General Manager

General Manager - R&D Manufacturing FacilityThe Wauford Group, a family-owned group of businesses in central Virginia, is seeking a hands-on General Manager to lead our fiber application, research, and production facility in Petersburg, Virginia. This critical role serves as the bridge between customers, engineers, frontline operators, and executive leadership, reporting directly to the CEO. The successful candidate will be responsible for translating dynamic customer needs to operational performance in a highly regulated, technical, and safety-focused environment.Duties:Leads performance of all facility departments emphasizing safety, quality, productivity, flexibility, systemic discipline, and employee engagementManages customer relationship, contractual compliance, R&D and production needs, and translating them into executable plansBuilds engagement and alignment across all levels of the organization, from frontline operators to customer engineers to company executive leadershipMaintains and improves accurate systemic reporting of safety, production, costs, quality, skill training, mandated government reports (including regulated materials management and reporting), payroll, personnel issues, and other operational metricsReports to CEO to ensure support of company strategic objectivesDrives audit readiness for OSHA, environmental, ISA, ITAR, and other regulations as neededIdentifies and leads continuous improvement opportunities, initiatives, and projectsRequirements7-10 years’ leadership experience in manufacturing, advanced materials, research and development, or technical operations; a background in fibers or ballistic materials a plusCollege degree required, preferably in mechanical, chemical, industrial, materials, or manufacturing engineering; leadership experience in a technical environment also consideredDemonstrated success leading teams through changing production demands while maintaining engagement and accountabilityProven ability to balance competing priorities and translate them to operational realitiesKnowledge of OSHA and environmental regulations, permitting and report filing; experience with ISO quality systems, safety systems and security, ITAR regulations and compliance a plusExcellent customer service skills and the ability to build and maintain on-site customer relationshipsExperience with energy absorbing material, composite processing, ballistic testing, or armor end article fabrication a plusThis role is ideal for a technically minded leader who enjoys balancing customer interaction, operational leadership, and team development in a hands-on manufacturing environment.Salary range for this on-site job is $150,000 - $190,000 with medical insurance, 401(k) matching benefits, life insurance, vacation pay, holiday pay, and bonus opportunities according to company eligibility criteria. All Wauford Group companies are Equal Opportunity Employers.