Director of Operations

Director of Manufacturing Operations

Location: Appleton, WI

Employment Type: Direct Hire

Compensation: $160,000 - $190,000 Base Salary + Annual Bonus

Relocation Assistance Available

This role is open ONLY to US Citizens as all candidates must be eligible for secret security clearance (clearance requires US Citizenship). Please note, clearance isn't required to start (only eligibility). Candidates who are Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders), TN visa holders, H1B or F1 (OPT/CPT) candidates are NOT permitted in this role. This role is NOT open to corp2corp (C2C) or corp2hire (C2H).

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced manufacturing leader to join our team as Director of Manufacturing Operations in Appleton, Wisconsin. This high-impact leadership role is responsible for driving operational excellence across a complex, highly configurable manufacturing environment while ensuring the achievement of safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost objectives.

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Manufacturing, the Director of Manufacturing Operations will provide leadership across fabrication, welding, assembly, materials flow, and production support functions. This individual will play a critical role in executing manufacturing strategy, developing high-performing teams, and driving continuous improvement initiatives that support customer satisfaction and business performance.

This position is one of three manufacturing leadership roles supporting operations and offers the opportunity to make a significant impact within a growing and innovative manufacturing organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day manufacturing operations to consistently achieve safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost targets.

• Foster a safety-first culture focused on accountability, teamwork, employee engagement, and continuous improvement.

• Execute manufacturing strategies and operational priorities established by executive leadership.

• Implement and sustain Team Daily Management systems to drive accountability, problem-solving, communication, and operational discipline.

• Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives focused on waste reduction, process standardization, throughput improvement, and operational efficiency.

• Partner closely with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Materials, Maintenance, and Safety teams to ensure operational readiness and production continuity.

• Support the implementation of automation, advanced manufacturing technologies, and Industry 4.0 initiatives to improve operational performance.

• Develop, mentor, and coach manufacturing leaders and frontline teams to build a high-performance culture.

• Establish, monitor, and improve key performance indicators related to safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, and operational reliability.

• Lead efforts to improve manufacturing performance while maintaining exceptional product quality and customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent experience will also be considered.
• 12+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience within a complex manufacturing environment, including highly customized or engineered-to-order products.

• Proven experience leading large-scale manufacturing operations with accountability for safety, quality, delivery, and operational performance.

• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, materials flow, production systems, and operational execution.

• Demonstrated success implementing Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading operations within heavy equipment, industrial manufacturing, specialty vehicles, or other highly configurable manufacturing environments.

• Proven track record of leading operational excellence, manufacturing transformation, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Experience implementing automation, advanced manufacturing technologies, robotics, or Industry 4.0 solutions.

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