Senior Director, Operations

Primary Responsibilities

• Master Planning
• Build and continuously improve planning parameters and master data discipline.
• Lead exception-based planning for disruptions (material shortages, downtime, quality holds).
• Execute rapid re-planning with cross-functional alignment.
• Establish and lead the multi-site planning operating system (S&OP cadence, supply reviews, capacity reviews, plan governance).
• Own the Master Production Schedule (MPS) and weekly/monthly rolling plan, including freeze windows, change control, and escalation.
• Drive capacity planning (RCCP) and bottleneck management; align shift patterns, labor availability, maintenance windows, and line readiness.
• Logistics
• Lead inbound/outbound logistics operations across three sites, including carrier strategy and (if applicable) 3PL governance.
• Optimize transportation cost, load planning, routing, consolidation, and shipping cycle times; manage detention/demurrage where applicable.
• Ensure compliance with shipping documentation, trade compliance (as applicable), and customer packaging/labeling requirements.
• Order Fulfillment
• Own end-to-end order fulfillment governance from order release to shipment and delivery performance; ensure transparency and accountability.
• Define and enforce ATP/CTP logic, allocation rules, priority framework, and escalation process to protect plant stability while meeting customer commitments.
• Partner with Sales/Commercial and Customer Service to translate demand into executable supply signals without creating production disruption.
• Manage backlog health, expedite controls, customer-critical order war room processes, and root cause closure for misses.
• Establish reporting dashboards (OTIF, backlog aging, lead time, expedite rate) and drive corrective actions to improve reliability.
• Industrial Engineering (IE)
• Own IE strategy across sites: line balancing, standard work, labor standards, takt/cycle time optimization, OEE improvement.
• Lead productivity initiatives: layout optimization, material flow design, ergonomics, automation feasibility, and indirect labor optimization.
• Build labor models and staffing plans aligned with the master schedule; quantify productivity targets and savings.
• Drive structured problem solving (A3/8D), Kaizen programs, and sustainment mechanisms to prevent regression.
• Partner with Ops/Quality/Maintenance to reduce scrap/rework and improve process capability through data-driven improvements.
• Special Projects / Transformation
• Lead cross-site transformation initiatives (ERP/MES/WMS enhancements, planning system upgrades, operational standardization).
• Own project governance: charters, milestones, ROI/business cases, risk/issue management (RAID), and executive reporting.
• Drive ramp-up readiness programs (new lines, new products, capacity expansion) with clear deliverables across people/process/equipment/material.
• Lead cross-functional integration projects (e.g., organizational redesign, cross-site operating model, KPI system harmonization).
• Ensure sustainable change adoption through training, SOP updates, and audit mechanisms.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• 10+ years in manufacturing operations leadership; experience leading planning + logistics + IE is strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to run multi-site operations cadence and deliver measurable improvements in delivery, cost, and productivity.
• Strong toolkit: Lean manufacturing, standard work, constraint management, root cause analysis; strong data/KPI governance.
• Demonstrated stakeholder management across Sales/Commercial, Planning, Ops, Quality, and Finance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in high-volume discrete manufacturing (e.g., solar/module/cell, electronics, automotive, battery).
• ERP/MES implementation or transformation program experience.
• Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt) or equivalent CI leadership.

Leadership Competencies

• High rigor, strong execution discipline, and clear accountability management.
• Ability to balance customer promise with plant stability; strong decision-making under constraints.
• Change leadership and talent development across functions and sites.
• Executive-level communication and structured reporting.