Director of Manufacturing Operations

Position Title: Director of Operations

Reports to: General Manager

Location: Gallatin, TN (Division HQ)

Direct Reports: 9

The Opportunity

Our client is a division of a Fortune 500 diversified industrial manufacturer with roughly $14B in global revenue, operations in 57 countries, and a portfolio of more than 16,000 active patents. Within that global enterprise, this division is a focused, ~$160M automotive business serving major OEMs and Tier suppliers across North America, leveraging deep-draw stamping technologies and decades of application engineering expertise.

The division operates multiple manufacturing and distribution sites across the Southeast and Northeast, anchored by its headquarters and primary manufacturing campus in Gallatin, TN. As the business enters its next chapter — capability modernization, and renewed organic growth — it needs an Operations leader who can run the business of today while building the business of tomorrow.

Lead a transformation. Build a legacy. Own the outcome.

This is not a caretaker role. It's a rare, high-visibility opportunity to step into a growing, profitable business backed by the resources, stability, and global reach of a Fortune 500 diversified industrial manufacturer — and to personally shape what it becomes next. You'll inherit a division with a 35+ year manufacturing legacy, a loyal and deeply experienced workforce, and a clear mandate for bold operational transformation: optimizing operations, modernizing the labor model for a new generation of talent, and forging a tighter bond between Operations and Commercial to fuel organic growth. If you want a role where the runway is wide open and the impact is yours to claim, keep reading.

Why This Role Is Different

• High-impact, transformational mandate — this is a newly elevated role with the charter and authority to truly take ownership of the business, not just maintain it
• Backed by Fortune 500 scale — decentralized, entrepreneurial autonomy at the division level, paired with the resources, tools, and career runway of a global industrial leader
• Clear, visible wins available — from operational execution to building a 21st-century labor model to deepening customer intimacy, the opportunities to make your mark here are numerous and tangible
• A proven leadership pipeline — division-level operating roles within this organization are widely recognized as launching pads for senior General Manager and executive careers
• A business, not a project — you'll own real P&L-relevant outcomes: safety, quality, delivery, cost, and growth, with a seat at the Division Leadership table

What You'll Own

Operations Strategy & Business Leadership

• Develop and execute the division's operations strategy in direct alignment with business and growth objectives
• Lead multi-site manufacturing operations to deliver growth, customer satisfaction, and profitability
• Drive the optimization of the manufacturing footprint, building a clear current-state → future-state → glide-path plan that brings the organization along rather than alienating it
• Partner closely with Commercial, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, and HR to ensure operations and growth strategy move in lockstep
• Serve as a key voice on the Division Leadership Team, directly shaping strategic decisions

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Champion enterprise-proven operational excellence principles and an 80/20 prioritization mindset across every site
• Lead initiatives that meaningfully move the needle on safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost
• Build scalable systems, management routines, and standard work that sustain results long after you've moved on to the next challenge
• Diagnose performance gaps quickly and drive disciplined, data-backed corrective action — the General Manager you'll partner with is an engineer who loves data
• Champion simplification, standardization, and value-stream optimization across a business proud of its craft but ready to evolve

People Leadership & Organizational Capability

• Lead and develop a team of 9 direct reports, including a Plant Manager, two Production Managers, and functional leaders in Quality, Maintenance, Tooling, Supply Chain, Sourcing, and Customer Relations — a true leader of leaders
• Build bench strength through succession planning, leadership development, and workforce planning, especially as long-tenured talent approaches retirement
• Modernize the labor model for a new generation of manufacturing talent — understanding what today's workforce values, and building a culture that earns their best
• Capture and institutionalize decades of hands-on process knowledge before it walks out the door, while bringing fresh energy and accountability to the floor
• Foster a culture of ownership and continuous improvement that respects the site's proud history while embracing what's next

Financial & Operational Performance

• Own performance across safety, quality, delivery, productivity, inventory, cost, and profitability
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, capital planning, and resource allocation for the division's operations
• Establish clear performance expectations, KPIs, and accountability systems, and act decisively when results lag
• Ensure operations directly fuel profitable, sustainable growth for the business

Customer & Growth Impact

• Be the bridge between Operations and Commercial — customers increasingly want visibility into the supply chain well beyond the sales relationship, and you'll meet that need directly
• Engage with customers both digitally and in person, including early-phase new product development collaboration with the Commercial team
• Support new product launches, capacity expansion, and other growth initiatives as the division pursues new organic growth opportunities
• Lead enterprise-level projects that strengthen manufacturing and supply chain capability across the network

What Success Looks Like in Year One

• Optimization efforts are integrated smoothly, hitting expected quality, cost, and delivery targets
• Talent has been assessed at the direct-report and next level down, particularly in supervisory roles
• A modern, future-focused labor model is taking shape on the shop floor — including early steps toward integrating AI and digital tools into manufacturing processes
• A visibly stronger Operations–Commercial partnership is generating new opportunities for the facility, with Operations engaged at the technical level alongside Sales

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field
• 5+ years of progressive experience in operations, program management, or manufacturing leadership, ideally in a multi-site environment
• Direct experience with plant expansions and consolidations, footprint optimization, or large-scale operational change — strongly preferred
• Solid grounding in manufacturing operations, capacity planning, and supply chain flow; prior stamping experience is a plus, not a requirement, as long as you can quickly learn, interpret, and verify what your team is telling you
• A track record of leading through change with emotional intelligence — able to push for transformation without alienating a workforce with deep institutional knowledge and pride in their craft
• Strong executive presence and the ability to influence stakeholders at every level, from the plant floor to the Division Leadership Team
• Willingness to travel regularly between sites (roughly one multi-day trip per month, plus periodic site and corporate visits)

Leadership Capabilities We're Looking For

• Strategic & Operational Leadership
• Change Leadership
• Accountability & Execution Discipline
• People Development & Team Building
• Continuous Improvement & Results Orientation

Why You'll Want to Stay

This division offers what's rare in manufacturing leadership today: the backing and stability of a Fortune 500 diversified industrial manufacturer, paired with the autonomy and entrepreneurial energy of a standalone business unit. Division leadership roles within this organization are widely viewed as launching pads for the next level of senior leadership — and with a mandate this clear and this meaningful, the opportunities to leave your mark go well beyond the margins.

About the Organization

Our client is a Fortune 500 diversified industrial manufacturer delivering specialized expertise and value-added products across a wide range of industries worldwide. With approximately $14 billion in global revenue, operations across 57 countries, roughly 45,000 employees, and a portfolio of more than 16,000 active patents, the company is recognized as a global leader in applied engineering and manufacturing innovation.

Within this global enterprise, the business division supplies products to major automotive OEMs and Tier suppliers, leveraging deep-draw stamping technologies and decades of application engineering expertise. The division generates approximately $160M in annual revenue and operates a multi-site manufacturing and distribution network anchored by its headquarters and primary manufacturing campus in Gallatin, TN.

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.