Director of Operations

Our esteemed client is a well-established manufacturing company based in the beautiful waterside city of Benicia. The company is poised for growth with one of their high-profile clients and is looking for a Director of Operations to lead the organization to the next level. The Director of Operations is a key transformative leader responsible for overseeing and optimizing the manufacturing processes to ensure efficiency, quality, profitability, and overall operational excellence. Oversees the daily management of the operation, including production, planning, and scheduling, inventory management, process engineering, and quality control, and on-time delivery.  This will be accomplished in an environment where safety is first while instilling a highly focused continuous improvement culture that achieves results in quality, service levels, productivity, cost reductions and delivery performance. 

This position is an Onsite role with a primary production schedule between 6:00am - 2:30pm.

Note: No relocation is being offered at this time. The client is ideally looking for local candidates.

What distinguishes this opportunity is the convergence of the company's remarkable growth trajectory, unwavering stability, and vibrant employee culture. As the Director of Operations, reporting directly to the CEO, you'll embody a transformative leadership style capable of leaving an enduring mark on the business, steering it towards positive change and sustained success. You will be part of the growth strategy for expansion to Oregon in 2025.

The company's operational hours prioritize work/life balance, acknowledging the importance of personal well-being alongside professional commitments. Moreover, the compensation and benefits package stands out as highly competitive, featuring a generous 4% 401k match among other rewards. This underscores the company's commitment to ensuring employees feel valued and duly recognized for their contributions, fostering a sense of loyalty and dedication throughout the workforce.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

Strategic Planning: 

• Collaborate with senior management to align operational objectives with overall business short-term and long-term goals and strategic objectives. 
• Develop and implement tactical plans to optimize manufacturing processes, improve efficiency, and enhance productivity to achieve operational objectives. 
• Consistently champion operational excellence daily with entire team.

Production Management:

• Oversee all aspects of manufacturing operations, including production, planning, and scheduling, inventory management, process engineering, quality control, and shipping. 
• Implement best practices to optimize production efficiency while maintaining employee safety, production schedules and high-quality standards.
• Implement best practices and lean manufacturing principles to streamline operations and reduce waste. 
• Establish and enforce quality control measures to ensure that processes and products meet or exceed industry standards.
• Implement a Quality Management System that tracks defects per unit and use this data to improve production process and product quality.
• Utilize data analytics to provide continuous improvement to production and team development.
• Manage and maintain facilities and equipment to maximize functionality, safety, and OEE.

Process Engineering:

• Lead process engineering initiatives to improve product quality, reduce cycle times, increase capacity, and minimize waste. 
• Identify opportunities for automation, technology adoption, and process optimization. 
• Drive continuous improvement projects to enhance manufacturing processes, culture, and capabilities.

Team Leadership and Development: 

• Provide leadership and direction to the operations team, including functional and shop floor leads, and process engineers. 
• Lead with a “lead through people/leaders” mentality that fosters opportunity and security for direct and indirect reports, developing them both personally and professionally.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and utilize training programs to enhance the skills and capability of the operations staff.
• Give regular feedback to direct reports, and ensure direct reports are communicating with regular feedback to employees.
• Mentor and develop team members to build a high-performing and engaged workforce. 
• Collaborate with Human Resources (HR) regarding employee issues, new hires, training, onboarding, and other HR related items. 

Supply Chain Management: 

• Collaborate with procurement and supply chain teams to optimize inventory levels, manage supplier relationships, and ensure timely delivery of materials and components. 
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and performance metrics to track supply chain performance and identify areas for improvement. 
• Implement inventory management strategies to minimize stockouts and excessive inventory.

Health and Safety Compliance:

• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and standards in all operational activities.
• Implement and oversee protocols to create a safe working environment.
• Partner with Human Resources regarding injuries and adhering to OSHA requirements.

Communication and Collaboration:

• Foster effective communication and collaboration between operations and other functional areas within the company.
• Provide regular updates to executive leadership on operational performance and key metrics.
• Prepare daily, weekly, and monthly reports for the leadership team to communicate, summarize, and analyze operational performance.

Continuous Improvement:

• Promote a culture of continuous improvement by identifying areas for enhancement and implementing innovative solutions utilizing lean manufacturing principles.
• Stay abreast of industry trends and technological advancements to maintain a competitive edge.
• Lead capital expenditure process to prioritize projects and ensure projects meet return on investments standards.
• Other duties as assigned.

WHO YOU ARE:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in operations management within a discrete manufacturing environment; with at least 3 of those years managing/leading both exempt and non-exempt employees.
• Strong background in process engineering, with expertise in process optimization, continuous improvement methodologies, lean manufacturing principles, and project management. 
• Proven track record of achieving operational excellence, continuous improvement goals, and production targets.
• Demonstrated success in implementing and managing change initiatives.
• Excellent leadership and team building skills, communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate and influence cross-functional teams. 
• Strong communication, people development and interpersonal skills.
• Proven analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Experience using ERP systems, specifically EpiCor or alike, and knowledge of how to leverage ERP data to achieve process improvements.
• Functional knowledge of Solidworks, or similar, CAD/CAM software application. 
• Lean / Six Sigma / 5S experience and a certification is a plus.