Director Of Operations

Manufacturing Operational Excellence LeaderRequired Skills & Experience• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field from an accredited institution. • 10+ years of progressive manufacturing or operations experience, including at least 5 years leading Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, manufacturing transformation, or comparable initiatives. Multi-site leadership experience strongly preferred. • Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent demonstrated mastery required; Master Black Belt preferred. • Demonstrated experience delivering measurable improvements in manufacturing performance, including areas such as safety, quality, throughput, yield, reliability, productivity, cost, and customer performance. • Deep knowledge of Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, structured problem solving, strategy deployment, daily management systems, and change-management principles. • Strong manufacturing and shop-floor credibility with demonstrated ability to engage effectively with frontline employees, supervisors, technical teams, Plant Managers, and senior executives. • Proven ability to lead organizational change, overcome resistance, influence without authority, and create ownership for improvement within operating teams. • Strong financial and analytical acumen with demonstrated experience developing business cases and delivering measurable financial results. • Strong project and program management capability with experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives across multiple locations. • Proficiency in manufacturing performance data, KPIs, ERP/MES systems, and data visualization and analytical tools such as Power BI or Tableau. • Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex operational issues into clear priorities and actions for audiences ranging from frontline employees to executive leadership. • Ability and willingness to travel as required. Preferred Qualifications • Experience in heavy manufacturing, metals, rolling, casting, primary metals, automotive, industrial products, or other continuous/process-intensive manufacturing environments is strongly preferred. • Experience leading enterprise or multi-site Operational Excellence transformations, including implementation of Lean Daily Management or similar operating-management systems, is highly desirable. • Demonstrated experience developing CI/OpEx capability within operating organizationsJob DescriptionEssential Functions, Duties and Responsibilities• Enterprise Operational Excellence Strategy: Define and lead a multi-plant Operational Excellence strategy aligned with operational and financial objectives. Translate enterprise priorities into site-level improvement roadmaps and establish common frameworks, metrics, and standards across manufacturing facilities.• Plant-Level Execution & Business Results: Partner with Plant Managers and operating teams to identify, scope, and execute high-value improvement opportunities in areas including safety, throughput, yield, quality, equipment reliability, process stability, changeover time, waste and rework, labor productivity, energy efficiency, working capital/WIP, manufacturing cost, and on-time delivery.• Operational Management System & Sustainability: Partner with plant leadership to build and mature daily management systems that connect frontline performance to plant and enterprise objectives. Establish effective tiered accountability, visual management, problem escalation, leader standard work, structured problem solving, and control mechanisms that sustain improvements after individual projects are completed.• Operational Excellence Systems & Problem Solving: Apply the appropriate Lean Six Sigma, constraint management, structured problem-solving, and change-management methodologies based on the business problem. Lead and coach the effective use of tools including Value Stream Mapping, Standard Work, Visual Management, A3, Root Cause Analysis, Kaizen, Rapid Improvement Events, and other applicable methodologies.• Strategy Deployment & Initiative Prioritization: Translate enterprise strategy into a prioritized portfolio of improvement initiatives, ensuring organizational resources are focused on the operational constraints and opportunities with the greatest potential business impact. Establish clear objectives, ownership, timelines, and measures of success for major initiatives.• Performance Measurement & Governance: Establish and maintain meaningful operational KPIs across manufacturing facilities, including measures such as OEE, throughput, yield, waste, quality, reliability, labor productivity, and delivery performance. Lead regular Operational Excellence governance reviews with operations leadership to assess progress, remove barriers, and ensure sustained performance improvement.• Financial Impact & Benefits Validation: Develop robust business cases for improvement initiatives and partner with Finance and operating leadership to validate realized benefits, including EBITDA improvement, cost reduction, capacity creation, yield improvement, working-capital improvement, and capital avoidance.• Capability Building & Culture: Champion a culture of continuous improvement by developing Operational Excellence capability throughout the organization. Coach and mentor plant leaders, Lean Leaders, Process Engineers, supervisors, and frontline employees in continuous improvement and structured problem solving.