Director of Operations

15000 Valmont Plaza, Omaha Nebraska 68154 Brief Summary Of This Position The Director of Operations is responsible for the overall performance of assigned manufacturing locations, including safety, quality, delivery, cost, and asset utilization. This role provides leadership, direction, and accountability to ensure operations deliver predictable, high-quality output while supporting division and corporate objectives. The Director of Operations is accountable for building and sustaining disciplined, system-driven operations that scale throughput, improve reliability, and deliver consistent customer performance without reliance on reactive execution. Essential Functions This position reports to the Senior Vice President Operations, North American Infrastructure The ability to travel domestically up to 50% of the time. Drive performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Cash (SQDCC) Ensure operations run to a predictable, system-based plan, not reactive prioritization Monitor and improve throughput, schedule adherence, and capacity utilization Ensure customer commitments are met with consistency and discipline Establish and enforce a structured Asset Care & Reliability (ACR) approach across all sites Drive improvements in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) through reduction of downtime and improved maintenance practices Ensure visibility and management of key reliability metrics (OEE, MTBF, MTTR, downtime) Partner with Maintenance, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering and Technology (AMET), and Global Engineering Manufacturing Solutions (GEMS) to improve equipment performance and uptime Eliminate reliance on reactive maintenance and drive progression toward planned and predictive maintenance systems Ensure quality is built into the process, not inspected at the end Hold site leadership accountable for in-process quality execution and outcomes Drive root cause problem solving for quality issues and eliminate repeat defects Lead continuous improvement efforts focused on operational outcomes, not isolated projects Integrate Continuous Improvement into daily operations across safety, quality, material flow, and production flow Ensure disciplined execution of standard work, operating systems, and planning tools Develop and coach site Plant Managers and leadership teams Build leadership depth and succession capability across all sites Drive accountability across cross-functional teams including Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, and Maintenance Other Important Details About The Role Acts as the central leader for operational performance across assigned facilities Balances strategic leadership with operational execution Requires frequent presence on the production floor Drives a culture of discipline, accountability, and system-based execution Focuses on stability and predictability of operations rather than reactive performance Partners closely with site leadership to remove systemic barriers Success is measured by consistent, repeatable operational performance without reliance on heroics Required Qualifications Of Every Candidate Preferred Bachelors with 10+ years of relevant experience or associate’s degree with 12+ years relevant experience or 15+ years of relevant experience 10+ years of progressive operations leadership experience in a manufacturing environment Multi-site leadership experience preferred Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, maintenance systems, and continuous improvement Proven ability to drive operational performance and reliability improvements Strong problem-solving and analytical skills Ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive accountability Effective communication and leadership presence across all levels Working Environment And Physical Efforts Work is typically performed in a manufacturing plant environment and the incumbent needs to be able to move about the office and production environments. There is often exposure to conditions such as dust, dirt, heat, fumes, and cold as well as noise levels above 80 decibels. Many aspects of this role are physical and the incumbent has to be able to lift up to 50 lbs. The employee is regularly required to reach with hands and arms. The incumbent is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle, feel, as well as balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, talk, and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception. Benefits Valmont offers employees and their families a comprehensive Total Wellbeing benefit package to ensure their individual and family’s overall wellness needs are met. Some offerings are dependent upon the role, work schedule, or location and can include the following: Healthcare (medical, prescription drugs, dental and vision) 401k retirement plan with company match Paid time off Employer paid life insurance Employer paid short-term and long-term disability including maternity leave Work Life Support Tuition Reimbursement up to $5,250 per year Voluntary programs like tobacco cessation, Type 2 diabetes reversal, one-on-one health coaching, mortgage services and more Valmont does not discriminate against any employee or applicant in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 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