Sr. Manufacturing Director

Are you inspired by challenging the status quo? Do you thrive in collaborative environments that drive results? If so, Gates could be for you.

Gates is a leading manufacturer of application-specific fluid power and power transmission solutions. We push the boundaries of material science to engineer solutions that continually exceed customer expectations.

Let's simplify it, think belts and hoses. Found in motorcycles, conveyor belts, cars, tractors, blenders, vacuum cleaners, bicycles, & 3D printers just to name a few. Because why not do it all?

Position Summary

Responsible for leading end-to-end operations across the North America Fluid Power business, Responsible for managing 7 Manufacturing plants, and supply chain. Drives execution of strategy, operational excellence, and financial performance aligned with Gates Production System (GPS).

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership
• Sets clear vision aligned with Fluid Power North America strategy.
• Translates strategy into actionable operational plans and measurable outcomes.
• Balances short-term execution with long-term capability building.
• Operational Excellence (GPS)
• Champions Gates Production System (GPS) and Lean principles across all sites.
• Drives root cause problem solving and data-driven decision making.
• Standardizes processes to achieve sustainable performance improvements.
• Results Orientation
• Delivers consistent SQDCI performance across all operations.
• Owns accountability for EBITDA growth and cost discipline.
• Drives urgency and execution rigor across the organization.
• People & Talent Development
• Builds high-performing, diverse leadership teams.
• Develops succession pipelines and critical capabilities.
• Fosters a culture of engagement, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Change Leadership
• Leads transformation initiatives (digitalization, automation, Lean transformation).
• Effectively manages resistance and aligns stakeholders.
• Promotes a continuous improvement mindset.
• Customer Focus
• Ensures operational alignment with customer expectations.
• Drives responsiveness, quality, and on-time delivery performance.
• Partners with commercial teams to enable growth.
• Integrity & Compliance
• Maintains highest standards of ethics and compliance.
• Ensures HSE and regulatory adherence across all facilities.
• Promotes a zero-incident safety culture.
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Safety: TRIR ≤ 0.5; Zero fatalities.
• Quality: ≥20% YoY PPM reduction.
• Delivery: OTD ≥ 95%.
• Cost: Productivity +3–5% annually.
• Inventory: Turns +10%.
• EBITDA: +150–300 bps expansion.
• Working Capital: -5–10%.
• CapEx ROI: >20%.

Keys to Success

• Lead multi-site manufacturing operations across North America.
• Deliver SQDCI targets and operational KPIs across all facilities.
• Align operations with commercial strategy to drive profitable growth.
• Lead capital investment strategy and automation initiatives.
• Deploy GPS (Lean) and continuous improvement programs.
• Build high-performance teams and leadership pipeline.
• Ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards.
• Drive standardization and productivity improvements.
• Keeps self-control in hard situations.
• Strong Communication skills
• Problem Solving and decision making.
• Costumer focus (internal and external)
• Negotiation skills
• Creativity, proactivity, and teamwork.
• Problem Solving process.
• Exceptional attention to internal and external customer requests
• Negotiation skills

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Leadership experience, developing and driving initiatives.
• Good personnel management.

Requirements And Preferred Skills

• Certificate of professional studies
• 15-20 YOE in similar position
• Desirable: Six Sigma, Six Sigma Champion, Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5's
• Business administration, decision making, financial knowledge, Leadership.
• Knowledge: IATF 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001.
• Fluency in English is mandatory.

WHY GATES?

Founded in 1911 in Denver, Colorado, Gates is publicly traded on the NYSE. While we might operate in a vast amount of time zones we operate as 'One Gates' and have a common goal of pushing the boundaries of materials science. We invest in our people, bringing real-world experience that enables us to solve our customers' diverse challenges of today and anticipate those of tomorrow.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Gates is an Equal Opportunity and is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of race, sex, color, religion, age, disability, pregnancy, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, genetic information, marital status, or any other consideration defined by law.