Director of Operations

About the role

The Director of Operations is responsible for leading and executing all aspects of manufacturing and operational performance at Carlton Forge Works. This role has full accountability for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, and employee engagement across forging and supporting operations. The Director of Operations translates business and strategic objectives into executable operating plans and drives disciplined execution through strong leadership, data‑driven management, and continuous improvement. Success in this role requires the ability to lead a complex, capital‑intensive manufacturing operation while developing people, improving processes, and ensuring compliance with aerospace, defense, and PCC standards. Scope of responsibility includes forging operations and supporting manufacturing processes, production scheduling and execution, manufacturing support functions (maintenance, tooling, facilities), continuous improvement and operational excellence, and safety, quality, delivery, cost, and financial performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily manufacturing operations to ensure achievement of Safety, Quality, Cost and Delivery objectives
• Own and drive operational KPIs with disciplined review cadences and credible recovery plans when targets are missed
• Ensure execution of the business plan across daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual horizons
• Provide clear direction, accountability, and prioritization across the operations organization
• Serve as a visible role model and sponsor of safety with a zero‑injury mindset
• Ensure compliance with EH&S, OSHA, environmental, export control (ITAR/EAR), and PCC policies
• Empower employees to identify and escalate safety risks without hesitation
• Partner closely with EH&S to continuously improve safety performance and culture
• Champion Lean Manufacturing, TOC, Six Sigma, and PCC toolbox methodologies
• Lead and sponsor continuous improvement events focused on yield, throughput, flow, cost, and capacity
• Drive improvements in asset utilization
• Foster a mindset of relentless improvement across all levels of the organization
• Ensure robust process control and adherence to work instructions and procedures
• Partner with Quality to maintain AS9100 and customer audit readiness
• Drive zero‑defect culture with strong root cause and corrective action discipline
• Own manufacturing cost structure and productivity improvement initiatives
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and long‑range planning
• Ensure integrity of production and cost data (labor, materials, inventory, variances)
• Identify and justify capital investments; lead development of Capital Authorization Requests (CARs)
• Lead, coach, and develop operations managers, supervisors, and technical leaders
• Build a strong succession pipeline and depth of talent
• Conduct performance reviews, provide regular feedback, and enforce policies consistently
• Promote employee engagement, ownership, and accountability
• Partner with Engineering on process improvements, new product introduction, and manufacturability
• Work closely with Supply Chain on material flow, scheduling, and supplier performance
• Collaborate with Commercial teams on capacity planning and growth opportunities
• Communicate effectively with senior leadership on performance, risks, and opportunities

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or Business (MBA or MS preferred)
• 7–10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience
• Demonstrated success leading complex manufacturing operations
• Strong financial and operational acumen
• Proven experience driving measurable improvement through Lean / CI methodologies
• Forging, metals, aerospace, or defense manufacturing environments (preferred)
• PCC tools, systems, and performance culture (preferred)
• AS9100, NADCAP, and customer audit environments (preferred)
• Decisive, disciplined, and execution‑