Head of Operations & Business Management

Red Dot Corporation, the leading producer of premium mobile HVAC units and components for heavy‑duty commercial and military vehicles, is recruiting for the following position: Operations Manager, Puyallup, Washington

The Operations Manager is the General Manager's direct partner in running daily plant operations at Red Dot's Puyallup facility. This is a newly created role that owns the day‑to‑day execution of the site — production output, supervisor leadership, workforce stability, and continuous improvement — and is directly accountable for the operational metrics that define plant performance: safety, quality, delivery, and cost.

This person is the senior floor leader. They are visible across both shifts, set the tone for accountability and culture, develop frontline supervisors, and drive measurable improvement against plant targets. Success in this role means the Puyallup facility delivers consistent, predictable performance day in and day out.

Reporting Structure:

All Production Supervisors across 1st and 2nd shift (Fabrication, Core, Assembly, Wire Shop, Injection Molding, Metal Fab, Paint, Final Assembly), and the Warehouse Supervisor

Director of Quality, Director of Manufacturing Engineering / Maintenance / Lean, Engineering, Program Management, Finance, HR Manager, and the Memphis sister‑plant leadership team

Own daily production execution across both shifts — safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets on a daily, weekly, and monthly cadence

Maintain regular, visible presence on 2nd shift and ensure consistent standards across shifts

Make real‑time staffing, line‑balancing, and prioritization decisions to protect customer commitments

Coach, develop, and hold accountable production and warehouse supervisors across both shifts

Build supervisor bench strength through structured 1:1s, performance feedback, and on‑the‑floor coaching

Partner with HR to improve onboarding ramp time, and stabilize the hourly workforce

Safety and Quality

Own safety performance for the production floor — lead incident response, root cause investigations, and corrective actions

Reinforce quality standards in partnership with the Director of Quality; Drive a culture where every employee is empowered and expected to stop the line for safety or quality concerns

Continuous Improvement and Lean

Drive lean and continuous improvement initiatives on the floor in partnership with the Manufacturing Engineering / Lean team

Lead or sponsor kaizen events, 6S, standard work, and visual management improvements

Use data — OEE, throughput, scrap, labor efficiency — to identify and prioritize improvement opportunities

Cross‑Functional Partnership

Partner with the GM on workforce planning, budgeting, and capital project execution

Backfill the GM as needed for plant‑wide decisions, customer visits, and escalations

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field — or equivalent demonstrated experience

Minimum 7 years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including at least 3 years directly managing salaried supervisors

Proven track record of developing frontline supervisors and improving team performance

Experience leading operations across multiple shifts, including direct accountability for 2nd shift performance

Strong working knowledge of ERP systems and production data analysis

Functional knowledge in Microsoft tools (i.e. Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

Experience in HVAC, heavy equipment, off‑road, automotive, or other complex assembly manufacturing

Prior experience in a multi‑site manufacturing organization

Experience managing through periods of high temp labor utilization and workforce instability

This role requires regular presence on the production floor across both shifts. Must be able to stand and walk for extended periods, occasionally lift up to 50 pounds, and work in a manufacturing environment that includes noise, varying temperatures, and exposure to production equipment. Personal Time Off (PTO)

Average of 14 paid holidays per year.

Employer‑sponsored PPO Medical Plans, with employer‑subsidized premiums of at least 70% for non‑tobacco users.

Employer‑sponsored PPO Dental Plans, with employer‑subsidized premiums of at least 70% for non‑tobacco users.

Free Employee Assistance Program to all employees.

Employer‑paid long‑term disability insurance premiums.

Employer Paid Washington State FML payroll taxes.

Voluntary Benefits such as: Flexible Spending Accounts, Daycare Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability Insurance, etc.

Subject to all local, state, and federal regulatory limits

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