Operations Department Head

The company built on breakthroughs. ​  
Join us.​ 

Corning is one of the world’s leading innovators in glass, ceramic, and materials science. From the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space, our technologies push the boundaries of what’s possible.  ​  

How do we do this? With our people. They break through limitations and expectations – not once in a career, but every day. They help move our company, and the world, forward. ​  

​At Corning, there are endless possibilities for making an impact. You can help connect the unconnected, drive the future of automobiles, transform at-home entertainment, and ensure the delivery of lifesaving medicines. And so much more.​   

​Come break through with us.  

The Specialty Materials segment manufactures products that provide more than 150 material formulations for glass, glass ceramics and fluoride crystals to meet demand for unique customer needs. Consequently, this segment operates in a wide variety of commercial and industrial markets that include display optics and components, semiconductor optics components, aerospace and defense, astronomy, ophthalmic products, telecommunications components and cover glass that is optimized for portable display devices.

Role Purpose

The Operations Department Head oversees all aspects of the assigned production area and end-to-end manufacturing operations at the Phoenix plant. This role leads and develops a large, multi-shift production team, ensuring employees have the tools, resources, training, and guidance needed to perform safely and effectively. The position owns production planning and execution, drives a strong safety and quality culture, and establishes, monitors, and improves key performance indicators across the production floor. Through data-driven decision-making, Lean leadership, and continuous improvement, the role optimizes efficiency, cost, quality, yield, uptime, labor effectiveness, and throughput to achieve business, service, and profitability objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Own execution of production plans and schedules to meet customer demand, maximize throughput, and achieve cost, quality, delivery, inventory, safety, service, and growth targets.
• Lead, coach, and develop manufacturing leaders and hourly production teams across a multi-shift operation; ensure staffing, training, performance management, and employee engagement support safe and reliable operations.
• Establish, track, communicate, and drive improvement of production KPIs, including safety, quality, yield, uptime, scrap, labor efficiency, output, schedule adherence, and asset effectiveness.
• Provide daily direction to production leaders on operating priorities, established procedures, escalation needs, and performance expectations.
• Champion process control, change management, and root cause problem solving to improve process capability, reduce variation, and strengthen operational stability.
• Maintain quality standards for assigned products and processes, ensuring adherence to specifications, quality systems, customer expectations, and manufacturing best practices.
• Lead Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives that reduce waste, improve flow, increase equipment reliability, and deliver measurable cost and productivity improvements.
• Manage budgets, resource plans, labor utilization, and production costs to optimize manufacturing performance and minimize waste while supporting business priorities.
• Own safety performance for the production area and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, internal standards, training requirements, and safe work practices.
• Collaborate closely with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Logistics, and other support departments to align priorities, remove production barriers, support customer commitments, and drive cross-functional accountability for operational results.
• Apply current manufacturing best practices, production data, automation concepts, and emerging technologies to improve performance, reliability, and decision-making.
• Deploy Corning’s talent management programs within the department to attract, develop, and retain manufacturing talent; ensure salaried employees have meaningful training and development plans.

Experiences/Education - Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years high-volume manufacturing, production, or plant operations environment
• 3+ years of progressive leadership experience in a high-volume manufacturing, production, or plant operations environment, including responsibility for multi-shift teams, production execution, KPI performance, and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large, multi-shift manufacturing teams, including salaried leaders and hourly production employees.
• Successful and proven supervisory, team leader, section supervisor, or department leadership experience in a manufacturing plant environment.
• Proven ability to use production data and KPIs to drive operational decisions, improve performance, and communicate results across plant and business leadership.
• Knowledge of quality control procedures, manufacturing standards, customer requirements, and disciplined problem solving.
• Understanding of manufacturing processes, equipment reliability, maintenance coordination, and production support systems.
• Familiarity with safety regulations, compliance requirements, incident prevention, and safety management systems.
• Proven capability to manage, coach, direct, develop, and hold accountable salaried exempt, non-exempt, and hourly employees.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across production, engineering, maintenance, quality, supply chain, logistics, commercial, and plant leadership teams.

Experiences/Education - Desired

• Experience leading large-scale ramp, capacity expansion, productivity, cost reduction, or operational transformation initiatives in a high-volume manufacturing environment.

• Exposure to multiple manufacturing processes, production technologies, automation, equipment reliability systems, and corporate network resources.

• Experience participating in or leading cross-functional teams responsible for delivering improvement initiatives, new product introductions, or manufacturing readiness projects.

• Experience collaborating, interfacing, and communicating upward and outward across plant, business, division, commercial, supply chain, and customer-facing stakeholders.

• Strong understanding of Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma fundamentals, continuous improvement, standard work, root cause analysis, and process control.

• Training, understanding, and demonstrated competence in plant manufacturing financials, budgeting, cost management, and resource optimization.

This position does not support immigration sponsorship.

The range for this position is $106,400.00 - $146,300.00 assuming full time status. Starting pay for the successful applicant is dependent on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education. 

A job that shapes a life.  

Corning offers you the total package.  

Your well-being is our priority. Our compensation and benefits package supports your health and wellness, financial aspirations, and career from day one.

• Company-wide bonuses and long-term incentives align with key business results and ensure you are rewarded when the company performs well. When Corning wins, we all win.
• As part of our commitment to your financial well-being, we provide a 100% company-paid pension benefit with fixed contributions that grow throughout your career. Combined with matching contributions to your 401(k) savings plan, Corning’s total contributions to your retirement accounts can reach between 7% and 12% of your pay, depending on your age and years of service.
• Our health and well-being benefits include medical, dental, vision, paid parental leave, family building support, fitness, company-paid life insurance, disability, disease management programs, paid time off, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support you and your family.
• Getting paid for our work is important, but feeling appreciated and recognized for those contributions motivates us much more. That’s why Corning offers a recognition program to celebrate successes and reward colleagues who make exceptional contributions. 

We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected status.

Corning is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and considers requests for reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs may request reasonable accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, perform essential job functions, or access other benefits and privileges of employment. To submit a request for reasonable accommodation related to disability or religion, please contact us at View email address on us.fitly.work .