Director of Operations, Powder Coating

About the Role

SJS Industrial, a veteran-owned media blasting, industrial painting, powder coating, and light fabrication shop in Virginia Beach, VA, serving military and maritime customers, is seeking a full-time Director of Operations. The primary objective over the next several years will be to assist with planning and managing the expansion of production capacity from one work shift to three work shifts. This position requires relocation to Virginia Beach, VA.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Industrial Division budget, including COGS and staffing.
• Report production activities and process improvements to senior management.
• Perform production planning and scheduling to ensure no loss of production time.
• Work with the quality control inspector to identify and pull defective work from production and route it to the rework line.
• Anticipate challenges and minimize their impact through regular customer meetings and proactive feedback sourcing.
• Identify and target new migration and market share opportunities with existing customers by co-developing roadmaps, understanding the customer buying process, and managing proposals.
• Maintain customer relationships, resolve issues, and implement new solutions.
• Collaborate with Sales Account Executives to identify and develop potential new clients.
• Ensure long-term working relationships with commercial and industrial clients in the Hampton Roads Region of Virginia.
• Maintain communications with SJS employees regarding company updates.
• Provide data input into systems like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• A degree in Industrial Engineering, Industrial Operations Management, Business Administration, or a relevant field; OR equivalent military education/training (e.g., DD 214 form showing relevant disciplines).
• 10+ years of experience as a Production Supervisor or Industrial Production Manager, managing a crew of 10 or more people.
• Strong leadership background, especially in high-stress environments.
• OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 certification preferred; other safety knowledge accepted.
• Proven ability to meet deadlines and support cross-departmental efforts.
• Extreme attention to detail and ability to use data for analysis and recommendations.
• Strong problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.
• ISO-9000 experience in defect elimination, waste reduction, and continuous process improvement preferred.
• Must pass a drug test and background check.

Pay

The expected pay range for this position is $100k to $170k annually. Actual salary may vary based on factors such as experience, education, skills, budget constraints, and internal equity considerations.

Benefits

• 80 hours of accumulated PTO
• 7 paid federal holidays
• 2 floating holidays
• Variety of insurance options