Director of Manufacturing

Sapphire Recruitment is partnering with an innovative, rapidly growing advanced technology manufacturer in the Syracuse, NY area to hire a Director of Manufacturing.

This direct hire opportunity is ideal for a hands-on manufacturing leader with a strong background in PCB assembly, electronics manufacturing, or contract manufacturing, preferably within the RF, radar, telecommunications, or defense electronics industries.

The ideal candidate will bring proven experience scaling manufacturing operations, leading technical teams, and driving continuous improvement through an engaged, collaborative leadership approach.

• Provide visible, hands on leadership across manufacturing operations, engineering, assembly, and testing.
• Lead PCB assembly, electronic hardware manufacturing, RF testing, and electromechanical production activities.
• Develop and execute strategies to significantly increase production capacity, throughput, and operational efficiency.
• Lead, mentor, and develop manufacturing engineering, test engineering, service engineering, and production teams.
• Oversee PCB functional testing, in-circuit testing (ICT), and RF/electromechanical testing processes.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on production efficiency, quality, cost reduction, and scalability.
• Implement scalable manufacturing processes, tooling, equipment, and testing capabilities.
• Partner closely with Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain to transition complex electronic products into full scale production.
• Foster a collaborative, employee-focused manufacturing culture through active shop-floor engagement and servant leadership.

• BS in Engineering or related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience in complex electronics or advanced technology manufacturing environments.
• Proven experience scaling manufacturing operations, increasing throughput, and improving production performance.
• Strong background in PCB assembly, electronics manufacturing, or PCB contract manufacturing environments.
• Strong Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, and problem solving skills.
• Hands on, servant leadership style with a demonstrated ability to engage employees on the manufacturing floor, develop teams, and translate engineering requirements into effective manufacturing operations.