General Manager Job at Aqua Membranes, Inc., Knoxville, TN

dTBMQmMybkVrR3R0dUc2aDJ2MTFxcW5l
  • Aqua Membranes, Inc.
  • Knoxville, TN

Job Description

General Manager

**Location:** Knoxville, TN (on-site leadership role)

**Relocation:** A relocation package may be provided for the right candidate.

This role reports directly to the CEO and oversees all site operations for the Knoxville facility.

The General Manager will lead a team of approximately 4 to 7 direct reports and up to 40 total

personnel across production, maintenance, and supply chain.

Aqua Membranes is seeking a strategic and execution-focused General Manager (GM) to lead

the successful launch and ramp-up of our Knoxville high-volume reverse osmosis (RO)

membrane element manufacturing facility, which is currently completing equipment installation

and entering its production startup phase. The GM will be accountable for site-level leadership

across production, maintenance, supply chain, safety, and daily plant performance. This role is

critical in delivering operational excellence, cost-effective scaling, and on-time production to

support company growth. You won’t just manage a plant—you’ll shape how clean water

technology is built and delivered at scale. As GM, you’ll play a critical leadership role in a

high-impact, high-growth company.

Key Responsibilities

● Provide day-to-day leadership for all plant activities in Knoxville

● Ensure operational readiness, ramp-up milestones, and production targets are met

● Drive a culture of safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and employee

engagement

● Lead and develop a high-performance team including Production, Maintenance, Supply

Chain, and HR managers

● Partner with HR on staffing, training, and employee development initiatives

● Ensure execution of production plans aligned with customer demand and company goals

● Collaborate with QA Director to maintain quality systems and compliance (e.g., ISO,

NSF)

● Champion continuous improvement, yield enhancement, and process control initiatives

● Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, and the Albuquerque Design Center to support

scale-up, product validation, and sample builds

● Coordinate resources to support co-creation projects and customer evaluations

● Oversee equipment maintenance, facility upgrades, and operational expansion as

required

● Lead cost control and efficiency programs in coordination with finance and operations

leadership

Key Success Metrics (First 12 Months)

● Commissioning and qualification of all production equipment

● Yield improvement to >90% by end of steady-state ramp-up

● Implementation of lean initiatives with measurable cost or efficiency benefits

● Execution of on-time production aligned with sales forecasts

● Implementation of lean initiatives with measurable cost or efficiency benefits

● Cross-functional alignment with Engineering and QA teams

Qualifications

Experience: 10+ years in manufacturing leadership, preferably in membrane, water treatment,

or high-precision assembly

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or related field; MBA preferred

Operations Expertise: Proven success managing production teams, implementing KPIs, and

scaling operations

People Leadership: Strong team development, conflict resolution, communication,

cross-functional leadership skills and stakeholder management skills

Systems Knowledge: Proficiency with ERP systems (NetSuite preferred), quality systems (ISO

9001), lean methodologies, and performance dashboards

Startup Agility: Experience launching or expanding facilities and navigating rapid growth

phases with ability to operate hands-on while building scalable systems

Why Join Aqua Membranes?

At Aqua Membranes, we’re pioneering next-generation water treatment technologies to solve

some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Our Knoxville facility will be the cornerstone of

scaled manufacturing, and we’re looking for a leader who thrives in an environment of

innovation, accountability, and impact. We believe in empowering people, investing in

operational excellence, and building a culture that values integrity, innovation, and execution.

Job Tags

Relocation package,

Similar Jobs

Shanghai Sosearching Company

portuguese and spanish translators wanted!! Job at Shanghai Sosearching Company

portuguese and spanish translators wanted!!About CompanyShanghai Sosearching Company is mainly engaged in international market and related business in various languages in the whole world, so we need excellent foreign translators whose native languages are Spanish, Russian... 

Vector Careers

Electrical Instructor Supervisor Job at Vector Careers

 ...The program supervisor is responsible for the overall management of the program. This includes maintaining excellent staff through hiring, training, and classroom observations, resolving issues that may hinder student retention, and overall development and continuous... 

Savannah College of Art and Design

Associate Chair of Luxury and Brand Management Job at Savannah College of Art and Design

 ...As the Associate Chair of Luxury and Brand Management, you will play a pivotal role in leading a team of faculty and staff. Your contributions...  ...and awards, and overseeing the departmental budget (i.e., travel requests and purchase approvals). The successful candidate... 

Ethos Veterinary Health

Veterinary Technician, Critical Care, SAGE Dublin Job at Ethos Veterinary Health

 ...Senior Veterinary Assistant - Critical Care Day Shift Ethos is the new, industry-leading...  ...inclusiveness and camaraderie. Being a part of the Dublin team provides you with opportunities...  ...VA $26- $34/hr Benefits: ~ Full-time benefits include health, dental, vision,... 

Tillys

Apparel Graphic Design and Production Assistant Job at Tillys

 ...experience to life both in-store and online. Position Summary We are seeking a highly motivated Graphic Designer and Production Assistant to join our growing creative team! In this role, you will work closely with the Graphic Design Team, POD production team and...