Director of Operations

About the role

Our client, a rapidly growing manufacturer, is seeking an experienced, hands-on Director of Operations to build and lead their manufacturing, planning, quality, and supply chain functions. The company has seen significant year-over-year growth and needs an operational leader who can build the infrastructure — people, systems, and processes — to support that growth while preserving the responsiveness and quality that sets them apart. This is a newly created, high-visibility role reporting directly to the President and sitting on the Senior Leadership Team. You'll partner closely with executive leadership to drive continuous improvement, shape operational strategy, and build a culture of accountability from the plant floor up.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing, quality, maintenance, production planning, supply chain, and logistics across the operation
• Build organizational capability and develop a manufacturing leadership team to support continued growth
• Own KPIs for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and inventory
• Drive Lean, 5S, Kaizen, and other continuous improvement initiatives
• Standardize processes while maintaining flexibility for custom project execution
• Improve production scheduling, purchasing, and inventory management processes
• Champion a proactive, prevention-first approach to safety and quality

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, or related field
• 5+ years of process manufacturing or operations leadership experience
• Strong background in production planning, scheduling, inventory management, and supply chain
• ERP systems experience and familiarity with 5S/continuous improvement methodologies
• A player-coach mentality — comfortable rolling up your sleeves in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills

Compensation

• Starting at $170,000 base (DoE), plus bonus and profit sharing
• On-site role in the Central New York region
• Relocation assistance available for the right candidate