Director, Manufacturing Operations

Position Title

Director, Manufacturing Operations

Durham, NC

The Director, Manufacturing Operations is responsible for the overall leadership, performance, and strategic direction of Bell and Howell's manufacturing operations, including Manufacturing Engineering, Integration, Assembly, Production Operations, and Continuous Improvement activities. Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer and serving as a key member of the leadership team, this position is accountable for achieving operational and financial objectives through the effective management of manufacturing resources, inventory, labor, quality, productivity, capital investments, and continuous improvement initiatives.

The Director partners closely with Finance, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Service Operations, and Executive Leadership to ensure manufacturing operations support the company's strategic growth objectives while delivering exceptional customer satisfaction, operational excellence, and profitability.

• Lead all manufacturing operations, including Manufacturing Engineering, Integration, Assembly, Testing, and Production activities.
• Develop and execute short- and long-term manufacturing strategies aligned with company goals and financial objectives.
• Establish operational goals, performance metrics, and accountability measures to drive safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost performance.
• Ensure manufacturing resources, staffing levels, equipment, and processes support customer demand and business requirements.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, and operational excellence initiatives throughout the organization.
• Promote a culture of accountability, ownership, teamwork, safety, and continuous improvement.

• Own manufacturing financial performance, including labor productivity, manufacturing costs, inventory management, and operational efficiency.
• Develop, manage, and monitor annual operating budgets and capital expenditure plans.
• Identify and execute cost reduction initiatives while maintaining quality and customer service standards.
• Monitor and improve key financial and operational metrics, including:
• Labor efficiency
• Manufacturing absorption
• Inventory turns
• Cost of quality
• Scrap and rework
• Manufacturing cycle time
• On-time delivery
• Working capital performance
• Partner with Finance to support forecasting, budgeting, variance analysis, and strategic planning activities.
• Evaluate capital equipment investments and manufacturing technologies to maximize productivity and return on investment.

• Partner with Engineering and Product Development teams during design reviews to improve manufacturability, quality, reliability, and cost effectiveness.
• Lead manufacturing readiness activities for new product introductions, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships.
• Develop manufacturing plans including workflow design, labor content, tooling requirements, facility layout, and production strategies.
• Evaluate make-versus-buy decisions and support sourcing strategies that optimize cost and operational performance.
• Ensure manufacturing processes, assembly methods, testing procedures, and product documentation are established and maintained.

• Ensure compliance with all company policies, quality standards, safety regulations, and operational procedures.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering teams to drive root cause analysis, corrective actions, and continuous quality improvement.
• Establish and maintain effective manufacturing controls, inspections, testing procedures, and quality systems.
• Foster a safe working environment and maintain a strong safety culture throughout the organization.

• Partner with Supply Chain leadership to optimize inventory levels, material availability, supplier performance, and working capital.
• Support Sales, Service Operations, and Customer Support teams to ensure customer commitments are achieved.
• Resolve manufacturing-related customer concerns and implement…