Manufacturing Operations Manager

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).

The Manufacturing Operations Manager leads day-to-day production operations for the manufacturing organization, including work performed on the clean room floor. This role is responsible for building, managing and retaining a safe, high-performing team; meeting safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity goals; and driving continuous improvement through strong execution, workforce development, and cross-functional partnership.

• Owns key manufacturing performance metrics, including safety, quality, delivery, productivity, yield, inventory accuracy, labor efficiency, cost, revenue attainment, on-time delivery, and lead time.
• Uses daily management practices, including tiered accountability meetings, KPI reviews, visual management tools, metric reporting, and escalation processes, to improve performance and resolve issues quickly.
• Ensures manufacturing operations meet defense customer requirements, contractual obligations, quality management system standards, export control regulations, and company policies.
• Maintains product traceability, configuration control, material accountability, and documentation standards required for defense and government programs.
• Leads change initiatives that support new processes, technologies, facility layouts, and operating models.
• Provides leadership and direction for new and existing products in partnership with senior management and cross-functional teams.
• Identifies and addresses bottlenecks, staffing needs, and capacity constraints to support cost-effective production capability.
• Leads supervisors, leads, technicians, and specialists to achieve quality, yield, delivery, cost, and cycle-time goals.
• Promotes a safe work environment by reinforcing safety expectations, supporting incident investigations, and modeling safe behaviors.
• Coaches, trains, recognizes, and develops employees to build team capability and achieve business results.
• Reviews and approves employee time and attendance records in compliance with applicable wage and hour laws.
• Drives continuous improvement using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, structured problem solving, and visual management tools to improve performance and reduce waste.
• Partners with R&D, supply chain and quality teams to improve process efficiency, product yield, and manufacturability.
• Supports new product introductions and manufacturing transfers by ensuring personnel, equipment, processes, documentation, and capacity are ready for production.
• Develops supervisors, leads, and emerging leaders through succession planning and career development.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or a related discipline preferred.
• 5+ years of high-tech manufacturing experience, including 3+ years in a manufacturing leadership role and experience supporting defense, aerospace, military, government, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Familiarity with ITAR, EAR, export-controlled technologies, and controlled technical data requirements.
• Hands-on experience applying lean manufacturing tools such as material pull/kanban, visual management, one-piece flow, value-stream mapping, and 5S.
• Strong leadership, mentoring, and team-building skills.
• Ability to work successfully with minimal direction.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and…