Director of Manufacturing Programs

About the role

The Director of Manufacturing Programs is an execution-focused leader responsible for leading Manufacturing Programs across various product initiatives and portfolios. This role drives strategy, operational efficiency, and program objectives across product development, capital deployment, and global expansion projects.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain manufacturing program governance frameworks, performance metrics, and reporting standards.
• Manage a portfolio of strategic initiatives, ensuring timely delivery, budget adherence, and quality outcomes.
• Proactively identify and mitigate risks across multiple manufacturing programs.
• Provide regular executive-level reporting as required.
• Lead and develop a team of Manufacturing Project Managers responsible for New Product Introductions, capacity expansions, and new manufacturing operations across a multitude of initiatives.
• Lead the cross-functional manufacturing support team (including Safety, Quality, Operations Engineering, Manufacturing, Materials, Planning & Scheduling, and Continuous Improvement) to deliver all required outputs for each product development initiative launch plan.
• Support Make vs Buy decisions for manufacturing efficiency, quality, and cost.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing infrastructure capacity plans to support long-term sales forecasts.
• Oversee the integration of new capital equipment into existing or new manufacturing plants leading cross-functional delivery across all manufacturing and ancillary teams.
• Lead the investigation and recommendations of new technology insertion that impact manufacturing efficiencies.
• Provide key insight and feedback into engineering for Design for Manufacturability (DFM) to improve operational efficiency and reduce rework / scrap.
• Lead key manufacturing financial objectives and management of CapEx, COGS, and ROI strategies.
• Collaborate with regional teams to ensure operational readiness and compliance with local regulations and standards.
• Support the bid and proposal process as required.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred; MBA a plus).
• Experience: 10+ years of experience in manufacturing and operations management, with at least 5+ years in a leadership role.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in multinational environments.
• Proven leader in large scale operations and manufacturing product launches.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate complex agreements and partnerships.
• Excellent communication and leadership abilities.
• Travel: 20-40%.
• Some international.
• Work Schedule: Typical work hours are between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday. Works a sufficient schedule to meet the expectations of the role. Ability to work a flexible schedule is necessary.

Qualifications

• Experience in Lean, Change Management, Manufacturing Systems, Safety Management, Industrial Engineering, Production Planning, Materials Management, Quality Management, Supply Chain Management, Logistics Management.
• Experience in electrical, energy, or related industrial sectors and implementing large scalable manufacturing operations.

Skills

• Strong leadership and project management skills.
• Strategic thinking and ability to drive innovation.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Knowledge of Lean principles and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience with Change Management and ADKAR methods.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive organizational change.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with ERP systems and manufacturing software.

Benefits

FTI offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Competitive, merit-based compensation
• Flexible and robust benefits package
• Industry-leading benefits
• Continuous education and career development programs