Director, Foundry Operations

Director, Foundry Operations

As a key leadership role within Emerson's Professional Tools business, the Director, Foundry Operations oversees all foundry functions, including manufacturing, sales, customer service, technical services, engineering, finance, and supply chain. The incumbent will drive operational excellence, modernize foundry capabilities, expand profitable third-party business opportunities, and cultivate a high-performance culture grounded in safety, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

In This Role, Your Responsibilities Will Be:

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Establish and execute a multi-year strategy that aligns Urick's capabilities with customer needs and business growth goals.
• Monitor market trends, capacity needs, and emerging technologies to ensure the foundry can support future demand.
• Make strategic decisions on product mix, insourcing vs. outsourcing, customer diversification, and capital investments.
• Represent Urick within Emerson, clearly communicating the foundry's capabilities, challenges, and opportunities.
• Promote a strong safety culture focused on accountability, engagement, and proactive risk reduction.

Operational Excellence & Foundry Performance

• Oversee all foundry operations—melting, molding, core making, pouring, finishing, maintenance, and metallurgy—to ensure consistent, high-quality production.
• Drive Lean and continuous improvement initiatives to increase throughput, reduce scrap, improve labor efficiency, and enhance equipment reliability.
• Ensure disciplined execution of production schedules, materials flow, and capacity planning to meet delivery commitments.
• Lead capital planning to modernize equipment, improve reliability, and support long-term asset needs.

Business Leadership & Financial Performance

• Oversee full P&L performance, including annual plans, budgets, and monthly forecasts.
• Drive initiatives that improve profitability, cost competitiveness, and asset utilization.
• Grow third-party sales through targeted strategies aligned with capacity and Urick's technical strengths.
• Approve pricing, quotes, and commercial agreements to ensure sustainable, profitable growth.

Customer & Market Leadership

• Build strong relationships with Ridge Tool and external trade customers to ensure alignment on quality, delivery, cost, and new product needs.
• Lead technical and customer service teams to provide responsive support, casting expertise, and effective issue resolution.
• Strengthen Urick's position as a preferred supplier through reliable performance, technical capability, and customer trust.

People, Culture & Organizational Development

• Build a high-performance, collaborative culture that attracts and develops strong technical and operational talent.
• Strengthen leadership capability through workforce planning, succession development, coaching, and empowerment.
• Partner with HR to maintain positive employee and union relationships, including participation in negotiations and grievance processes.
• Promote a culture of accountability, innovation, continuous improvement, and shared success across all teams.

Governance & Community Representation

• Ensure compliance with corporate policies, ethical standards, environmental regulations, and safety requirements.
• Represent Urick in community, governmental, and industry forums to strengthen the company's reputation and influence.

Who You Are

A strategic, proactive manager with strong communication skills who thrives in dynamic, complex industrial environments. You bring extensive operational expertise, sound technical judgment, and a track record of driving performance improvement. You connect effectively with diverse teams, foster collaboration, and lead with confidence and clarity.

For This Role, You Will Need:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, metallurgy, business, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing, preferably within foundry, metal casting, or heavy industrial environments.
• Leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success leading full P&L performance, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning.
• Proven background in Lean, continuous improvement, and operational excellence with measurable results.
• Experience building and leading high-performing teams, including leadership development and organizational change.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Strong track record of driving safety performance and fostering a culture of accountability and engagement.
• Ability to lead effectively in a unionized environment, including participation in negotiations and labor-management relations.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States (no sponsorship provided).

Preferred Qualifications That Set You Apart

• Master's degree in engineering, business administration (MBA), or a related field.
• Familiarity with metallurgical processes, precision casting operations, and technical problem-solving.
• Experience growing third-party/business-to-business sales in an industrial setting.
• Background in multi-site or enterprise-level leadership.

Our Culture & Commitment to You

At Emerson, we are committed to creating an environment where every employee is valued, supported, and empowered to contribute their best. We believe that diverse perspectives fuel innovation, and we foster a culture built on respect, collaboration, and continuous learning. Our teams are encouraged to challenge assumptions, share ideas, and work together to solve meaningful problems that make a difference for our customers and communities.

We invest in our people through ongoing development, recognition, and opportunities to grow—because when our employees thrive, so does our business. Safety, integrity, and accountability are at the core of how we operate, and we strive to maintain a workplace where individuals feel proud of their contributions and connected to our shared purpose. We are dedicated to building a culture where everyone can achieve their full potential and help shape the future of our organization.

About Us

WHY EMERSON

Our Commitment to Our People

At Emerson, we are motivated by a spirit of collaboration that helps our diverse, multicultural teams across the world drive innovation that makes the world healthier, safer, smarter, and more sustainable. And we want you to join us in our bold aspiration.

We have built an engaged community of inquisitive, dedicated people who thrive knowing they are welcomed, trusted, celebrated, and empowered to solve the world's most complex problems — for our customers, our communities, and the planet. You'll contribute to this vital work while further developing your skills through our award-winning employee development programs. We are a proud corporate citizen in every city where we operate and are committed to our people, our communities, and the world at large. We take this responsibility seriously and strive to make a positive impact through every endeavor.

At Emerson, you'll see firsthand that our people are at the center of everything we do. So, let's go. Let's think differently. Learn, collaborate, and grow. Seek opportunity. Push boundaries. Be empowered to make things better. Speed up to break through. Let's go, together.

Work Authorization

Emerson will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States. This is not a position for which sponsorship will be provided. Individuals with temporary visas such as E, F-1 (including those with OPT or CPT), H-1, H-2, L-1, B, J or TN, or who need sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, are not eligible for hire.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Emerson is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status. We are committed to providing a workplace free of any discrimination or harassment.

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ABOUT EMERSON

Emerson is a global leader in automation technology and software. Through our deep domain expertise and legacy of flawless execution, Emerson helps customers in critical industries like life sciences, energy, power and renewables, chemical and advanced factory automation operate more sustainably while improving productivity, energy security and reliability.

With global operations and a comprehensive portfolio of software and technology, we are helping companies implement digital transformation to measurably improve their operations, conserve valuable resources and enhance their safety.

We offer equitable opportunities, celebrate diversity, and embrace challenges with confidence that, together, we can make an impact across a broad spectrum of countries and industries. Whether you're an established professional looking for a career change, an