Director, Operations
$150,000–$200,000 year
On-siteColumbia, South Carolina, United States or Columbia, Missouri, United States
Job Summary
Lead all manufacturing operations at the Columbia facility to consistently achieve safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives. Build and coach a high-performing team while driving Lean transformation to streamline processes and improve throughput. Collaborate with Business Units and New Product Development to align operational capabilities with innovation priorities, ensuring seamless integration of new products. Establish and monitor KPIs to track performance and Lean progress, while managing budgets and capital investments to identify cost-reduction opportunities. Ensure compliance with regulatory and environmental standards, evaluate new technologies to strengthen production capabilities, and lead site-level engagement initiatives. Represent the site within the Watlow Business System framework and partner with executive leadership to drive operational excellence.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Business
- 10+ years of progressive leadership in manufacturing operations, with direct oversight of production, supply chain, engineering, and quality
- Demonstrated success implementing Lean principles at scale with hands-on transformation experience, not just knowledge
- Semiconductor industry or similarly complex, high-precision manufacturing environment experience
- Proven project management track record delivering on-time, on-budget initiatives
- Experience with New Product Introduction (NPI/NPD) in a manufacturing setting
- Strong analytical and communication skills, with a data-driven approach to performance management and decision-making
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed (<10%)
Desired Qualifications
- Advanced degree (MS or MBA) in Business, Engineering, or Operations Management
- Lean Six Sigma certification (Black Belt or Master Black Belt)
- Change management experience leading cultural transformations in complex organizations
- Background aligning and collaborating with front-end design and development functions (BU, Sales, Engineering) to ensure linkage to the manufacturing setting
- Experience scaling operations in high-growth or innovation-driven industries
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