Director, NA Operations

Position Summary

The Director, North America Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for the Company's North American manufacturing operations, ensuring safe, efficient, and cost-effective execution across multiple manufacturing locations. The role is accountable for overall operational performance, including safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, inventory, and customer service, while developing organizational capability and driving a culture of continuous improvement.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for North American manufacturing operations, ensuring safe, efficient, and consistent execution across multiple manufacturing locations.
• Ensure safe operations through compliance with Company safety standards and applicable regulatory, environmental, and Company requirements while fostering a strong safety culture.
• Drive operational performance in safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, inventory, customer service, and other key performance indicators to achieve business objectives.
• Ensure manufacturing operations consistently meet customer expectations for quality, delivery, and responsiveness while supporting long-term customer satisfaction.
• Develop and execute annual operating plans while effectively managing operating and capital budgets to optimize operational performance and support business growth.
• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop plant leadership teams, strengthening leadership capability, succession readiness, and accountability throughout the North American operations organization.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of all operational functions, including manufacturing, planning, maintenance, engineering support, warehousing, quality, and operational support activities to ensure effective leadership and long-term organizational continuity.
• Standardize operational processes, performance expectations, and best practices across North American manufacturing locations to improve consistency, operational effectiveness, and customer satisfaction.
• Champion Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives that improve safety, quality, productivity, equipment reliability, and overall operational performance.
• Partner with the Global Industrialization team to support capital projects, manufacturing technology, product transfers, and future automation initiatives while ensuring successful operational execution.
• Collaborate effectively with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, Human Resources, Commercial, and other functional leaders to align operational priorities and achieve business objectives.
• Establish, monitor, and drive accountability for key operational performance indicators, implementing corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives as necessary to achieve desired results.
• Support manufacturing growth through capacity planning, operational integration, and development of organizational capability across North American operations.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, employee engagement, and continuous improvement consistent with the Company's values.
• Represent North American Operations on cross-functional teams and enterprise initiatives while effectively communicating operational priorities, performance, and business needs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of ten years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success leading multi-site manufacturing operations.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing leaders in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience managing operating and capital budgets.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement principles.
• Ability to travel up to 25%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading multi-country manufacturing operations.
• Experience supporting automation, industrialization, or capital project initiatives.
• Six Sigma certification or other continuous improvement credentials.
• MBA or advanced degree.