Senior Director of Operations

Senior Director of Operations

Stahls' is seeking a Senior Director of Operations to lead day-to-day manufacturing and operational performance across its Michigan-based decoration facilities. This role owns production output, quality, safety, and continuous improvement across the Chesterfield, MI campus and serves as the senior operational leader on the ground for this facility cluster. The Senior Director of Operations partners closely with the Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations to translate enterprise-wide operational strategy into plant-level execution, and represents Michigan operations in cross-divisional planning.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Own daily production performance across the Chesterfield (SF1, VCF) facilities, including throughput, on-time delivery, and capacity utilization
• Set and drive plant-level goals that ladder up to enterprise operational targets set by the Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations
• Lead, coach, and develop Plant Managers and department leaders across the Michigan facility cluster

Quality & Safety

• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with all workplace safety standards across facilities
• Own quality performance, root-cause analysis, and corrective action for production defects and customer complaints

Continuous Improvement

• Drive lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce waste, improve first-pass yield, and lower cost per unit
• Identify and lead capital equipment and process improvement projects, partnering with the Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations on capital planning and justification

Cross-Functional & Strategic Coordination

• Partner with Supply Chain, Quality, HR, and Customer Service leaders to resolve cross-functional operational issues
• Represent Chesterfield operations in enterprise-wide planning, staffing, and reporting initiatives led by the Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations

People Leadership

• Build and maintain a strong bench of operations talent, including hiring, retention, and succession planning across the facility cluster
• Establish clear performance standards and accountability for production teams

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business, or a related field; MBA a plus
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing or production operations leadership experience, including multi-site or multi-shift responsibility
• Prior experience in a Director of Operations, or senior Plant Manager role, ideally in apparel decoration, textiles, printing, or a related light-manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated track record improving safety, quality, on-time delivery, and cost performance in a production setting
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies
• Strong financial acumen, including experience managing plant P&L, labor planning, and capital expenditure justification
• Proven ability to lead, develop, and hold accountable a team of plant managers and front-line supervisors
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to partner effectively with executive leadership and cross-functional peers
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, hands-on manufacturing environment with regular presence on the plant floor

Location, Travel & Work Environment

This position is based on-site at the Chesterfield, Michigan campus. This is a hands-on manufacturing leadership role: the Senior Director of Operations is expected to spend significant time on the plant floor, not primarily behind a desk.

Occasional travel (estimated 10%) may be required for site visits to other Stahls' facilities, vendor or customer visits, or company leadership meetings.