Director of Manufacturing Operations

Description Florida Facility | Merritt Island, Florida Reports To Vice President of Operations Employment Type Full-Time | Leadership Company Description Merritt Precision manufactures highly sophisticated products for the marine, automotive, aerospace, and other specialized industries. As a Correct Craft company, Merritt Precision is committed to exceptional quality, service, confidentiality, operational excellence, and creating a better tomorrow today. Position Summary The Director of Operations is the site leader responsible for the overall performance of Merritt Precision's Florida manufacturing facility. Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, this role provides strategic and operational leadership across manufacturing, production planning, supply chain, facilities, safety, quality, customer service, financial performance, and Employee engagement. The Director partners closely with Engineering to ensure seamless execution from design through manufacturing. The Director partners with the Vice President of Operations and cross-functional leaders to execute company strategy, achieve business objectives, strengthen leadership capability, and ensure the facility consistently delivers strong results in safety, quality, delivery, cost, and customer satisfaction. Key Responsibilities Facility & Operational Leadership Provide overall leadership and direction for the Merritt Precision Florida facility. Develop and execute annual operating plans aligned with company strategy and customer commitments. Lead managers and supervisors, establish clear expectations, and build a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement. Build trusted relationships with key customers through regular communication, operational reviews, facility tours, and issue resolution. Provide regular updates to the Vice President of Operations regarding performance, risks, priorities, and improvement initiatives. Manufacturing Excellence Lead manufacturing operations to achieve strong performance in safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement. Optimize production flow, staffing, equipment utilization, labor efficiency, throughput, and capacity. Champion Lean Manufacturing, standard work, root cause problem-solving, and continuous improvement initiatives. Develop equipment strategies including PM, capital investments, and long-term capability planning. Oversee implementation of new processes, equipment, automation, and operational technologies. Financial & Business Performance Develop and manage the facility operating budget and support forecasting and capital planning. Monitor labor, overtime, productivity, inventory, scrap, rework, and operating expenses. Drive sustainable improvements in profitability, resource utilization, and operational efficiency. Partner with Finance and leadership to evaluate business performance and corrective actions. Customer, Quality & Compliance Ensure operational execution supports exceptional customer service and on-time delivery. Partner with Quality, Engineering, Sales, and Customer Service to resolve issues and meet customer requirements. Support customer visits, audits, business reviews, and corrective action activities. Ensure compliance with quality systems, safety requirements, company policies, and applicable regulations. Supply Chain, Planning & Facilities Provide oversight of purchasing, production planning, scheduling, inventory, warehouse, shipping, receiving, and facility operations. Ownership of production planning, scheduling, and ERP/database execution to ensure accurate production priorities, resource allocation, and customer commitments. Ensure material availability supports production requirements while maintaining appropriate inventory levels. Improve supplier performance, inventory accuracy, schedule attainment, and operational readiness. People, Culture & Leadership Development Recruit, develop, coach, and retain high-performing managers, supervisors, and future leaders. Establish succession plans and development priorities for key operational roles. Partner with Human Resources on workforce planning, employee relations, performance management, and engagement initiatives. Model integrity, humility, accountability, professionalism, and servant leadership. Champion the Correct Craft culture by developing people, leading with humility, serving others, fostering accountability, and creating an environment where employees can grow professionally and personally. Safety Leadership Champion a proactive, zero-incident safety culture throughout the facility. Ensure leaders and employees follow safe work practices and promptly address hazards and incidents. Partner with Safety and Human Resources to maintain compliance with OSHA and other applicable requirements. Key Performance Indicators Safety performance and incident reduction On-time delivery Schedule attainment and adherence Customer satisfaction and quality performance First-pass yield, scrap, and rework Throughput, productivity, and labor efficiency EBITDA / Operating Income performance Safety leading indicators Capital project execution Equipment uptime reporting Inventory accuracy and inventory turns Overtime, operating expense, and budget performance Employee engagement, retention, and leadership development Continuous improvement savings and project completion Requirements Qualifications Education & Experience Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Business Administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered. Minimum of 10 years of progressive manufacturing or operations leadership experience, including at least five years leading multi-functional teams. Experience managing managers or department leaders and responsibility for facility-wide operational performance. Experience in composites manufacturing, marine, aerospace, automotive, defense, or a related industry preferred. Demonstrated success with Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, budgeting, capital planning, and ERP/MRP systems. Core Competencies Strategic and operational leadership Financial and business acumen Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement Customer focus and quality leadership Change management and problem-solving Leadership development, coaching, and succession planning Executive communication and cross-functional collaboration Data-driven decision-making and project execution Equal Employment Opportunity Statement Merritt Precision is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement Merritt Precision is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a position, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. Merritt Precision engages in an interactive process with applicants and employees to identify reasonable accommodations. #J-18808-Ljbffr Merritt Precision Technologies