Director of Manufacturing Operations - Hillsboro

About nLIGHT

At nLIGHT, we are constantly on the cutting-edge of laser technology in a massively growing market. We are a leading provider of high-power semiconductors and fiber lasers for industrial, microfabrication, and aerospace & defense applications, to name a few. Our lasers are changing not only the way things are made, but also changing the things that can be made.

Headquartered in Camas, Washington, nLIGHT is a publicly listed company (NASDAQ: LASR).

Director of Manufacturing Operations

The Director of Manufacturing Operations is a senior leadership position responsible for overseeing all aspects of semiconductor laser assembly production. This role ensures operational excellence by managing strategic planning, production execution, and cross-functional collaboration to achieve world-class standards in quality, delivery, efficiency, and safety. The director drives continuous improvement and innovation, supporting the company's growth and competitiveness in both military and commercial markets.

Responsibilities

* Manages strategic and tactical aspects of semiconductor laser assembly production for medium-to-high-volume production of ruggedized military & commercial products

* Establishes production schedules with planning and business groups and executes against schedule to meet goals for revenue, on-time delivery and lead-time

* Provides supervision and leadership to direct reports including employee performance management, motivating and facilitating continuous learning and development, conducting annual performance appraisals, and providing timely feedback and recognition.

* Meets aggressive, world-class goals on quality, cycle time, yield and cost

* Leads global multi-disciplinary teams to deliver new products, sustaining engineering, and NPI of laser-based product lines as part of key strategy in vertically integrated organization.

* Analyzes bottlenecks and establishes sufficient capacity to cost-effectively meet production demands

* Drives continuous improvement opportunities and yield metrics utilizing wide variety of analytical techniques (such as FMEA, SPC, DOE, Gage R&R, 8D), lean manufacturing, and six sigma concepts.

* Coordinates with facilities, including maintenance and build-outs, for optimal uptime and cost

* Interfaces with senior leadership and various support functions such as Supply Chain, Development Engineering, Quality, Finance, HR, and IT as required to establish plans and execute against them

* Collaborates with R&D to analyze competition, market trends, emerging technology and drives strategic engineering projects into production as capable products & processes.

* Ensures strong safety program in place

* Manages and motivates direct staff

* Builds upon ISO
9001:2000 certified quality management system in place

Qualifications

* Requires a BS in Engineering (Optical, Physics, Electrical, Chemical, Mechanical) and 10+ years high-tech manufacturing experience with at least five years in a managerial role, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

* MS in Engineering or Business is preferred.

* 8+ years of experience in product & process development, NPI or process control of laser systems/photonic components

* 8+ years of experience working for company providing products for US Defense and/or Government Contracting.

* Working knowledge of FAR/DFAR requirements, and ITAR-compliant operations

* Skilled in implementing and utilizing lean manufacturing, SPC, ERP, and MRP systems

* Strong business and people skills, including strategic thinking, executive communication, and basic business financial acumen

* Strong record of developing and transferring products and processes related to laser systems and photonic components

* Strong record of effective judgement and decisiveness, clear thinking, problem solving through structured methodologies

* Strong situational leadership skills, record of developing great teams and strong hires

* Sets very strong culture of accountability, disciplined thinking, integrity and expectations, leads by example

* APICS CPIM experience is preferred, but not required

* Six Sigma Black Belt is preferred, but not required

* Strong communication skills

* Excellent team player

* Demonstrated ability to protect confidential and proprietary information and exercise discretion.

* Ability to travel up to 15%

nLIGHT is proud to offer comprehensive COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Starting pay depends on qualifications:

* Director of Manufacturing Operations: $150,000 - $185,000 annually

Other Compensation and Benefits

* Target Cash Bonus of 15% of earned wages

* Eligible for Restricted Stock Unit grants

* 4 weeks of Paid Time Off per year

* 10 paid Holidays

* Eligible for health benefits on the 1st day of the month after your start date

* Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits, including prescription and orthodontia with employee-paid premiums as low as $40.00 per pay period

* Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts

* Employee Stock Purchase Plan

* 401(k) with company match and immediate…