Director of Manufacturing Operations

About Pierce, An Oshkosh Company

Pierce Manufacturing builds trucks that protect people and communities around the world. Founded in 1913, we've evolved from building truck bodies on Model T Ford chassis in an old church to creating highly customized, engineered pumpers, aerials, tankers, and rescue units. Today, more than 30,000 Pierce apparatuses are on the road, making a difference every day.

Director of Manufacturing

The Director of Manufacturing leads manufacturing operations within an assigned Pierce manufacturing facility, ensuring safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives are consistently achieved. This role provides operational leadership across fabrication, welding, assembly, materials flow, and production support functions while driving operational excellence, workforce engagement, and continuous improvement.

• Champion a safety-first, high-performance culture grounded in accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement
• Lead day-to-day manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost objectives
• Execute enterprise manufacturing strategies and operational priorities established by the Vice President of Manufacturing
• Implement and sustain Team Daily Management systems that drive accountability, problem solving, and operational discipline
• Drive operational excellence through Lean Manufacturing principles, process standardization, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Partner closely with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Materials, and Maintenance teams to ensure operational readiness and production continuity
• Build, coach, and develop high-performing manufacturing teams and frontline leaders
• Establish and monitor key operational performance indicators to improve throughput, productivity, quality, and operational reliability

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 12+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience within a complex manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale manufacturing operations focused on safety, quality, delivery, and operational performance
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, materials flow, production systems, and operational execution
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills

Standout Qualifications

• Experience leading operations within heavy equipment, industrial, or highly configurable manufacturing environments
• Proven success leading manufacturing transformation and operational excellence initiatives
• Experience supporting implementation of automation, advanced manufacturing technologies, or Industry 4.0 initiatives
• Strong cross-functional leadership experience partnering with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Operations teams
• Experience managing operational metrics, budgets, and performance improvement initiatives
• Prior experience leading large manufacturing teams across multiple operational functions

Pay Range

The pay range for this position is $136,800.00 - $253,200.00. Within this range, individual pay is determined by various factors, including the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate's experience, education, and skills, as well as the equity of pay among team members in similar positions.