Director, Technical Operations

At Pelican, we engineer products that stand up to the world’s toughest conditions—because the people who rely on us do too. For nearly 50 years, we’ve been a trusted partner for military personnel, first responders, outdoor adventurers, and innovators who push the limits. With a global presence that includes 11 offices, 4 manufacturing facilities, and 4 custom case centers, we create high-performance protective solutions that ensure our customers can focus on what matters most.

About the role

Pelican is seeking a Director of Technical Operations to serve as the senior technical leader for our South Deerfield manufacturing facility. Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, this leader will oversee Manufacturing Engineering, Mold Engineering, Maintenance, Equipment Reliability, Automation, and other technical functions critical to the performance and future of the operation. This is a high-impact opportunity for a hands-on, forward-thinking manufacturing leader who can build strong technical teams while modernizing how the facility operates.

You'll lead investments in equipment, automation, tooling, reliability, and manufacturing technology while partnering closely with Operations to improve safety, quality, uptime, throughput, capacity, and cost. We're looking for someone who can see where manufacturing needs to go next—and build the people, processes, systems, and technology to get us there.

Responsibilities

• Lead the site's Manufacturing Engineering, Mold Engineering, Maintenance, Equipment Reliability, Automation, and technical operations functions
• Build and develop a high-performing technical organization with strong leaders, clear accountability, technical standards, and succession plans
• Define and execute a long-term manufacturing modernization strategy across equipment, automation, tooling, technology, systems, and processes
• Drive improvements in safety, quality, productivity, throughput, capacity, cost, and overall manufacturing performance
• Lead injection and rotational mold engineering, including tooling performance, optimization, maintenance, lifecycle management, and technical problem-solving
• Transform Maintenance from a reactive model toward a proactive, reliability-centered organization through stronger preventive and predictive maintenance programs
• Improve equipment uptime and reliability by attacking recurring failures, downtime, process constraints, and operational losses at their root cause
• Develop and execute capital investment strategies for equipment, automation, tooling, infrastructure, and manufacturing capacity
• Lead major technical and capital projects from business case and justification through implementation and measurable results
• Evaluate and introduce new manufacturing technologies and automation that strengthen long-term capabilities and improve operational performance
• Partner closely with Operations to solve complex manufacturing challenges and ensure Engineering and Maintenance are responsive, service-oriented partners to production
• Champion Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, root cause analysis, and structured problem-solving
• Establish and manage technical KPIs including OEE, downtime, equipment reliability, preventive maintenance effectiveness, and project performance
• Partner across Operations, Quality, EHS, Supply Chain, Product Engineering, IT, and Finance to align technical priorities with business needs
• Coach and develop technical leaders while building a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, continuous improvement, and execution
• Perform additional duties as assigned

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 10+ years of progressive experience across engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, or technical operations
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing engineering, maintenance, technical operations, or similar teams
• Demonstrated experience leading both Manufacturing Engineering and Maintenance in a complex manufacturing environment
• Strong expertise in equipment reliability, preventive and predictive maintenance, manufacturing processes, automation, and capital execution
• Proven success improving uptime, productivity, quality, capacity, throughput, and/or manufacturing cost
• Experience developing capital plans and leading significant equipment, automation, tooling, or technology investments
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, root cause analysis, and structured problem-solving
• Strong business judgment with the ability to connect technical investments to operational and financial results
• Proven ability to lead change, develop technical talent, and influence across functions

Benefits

• Competitive paid time off plans, holiday pay, and extra vacation purchase opportunities
• 401k plan with immediate match
• Great benefits including several health insurance options and pet insurance
• Health Savings Account contribution
• Wellness Discount Program
• Global Mental Wellness Program
• Quarterly Employee Celebration Days
• Peer-to-Peer Recognition Program
• Service Recognition Program
• Amazing employee discount program on Pelican Products, Pelican branded apparel, and gear
• Employee referral program with monetary rewards
• Onsite gym

Pay

The annual U.S. pay range for this position varies by work location and may depend on your qualifications, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the job location during the hiring process.