This senior leadership role is responsible for driving exceptional year-over-year manufacturing performance across one or more advanced production facilities. The position holds full Profit & Loss (P&L) accountability and is focused on maximizing operational efficiency, ensuring top-tier safety and quality standards, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and employee engagement. As the site's highest-ranking leader, the Director of Operations is charged with aligning people, processes, and systems to deliver superior business outcomes in a high-complexity, regulated manufacturing environment.
The successful candidate will lead with integrity, inclusion, and vision—empowering teams, celebrating contributions, and delivering sustained excellence and innovation.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
- Direct and develop the site's Leadership Team in support of long-term strategic objectives.
- Champion daily production and performance reviews to ensure safe, compliant, and efficient operations.
- Drive Key Performance Indicator (KPI) achievement through lean manufacturing and continuous improvement.
- Collaborate with enterprise support functions to meet site-level goals.
Organizational Development & Engagement
- Build a culture of transparency, inclusivity, and motivation.
- Promote accountability, recognition, and high-performance behaviors.
- Lead talent development and succession planning to build a strong leadership pipeline.
- Conduct performance reviews and provide career coaching for individual growth.
Safety, Health, Environmental, and Security Oversight
- Establish and reinforce a "safety-first" mindset across all departments.
- Ensure compliance with health, safety, environmental, and security standards.
- Drive execution of corporate safety and compliance initiatives with strong associate engagement.
Compliance & Quality
- Uphold quality and regulatory standards (e.g., FDA, ISO 13485, cGMP).
- Support internal and external audits and lead effective corrective actions.
- Maintain a quality culture that meets or exceeds industry benchmarks.
Site Planning & Execution
- Develop and execute facility-level strategic plans aligned with enterprise objectives.
- Drive capacity and capital planning initiatives to support long-term growth.
- Integrate automation and smart manufacturing technologies to improve competitiveness.
- Collaborate with commercial teams to align on growth opportunities and customer needs.
Engineering & Innovation
- Ensure timely execution of new product introductions (NPI).
- Oversee sustaining engineering and process improvements.
- Foster a culture of innovation through continuous technology advancement.
Financial Management
- Lead full P&L execution with a focus on profitability and return on investment.
- Partner with Finance on forecasting, planning, and monthly business performance reviews.
- Support cost optimization and make data-driven capital investment decisions.
- Align operations with commercial strategies for quoting, service, and delivery.
Supply Chain & Inventory
- Manage planning, scheduling, procurement, and logistics for material availability.
- Optimize inventory levels and supply chain processes to enhance delivery performance.
- Implement risk mitigation strategies to address supply disruptions.
Strategic Planning
- Define and execute cross-functional operational strategies to support global competitiveness.
- Oversee facility expansion and capital projects.
- Apply strategic planning frameworks (e.g., Hoshin Kanri) to align site performance with enterprise goals.
- Work closely with business development teams to expand customer relationships and grow the opportunity pipeline.
Customer & Community Engagement
- Serve as the site's primary customer-facing leader for operational excellence and QBRs.
- Resolve escalations promptly and maintain long-term customer satisfaction.
- Build relationships with local government and community stakeholders.
- Ensure site compliance with local laws and workforce regulations.
Candidate Profile
Education & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in technical or business discipline required; Master's preferred.
- 10–12+ years of experience in complex, high-tech manufacturing leadership within a regulated environment (medical device experience preferred).
- Demonstrated P&L ownership with proven performance in plant operations leadership roles.
Core Competencies
- Deep knowledge of Lean principles, continuous improvement, and standard work practices.
- Proven ability to lead large teams, drive cultural change, and build talent pipelines.
- Strong financial acumen with budgeting, forecasting, and investment planning expertise.
- Solid background in supply chain, engineering, production planning, and customer engagement.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, and decision-making skills.
- Experience with regulatory requirements in highly regulated industries.