way we operate, because that alignment is what makes this role succeed.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Rock Manufacturing team is looking for a results-driven and execution-focused VP of Operations to take full ownership of how the business runs day to day. This is a hands-on integrator role for an operator who turns vision into reality, drives accountability across the floor, and keeps major initiatives moving from idea to completed deliverable.
The VP of Operations is responsible for optimizing the company's day-to-day execution, designing and implementing the infrastructure and processes that boost productivity and efficiency, and freeing the executive team to focus on their highest-value work. The application code word is EMPOWER. The VP of Operations is a driver. They take a high-level goal, figure out the details independently, and hold the team accountable to getting it done.
This role will lead Rock Manufacturing through a chapter of rapid growth and vertical integration. You will be the operational engine who brings follow-through, structure, and momentum to a fast-moving, founder-led manufacturer, working in close collaboration with the leadership team.
This is a boots-on-the-ground, on-site role based at our plant in Sweet Springs, Missouri. Building trust with the production floor is central to your success, so your presence on-site is essential. This is a critical position within the business, and as such, we host a rigorous, 4-part application process.
WHAT MAKES THIS ROLE UNIQUE
You will step into a business that already knows where it wants to go and has built much of what it needs to get there. What it needs now is the person who drives it home. Leadership generates strong ideas and sets clear direction in its weekly leadership meetings, and your job is to convert that direction into executed results, every week, without the momentum stalling.
Your success will ultimately be measured by one outcome: enabling both owners to step fully out of day-to-day operations by the end of the year, with the business running as a self-managing machine. You will take ownership of the operational back end the owners currently carry, including administrative tasks, material sourcing, and quality oversight, so they can focus on growth and technology.
RESPONSIBILITIES (TASKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROLE):
Operational Ownership & Execution
- Take ownership of the day-to-day operational back end currently held by leadership, including administrative tasks, material sourcing, and quality oversight
- Convert the deliverables and decisions made in weekly leadership meetings into completed, on-time results
- Drive follow-through and accountability so projects move from discussion to done
Team Leadership & Accountability
- Lead, manage, and develop the production team, building trust and momentum on the floor
- Hold team members accountable to production targets and clear performance standards
- Recruit, train, and promote talent as the team scales across multiple shifts
Systems & Process Implementation
- Design and implement the SOPs, workflows, and systems the business needs to scale
- Build the data and reporting infrastructure that gives leadership clear visibility into production and performance
- Evolve communication and meeting rhythms so the team stays aligned and efficient
Production, Quality & Scaling
- Drive production lines toward full multi-shift capacity, specifically two projectile shifts and one loading shift operational by the end of the year.
- Lead the launch of a major new production operation to fulfill incoming demand
- Improve quality and reduce material scrap, and support bringing key material inputs in-house to strengthen unit economics
Founder Extraction & Communication
- Operate with a high degree of independence, owning the details so leadership does not have to
- Communicate clearly and directly, and provide leadership with concise visual status reports
- Remove operational stress from the executive team as much as possible
REQUIREMENTS (EXPECTED PROFICIENCIES):
Experience Requirements (Non-Negotiable)
- Proven track record scaling a business through the $3M to $20M growth phase, ideally in a manufacturing, production, or operations-heavy environment
- Exceptional project management ability, with a history of driving processes, pushing initiatives forward, and holding teams accountable to deliverables
- A genuine boots-on-the-ground operator who leads from the floor and is energized by being on-site and close to the work
- Direct experience in ammunition manufacturing is helpful but not required. What matters is operational excellence and the ability to learn a production environment quickly
Core Competencies
- Strong systems and process thinking, with the ability to design and roll out SOPs that the team actually uses
- Data and KPI proficiency to establish, track, and act on the metrics that drive production performance
- Change management skill to bring structure and consistency to a fast-moving team
- An execution-first orientation, comfortable operating in the details and getting hands-on to make targets happen
Critical Soft Skills (Deal-Breakers)
- Exceptionally clear, candid, and direct communicator
- Comfortable with blunt, fast-paced feedback, able to keep it strictly business and move forward quickly
- A natural accountability owner who is willing to have the direct conversations that keep standards high
- Decisive and self-directed, able to take a high-level vision and independently figure out the path to execution
Technical & Logistical Requirements
- Able to work on-site full time in Sweet Springs, Missouri (relocation support available for the right candidate.
- Exceptional attention to detail, time-management, and organizational skills
- Data-driven decision maker who can analyze information and act on it
- Highly resourceful self-starter who thrives without direct supervision
- Experienced with ERP implementation in a manufacturing environment
Mindset & Cultural Fit
- You hold yourself to the highest standards of performance and stay resilient in the face of obstacles
- You thrive in a fast-changing, high-ownership environment and are energized by doing what it takes to hit production targets during a critical build phase
- You take ownership rather than make excuses, and you treat every challenge as something to solve
- You are comfortable with autonomy and motivated by the chance to build something and see it through
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
- First 30 days: Immerse on the production floor, build trust with the team, learn the systems, and map the operational back end leadership currently carries.
- By 60 days: Take ownership of the administrative, sourcing, and quality back end, and establish a weekly accountability rhythm that ensures follow-through on leadership initiatives.
- By 90 days: Production tracking and KPIs are live, scrap and quality improvements are underway, and the new production operation launch is on track.
- By 6 to 12 months: Both owners are extracted from day-to-day operations, production lines are running at full multi-shift capacity, and the business is operating as a self-managing machine on track toward its growth targets.
BENEFITS
- Base salary of $150,000 to $180,000, commensurate with experience
- Aggressive performance-based incentive plan bringing total potential compensation up to $250,000
- This is a W2 Position in Missouri
- Health Insurance on either a personal or family plan.
- 401K with a 3% Match
- Paid Time off of 3 Weeks + Holidays
- Professional Development: This role will be supported by an external Ops program that includes Ops mentorship, community, and live coaching.
HOW TO APPLY
If you are interested in this position, please submit an application at the following link.
https://recruiterflow.com/db_5f712a22c33a3d8ff14e412f5e6ab747/jobs/38
Our team will review your application and get back to you shortly. We look forward to hearing from you!
DISCLAIMER:
Spyglass Ops is an authorized representative of Rock Manufacturing. We are an Operations Hiring Agency, working on behalf of startup businesses to find and hire Operations Positions. All of our roles are full-time, salaried, leadership positions within growing business. We also filter the businesses we work with, to ensure they provide long-term positions, growth opportunities, and a strong working environment / culture. Our company qualifies and interviews candidates, then connects finalists with our clients for final interviews and job offers. Our highest priority is creating win-win matches for both our candidates and clients.
Pay: $150,000.00 - $180,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
Work Location: In person
