Director Of Manufacturing Operations

Job Title:

Corporate Director of Manufacturing Operations

Job Description

The Director of Enterprise Manufacturing Operations will design, deploy, and sustain the operating systems that drive consistent performance across all facilities. This role is essential in moving the organization from reactive problem-solving to predictable execution. The position involves overseeing multiple locations, not just a single plant. The Director will build and scale a Manufacturing Operating System (MOS) that leaders use effectively, create discipline around standard work, and provide hands-on leadership during critical operational disruptions.

The role requires collaboration with plant leadership, engineering, operations, and executive leadership to ensure improvements are sustainable.

Responsibilities

* Lead enterprise-wide Business Excellence and Operations Support teams, including areas such as Welding & Fabrication, Robotics & Automation, Laser & Form, and Paint/Finishing.

* Act as the architect and owner of the Manufacturing Operating System (MOS) and tiered daily management structure.

* Ensure consistent standards across facilities while enabling local ownership and problem-solving.

* Oversee structured, rapid-response support for critical production disruptions, ensuring disciplined triage, root cause analysis, corrective action, and follow-through.

* Transition recurring issues from firefighting to system-level prevention.

* Develop and deploy SOPs and Standard Work, Leader Standard Work, and competency-based training and certification programs.

* Embed Lean and structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g., A3, FMEA, DOE, SPC) into daily operations.

* Define, track, and improve KPIs including OEE, MTTR, first-pass yield, safety, and quality metrics.

* Recruit, coach, and develop engineering and CI talent.

* Own budgets related to tooling, spare parts, training, and CI investments.

Essential Skills

* Expertise in manufacturing engineering, process improvement, continuous improvement, and manufacturing processes.

* Proficiency in Lean manufacturing and production planning/scheduling.

* Experience with welding, fabrication, robotics, and automation systems.

* Strong organizational leadership and six sigma application (Black Belt preferred).

* Experience in enterprise CI/Lean transformation with measurable financial impact and sustained results.

* MOS ownership with a focus on TDM, LSW, KPI cadence, and visual management.

* Multi-site accountability and leadership of leaders.

* Cross-functional technical leadership experience in operations, CI, quality, and maintenance.

* Financial decision-making skills related to ROI and tradeoffs.

* 10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience in complex environments.

Additional

Skills & Qualifications

* Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field (Master's degree and/or Lean Six Sigma certification strongly preferred).

* Proven experience building and scaling operating systems, not just supporting CI initiatives.

* Strong servant leader mindset with credibility to influence plant leaders and executives.

* Exceptional communication, coaching, and change leadership skills.

* Comfortable balancing hands-on operational support with strategic system design.

Work Environment

The work environment includes multiple locations with a focus on change management. All Manufacturing Engineering Managers report into this role, with engineers and maintenance teams rolling up through them. Continuous Improvement (CI) also reports into this director, with the vision of having one CI specialist at each location. The team-oriented culture values long-term thinking and sustainable results.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Janesville, WI.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $160000.00 - $190000.00/yr.

Unlimited PTO Bonus eligible Full time benefits offered

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Janesville,WI.

Final date to receive applications

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 4, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a Clearly Rated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or…