Director of Operations - CONFIDENTIAL

RYVAN Recruiting is seeking an experienced Director of Operations to lead a highly technical precision manufacturing operation serving industries where quality, reliability, and process control are mission critical. This executive leadership role is responsible for driving operational excellence across manufacturing, engineering, quality, maintenance, and supply chain while ensuring safety, profitability, and customer satisfaction. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Operations will provide strategic leadership for a complex manufacturing facility utilizing advanced metal forming, precision machining, and specialized manufacturing technologies. The successful candidate will possess a strong background in regulated manufacturing environments, a passion for continuous improvement, and the ability to lead transformational initiatives that improve performance, strengthen culture, and position the organization for long-term growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for all manufacturing operations, including production, engineering, quality, maintenance, planning, and other cross-functional departments.
• Lead a complex precision manufacturing operation utilizing advanced processes such as precision metal forming, progressive stamping, deep draw manufacturing, CNC machining, Swiss machining, wire EDM, laser processing, and other specialized manufacturing technologies.
• Drive operational excellence by improving productivity, throughput, capacity utilization, quality performance, on-time delivery, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Develop and execute manufacturing strategies that support both low-volume/high-complexity and high-volume production environments.
• Champion Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, Value Stream Mapping, Root Cause Analysis, and other continuous improvement methodologies to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and lower operating costs.
• Analyze production metrics, manufacturing data, and operational KPIs to identify improvement opportunities and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Oversee production scheduling, capacity planning, inventory optimization, labor utilization, and resource allocation to maximize operational performance.
• Maintain full P&L responsibility for the facility, including budgeting, forecasting, cost control, margin improvement, and capital investment planning.
• Identify cost reduction initiatives while maintaining the highest standards of product quality, customer satisfaction, and operational reliability.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration between operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, maintenance, finance, and executive leadership to ensure alignment with organizational objectives.
• Foster a high-performance culture through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, talent development, and accountability across all levels of the organization.
• Lead organizational change initiatives, operational transformations, and process improvements while building employee engagement and maintaining business continuity.
• Ensure compliance with all safety, environmental, regulatory, and quality management system requirements.
• Promote a culture focused on workplace safety, operational discipline, continuous learning, and manufacturing excellence.
• Partner with customers, suppliers, and executive leadership to support new product introductions, operational scalability, and long-term strategic growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or a related technical discipline required. Master's degree (MBA or Engineering) preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience within a highly regulated precision manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated success leading complex manufacturing operations serving industries with demanding quality and compliance requirements.
• Strong understanding of advanced manufacturing processes including precision machining, metal forming, stamping, CNC operations, automation, and related manufacturing technologies.
• Proven experience leading Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, 5S, and other operational excellence initiatives.
• Experience managing full P&L responsibility, financial planning, budgeting, cost reduction initiatives, and operational performance metrics.
• Strong knowledge of production planning, capacity management, inventory control, quality systems, maintenance operations, and manufacturing analytics.
• Track record of successfully leading organizational transformation, operational improvements, and change management initiatives.
• Experience building, coaching, and developing high-performing leadership teams across multiple functional disciplines.
• Excellent communication and executive leadership skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at every level of the organization.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capabilities with a focus on measurable business results.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, performance-driven manufacturing environment with multiple competing priorities.
• High level of integrity, accountability, humility, and commitment to developing both people and processes.