Director of Advanced Manufacturing in LOVELAND, Colorado at James Fisher Technologies LLC

ABOUT JFT: James Fisher Technologies (JFT) is a reputable provider of remote solutions, specialty engineering, and technical services for applications within hazardous environments or with high integrity requirements. As a ground-breaking and rapidly expanding company, our highly trained staff and enduring heritage enable us to provide solutions to the most demanding operational and technical challenges faced by our customers. Our goal is to recruit and retain the finest staff. We achieve this by providing a gratifying experience that demands, supports, and rewards the highest performance. Everyone at JFT has the chance to forge their own career in an environment that values initiative, persistence, respect, curiosity, and passion.

FUNCTION: The Division Director leads the strategic, commercial, and operational performance of JFT’s Advanced Manufacturing Division. The division delivers build-to-print equipment and assemblies, process skids and piping, pressure vessels and other pressure-boundary equipment, and manufacturing support across the nuclear lifecycle, including uprates, commercial-grade dedication support, and obsolescence solutions. The role develops scalable delivery from first-of-a-kind (FOAK) to nth-of-a-kind (NOAK) production and is accountable for division P&L, project execution, people development, and customer engagement. The Director coordinates with Engineering, Production, Quality, Procurement, and the Energy and Federal Services Divisions to deliver assigned work within JFT’s established functional authorities. The role may directly manage select strategic projects as a Senior Project Manager, particularly during onboarding, while progressively assuming the full Director portfolio and developing project leadership capacity.

At JFT, we work a Monday–Friday 9/80 schedule with every other Friday off, providing the opportunity to recharge, maintain a healthy work-life balance, and return refreshed and energized.

The anticipated closing date for this posting is 10/13/2026 and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

REPORTING TO: Chief Operating Officer

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead division project delivery across build-to-print manufacturing, process skids and piping, pressure vessels, fabrication, machining, assembly, integration, testing, subcontracted manufacturing, and applicable field support in coordination with functional leaders.
• Own and deliver division financial performance including revenue, gross margin, backlog, and cashflow across the division.
• Work with business development and the other Division Directors to establish a qualified pipeline, define division scope and project assignments, and align delivery commitments with available manufacturing capacity.
• Serve as Senior Project Manager for select strategic projects as needed, modeling JFT project delivery practices while developing project leaders and planning orderly handoff of direct project responsibilities.
• Oversee cost, schedule, scope, quality, and safety performance across the project portfolio using EVMS and other project control tools; identify and mitigate risks proactively.
• Lead customer relationships with nuclear utilities, DOE and National Laboratories, advanced reactor developers, equipment suppliers, and major engineering and nuclear prime contractors.
• Champion nuclear safety and quality culture; coordinate with Quality and Engineering to ensure applicable contract, NQA-1, ASME Code, customer, and regulatory requirements are incorporated into project planning, execution, and records.
• Develop division growth opportunities across the nuclear lifecycle, including build-to-print work, uprates, component replacement and obsolescence solutions, commercial-grade dedication support, and repeatable FOAK-to-NOAK manufacturing.
• Review and approve pricing, subcontracts, purchase orders, forecasts, and change orders within delegated authority; escalate commitments and commercial risks requiring executive approval.
• Support executive-level financial forecasting and resource planning including hiring, workforce development, and succession planning.
• Facilitate execution readiness through design alignment and manufacturing readiness reviews, confirming drawing and specification maturity, build groups, material availability, supplier capacity, inspection and test requirements, and production sequencing before release.
• Ensure PMO discipline and governance including KPI tracking (CPI, SPI, utilization, and cash flow).
• Drive standardization and continuous improvement in estimating, manufacturing schedules, subcontractor oversight, and reporting; use lessons from initial builds to improve repeatability, lead time, cost, and quality on subsequent units.
• Represent JFT in executive-level stakeholder engagements, reviews, conferences, and regulatory forums.
• Coordinate day-to-day project execution with Engineering, Production, Quality, Procurement, and project controls; maintain clear ownership of deliverables, resource commitments, and interfaces while respecting functional responsibility for technical decisions and resource allocation.
• Manage contracts and changes, including customer-furnished design revisions, drawing and specification discrepancies, procurement lead times, and scope changes; document cost and schedule impacts and secure required approvals.
• Develop integrated project schedules and resource plans linking engineering release, procurement, work orders, manufacturing build groups, inspection, testing, and customer delivery milestones.
• Manage and monitor project costs, report cost forecasts to management and deliver projects to established budget.
• Authorize contracts, purchase orders, change orders, and supplier invoice approvals within delegated authority and established company procedures.
• Support technical sales and proposal development, including scope definition, make-or-buy planning, manufacturing estimates, supplier input, capacity assessment, and commercial risk evaluation.
• Prepare weekly reports and other departmental projects as needed.
• Develop and improve project controls procedures with the PMO, including reliable baselines, cost-to-complete forecasts, milestone tracking, and early escalation of delivery risks.
• Oversee subcontractor delivery with Procurement and Quality, including supplier milestones, material traceability, required manufacturing records, inspections, and acceptance documentation.
• Identify and mitigate execution risks, including long-lead materials, fabrication and weld repair, nonconformances, testing, and customer approvals; establish recovery actions with accountable owners.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or related technical discipline required; Master’s degree or MBA preferred.
• Minimum 12–15 years of progressive experience in project delivery, manufacturing, or business leadership within nuclear, highly regulated, or high-integrity industrial environments, with demonstrated responsibility for business unit financial performance and growth.
• Advanced understanding of Profit & Loss responsibility, including forecasting, margin protection, indirect rate impacts, cost-of-quality, and working capital velocity.
• Proven ability to manage multiple project portfolios as a commercial enterprise—balancing risk, prioritization, staffing, and delivery strategy to achieve business goals.
• Expertise in cost estimating, schedule development, earned value management, and financial performance reporting at both the portfolio and project level.
• Strong contract management and commercial negotiation background including strategic subcontractor engagement (FFP, cost-reimbursable, IDIQ).
• Demonstrated leadership experience developing project managers and future leaders, building manufacturing delivery capability, and enabling scalable execution systems across a matrixed organization.
• Adept at developing multi-year strategic plans and business cases, including CapEx justification, operational scaling, and new market entry.
• Skilled in identifying performance trends via quantitative metrics and leading corrective actions to maintain corporate and customer alignment.
• Familiarity with nuclear customer requirements and applicable quality and regulatory frameworks; ability to work with technical and Quality specialists to translate requirements into executable manufacturing and delivery plans.
• Strong executive presence, communication skills, and ability to represent the business during senior-level interactions with customers, stakeholders, and suppliers.
• Proficient in project management and cost control tools including Microsoft Project and Excel; Primavera P6 experience is a plus.
• PMP, Professional Engineer (PE), or equivalent certification highly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience delivering build-to-print equipment, fabricated or machined assemblies, process skids and piping, pressure vessels, or other high-integrity hardware. Experience with material traceability, welding and inspection requirements, manufacturing documentation, and nuclear lifecycle work is highly desirable.
• Ability to travel up to 20–30% to support customer engagement, supplier qualification, and multi-facility production operations.
• Commitment to nuclear safety culture, compliance frameworks, and Human Performance Improvement (HPI) principles.
• Ability to develop and implement an Advanced Manufacturing business strategy, including repeatable FOAK-to-NOAK delivery and collaboration across JFT divisions. Experience with nuclear uprates, obsolescence solutions, or commercial-grade dedication programs is desirable.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Must be able to work on a computer (standing or sitting) for most of the day and operate standard office equipment. Ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally with team members, customers and vendors is essential. May occasionally lift and carry items, typically under 25lbs.

TYPICAL WORKING CONDITIONS: Primarily an office environment with periodic exposure to the fabrication/machine shop and outdoor testing areas. Depending on the project, there may be occasional travel to customer job sites. JFT has implemented a 9/80 work schedule, and the office is closed every other Friday.

ACCESS TO RESTRICTED INFORMATION: This role requires immediate and routine access to restricted information under federal law. Under applicable DOE orders and client contracts, non-U.S. citizens (including lawful permanent residents) may require an approved DOE Foreign National Visit/Assignment (FNVA) before starting work. Because this position requires immediate access, JFT cannot initiate or sponsor new FNVA processes. Hiring is contingent on the candidate's eligibility to access all required information and facilities as of the start date. All offers are subject to applicable licensing, training, and other client or government requirements. JFT does not sponsor employment visas. Hiring decisions are based solely on access requirements and project timing, not on citizenship, immigration status, or national origin. JFT is an equal opportunity employer.

FLSA EXEMPT/NONEXEMPT STATUS: FLSA Exempt, not eligible for overtime.