Executive Search Success Story: Building the Operations Leadership Team to Triple Production at a Missile and Munitions Components Supplier

How JRG Partners executed a confidential, multi-role North American executive search strategy that equipped a defense components manufacturer with the operations, supply chain, quality and mission assurance, program management, and manufacturing engineering leadership required to triple output of missile and munitions subsystems under multi-year prime contractor awards, meet Defense Production Act priorities, and maintain flawless quality in a zero-defect environment.

The Challenge

A defense components manufacturer had received multi-year awards from three missile and munitions primes requiring it to triple output within three years under Defense Production Act priority ratings, driven by inventory replenishment and allied demand. The company had been a steady, high-quality low-rate producer; its leadership had never managed a ramp of this scale; sub-tier suppliers of castings, electronics, and energetics were themselves constrained; program management was informal; and the primes required flawless quality, on-time delivery, and transparent program reporting under threat of losing follow-on awards. Executive leadership identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the ramp:

• A tripling of output within three years under prime contracts and DPA priority ratings
• Leadership built for steady low-rate production with no large ramp experience
• Constrained sub-tier suppliers for castings, electronics, and energetic materials
• Informal program management with no earned value or risk reporting to primes
• Zero-defect mission assurance requirements with quality systems sized for low volume
• Capacity expansion requiring new facilities, equipment, and a doubled technical workforce

Recognizing that the ramp required leadership from scaled defense production, the CEO and board engaged JRG Partners to recruit a Chief Operating Officer, Vice President of Supply Chain & Sub-Tier Management, Vice President of Quality & Mission Assurance, Vice President of Program Management, and Vice President of Manufacturing Engineering & Capacity Expansion. The company required an executive search partner with deep aerospace and defense manufacturing expertise and access to cleared leaders from primes and major suppliers.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing Focus

JRG Partners maintains a dedicated practice serving aerospace and defense manufacturers, including primes, tier suppliers, and precision and energetics producers, with deep recruiting expertise across operations, supply chain, quality and mission assurance, program management, and manufacturing engineering. This focus ensured an immediate understanding of production ramps, DPA priorities, sub-tier risk, and the leadership profiles that deliver under prime contracts.

Defense Ramp Experience

Our firm has extensive experience recruiting executives who have led multi-year production ramps for missile, munitions, and aircraft programs, with a clear understanding of rate readiness, sub-tier development, and mission assurance.

Cleared Talent Access

Our team maintains relationships with executives holding active clearances at primes and major suppliers, allowing confidential engagement of leaders already operating in the defense industrial base.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Ramp Plan Alignment

Our consultants partnered directly with the CEO, board, and prime customer program offices to review contract requirements, rate readiness, sub-tier supplier status, quality systems, and capacity plans, defining five executive profiles sequenced to the ramp plan.

Phase 2 — Talent Identification & Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting operations, supply chain, quality, program management, and manufacturing engineering executives at defense primes, tier-one and tier-two suppliers, and precision and energetics manufacturers who had led documented production ramps. Over 440 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Confidential Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of tripling defense production rates, developing and dual-sourcing constrained sub-tier suppliers, maintaining zero-defect mission assurance through ramps, implementing earned value program management under prime contracts, and expanding capacity with new facilities and technical workforces. Outreach was conducted under strict confidentiality. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Selection Process

Finalists presented ramp plans to the CEO and board, completed structured leadership assessments, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified rate, quality, delivery, and program outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 440+ aerospace and defense manufacturing executive profiles mapped across North America.
• Successfully placed a synchronized leadership tier spanning operations, supply chain, quality and mission assurance, program management, and manufacturing engineering within seven months.
• Dual-sourced 40 critical components and eliminated supplier-driven schedule slips.
• Maintained zero escapes to primes through the ramp.
• Delivered two new production facilities and doubled the technical workforce.
• Tripled output within three years with 100% on-time delivery and follow-on awards.