Director of Operations

Job Title: Director of Operations/Site Leader

Reports To: VP Operations
Location: Brea, CA
Position Type: Full-time

Job Summary

The Director of Operations / Site Leader provides strategic and operational leadership for a manufacturing, distribution, or operational facility. This role is accountable for achieving business objectives related to safety, quality, delivery, cost, customer satisfaction, and employee engagement while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

The Site Leader develops organizational capability, drives performance through data and lean methodologies, and partners closely with executive leadership to execute business strategy.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Lead all day-to-day site operations to achieve safety, quality, productivity, delivery, and financial objectives.
• Develop and execute annual operating plans aligned with company strategy.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and implement corrective actions when performance falls below target.
• Drive operational excellence using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, or similar continuous improvement methodologies.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, regulatory requirements, and customer expectations.

Financial Management

• Manage site operating budget.
• Identify opportunities to improve profitability through cost reduction, waste elimination, productivity improvements, and resource optimization.
• Develop capital expenditure requests and oversee implementation of approved projects.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Build, coach, and develop a high-performing leadership team.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Lead workforce planning, succession planning, and leadership development initiatives.
• Partner with Human Resources on employee engagement, performance management, recruiting, and retention strategies.

Safety & Compliance

• Champion a safety-first culture with zero-injury objectives.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental regulations, quality systems, and company standards.
• Lead incident investigations and implement corrective actions.

Quality & Customer Focus

• Ensure products and services consistently meet customer expectations.
• Partner with Quality and Supply Chain teams to resolve customer concerns.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective action processes.

Supply Chain & Production

• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Engineering, Maintenance, and Sales to optimize operational performance.
• Improve inventory management, production planning, and scheduling efficiency.
• Support new product introductions and operational scalability.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead strategic improvement initiatives that enhance productivity, quality, customer service, and profitability.
• Utilize data analytics to identify trends and drive operational decisions.
• Promote a culture of innovation and employee involvement.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field
• 10+ years of progressive operations leadership experience
• 5+ years leading managers and cross-functional teams
• Experience managing a manufacturing, distribution, or industrial operation
• Demonstrated success improving operational performance and financial results
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets and operational budget

• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies
• Communication Skill-set-strong verbal and written communication skills to report to managers and collaborate with operators.
• Project Management
• Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent certification
• Experience with ERP systems
• Experience leading organizational transformation and change management initiatives

Core Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Business Acumen
• Operational Excellence
• Financial Management
• Change Leadership
• Continuous Improvement
• Talent Development
• Decision Making
• Customer Focus
• Collaboration
• Results Orientation
• Executive Presence

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Safety (TRIR, Lost Time Incidents)
• EBITDA / Operating Margin
• Productivity
• On-Time Delivery
• Quality (PPM, First Pass Yield)
• Inventory Turns
• Scrap/Waste Reduction
• Employee Engagement
• Voluntary Turnover
• Customer Satisfaction
• Continuous Improvement Savings

Work Environment & Schedule

• Fast-paced, regulated production environment.
• Ability to work hours as needed for the business.
• Periodic travel to visit vendors, other sites and/or training
• Must be willing to wear required PPE (hairnets, safety glasses, steel-toed boots).
• Must be able to work collaboratively with others and align with FlavorSum Core Values; Do What's Right, Be a Team Player and Strive for Excellence.