Director, Operations

What You’ll Do

• Making a positive impact every day as part of a global thermal solutions leader.
• Leading all manufacturing operations to consistently achieve safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives across the Columbia facility.
• Building, coaching, and developing a high-performing team, fostering a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement at every level of the organization.
• Driving the application of Lean principles to streamline processes, improve throughput, and enhance overall equipment effectiveness — embedding behaviors, not just tools.
• Collaborating with Business Units and New Product Development to ensure seamless integration of new products into production, aligning operational capabilities with innovation priorities.
• Establishing and monitoring KPIs to track performance, productivity, and Lean progress, using data to drive informed decisions and continuous improvement.
• Ensuring compliance with all regulatory, environmental, and industry standards, and championing quality through robust control measures and a culture of excellence.
• Managing budgets, resources, and capital investments with a focus on efficiency and return, identifying and pursuing cost-reduction opportunities across products, processes, and projects.
• Evaluating and introducing new technologies, systems, and methods to strengthen production capabilities and competitive positioning.
• Leading site-level engagement initiatives that align with Watlow’s purpose, vision, and strategy, promoting collaboration, trust, and open communication across leadership, teams, and stakeholders.
• Representing the site within the Watlow Business System (WBS) framework, ensuring consistent adoption of best practices across the organization.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Business.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership in manufacturing operations, with direct oversight of production, supply chain, engineering, and quality.
• Demonstrated success implementing Lean principles at scale with hands-on transformation experience, not just knowledge.
• Semiconductor industry or similarly complex, high-precision manufacturing environment experience.
• Proven project management track record delivering on-time, on-budget initiatives.
• Strong analytical and communication skills, with a data-driven approach to performance management and decision-making.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed (Preferred Qualifications).

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS or MBA) in Business, Engineering, or Operations Management.
• Leverage Lean Six Sigma certification (Black Belt or Master Black Belt).
• Experience with New Product Introduction (NPI/NPD) in a manufacturing setting.
• Experience scaling operations in high-growth or innovation-driven industries.

Benefits

The Watlow Total Compensation Plan Benefits includes:

• Annual Incentive Program
• 401(k) plan that includes a company match on your contribution and an annual company contribution tied to company performance
• Wellness incentives
• Employee Personal Assistance Program
• Dental, medical, vision and short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Paid holidays, personal time, and vacation
• Parental leave
• Tuition reimbursement

Diversity & Inclusion

We proactively embrace diversity in all its dimensions across our company and cultivate a culture of inclusion and forward thinking that respects and reflects each team member’s individual strengths, views, and experiences.