Director of Operations

The Director of Operations is responsible for leading all manufacturing operations to achieve world-class performance in safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement. This executive leader will oversee production, manufacturing engineering, supply chain, maintenance, quality, and continuous improvement while driving a cultural transformation built on accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence. The successful candidate is more than an experienced manufacturing leader—they are an inspiring change agent who can build trust, develop leaders, and create a high-performance culture. This individual will champion Lean manufacturing principles, improve operational performance, and lead teams through organizational change while maintaining an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction and employee development. Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership Develop and execute the company's operations strategy in alignment with business objectives. Lead and mentor operations leadership to build a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement. Establish clear expectations, performance standards, and measurable operational goals. Foster cross-functional collaboration between Operations, Engineering, Sales, Customer Service, and Finance. Cultural Transformation Serve as the primary champion for cultural change throughout the organization. Build an environment of trust, transparency, respect, and accountability. Coach managers to become effective leaders who develop and engage their teams. Drive employee engagement initiatives that improve morale, retention, and organizational performance. Promote open communication and proactive problem-solving at every level. Manufacturing Operations Direct all manufacturing activities including production, scheduling, maintenance, quality, inventory, and materials management. Improve safety performance while reinforcing a culture where safety is everyone's responsibility. Optimize production capacity, throughput, labor utilization, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). Ensure products consistently meet quality standards and customer expectations. Balance production priorities while maintaining on-time delivery commitments. Lead Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Continuous Improvement initiatives across the organization. Identify opportunities to eliminate waste, reduce costs, improve productivity, and simplify processes. Implement standard work, visual management, KPI dashboards, and problem-solving disciplines. Develop sustainable systems that support operational excellence. Manage operational budgets and capital expenditures. Improve gross margin through productivity improvements and cost reduction initiatives. Monitor operational KPIs and implement corrective actions when needed. Support long-term capacity planning and investment decisions. Talent Development Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing operations leaders. Build succession plans for key operational positions. Establish leadership development and training programs. Create an environment that recognizes achievement while addressing performance issues constructively and promptly. Qualifications Required Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business, or a related field. 10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience. Minimum 5 years leading multiple operational functions in an industrial manufacturing environment. Demonstrated success leading organizational and cultural transformation. Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, and operational excellence methodologies. Experience managing budgets, capital projects, and operational performance metrics. Excellent communication, coaching, and conflict resolution skills. Preferred MBA or advanced technical degree. Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent certification. Experience in industrial machinery, heavy equipment, custom manufacturing, or engineered-to-order environments. ERP implementation or optimization experience. #J-18808-Ljbffr