Senior Manufacturing Manager

About Us

G&H is a world leader in optical designing, testing, and manufacturing. As experts in the technology of light, G&H works with customers to provide optical systems, assemblies, and components for demanding applications. Headquartered in Ilminster Somerset, UK with primary operations in the USA and Europe, G&H is recognized for the breadth of their acousto-optic, electro-optic, crystal-optic, fiber optic, and precision optic products. G&H is the preferred source for OEMs in the life sciences, industrial, and aerospace and defense industries, with a history of quality and excellence that dates back over seventy-five years.

The Opportunity

As the Senior Manufacturing Manager – Fabrication & Bonding, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for complex optical fabrication and bonding operations within a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment. This role is ideal for a leader who thrives in a technically challenging environment and is passionate about developing people, optimizing manufacturing performance, and successfully implementing new technologies and processes to support business growth.

Responsibilities

• Manufacturing Operations Leadership
  • Provide day-to-day leadership for fabrication and bonding manufacturing operations, ensuring the safe, efficient, and on-time production of high-quality products that meet customer and business requirements.
  • Establish operational objectives, staffing plans, and performance expectations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity targets.
  • Monitor key operational metrics including yield, throughput, cycle time, on-time delivery, scrap, and labor utilization, implementing corrective actions as needed to achieve business objectives.
• Team Leadership & Talent Development
  • Lead, coach, and develop supervisors, engineers, technicians, and manufacturing personnel to build a high-performing and engaged organization.
  • Drive workforce capability through training, succession planning, cross-training, and employee development initiatives.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and operational excellence while promoting employee engagement and inclusion.
• Manufacturing Readiness & Implementation Support
  • Partner with Engineering and NPI teams to support the implementation of new products, technologies, equipment, and manufacturing processes into production.
  • Lead manufacturing readiness activities for new product introductions, technology transfers, and production ramp initiatives, ensuring personnel, documentation, tooling, and processes are fully prepared for successful launch.
  • Drive implementation of process improvements, automation solutions, and manufacturing technologies that improve capacity, yield, quality, and operational efficiency.
• Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement
  • Champion Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives to improve manufacturing performance, reduce waste, and enhance process capability.
  • Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Quality teams to resolve complex technical issues, conduct root cause investigations, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
  • Drive process standardization, manufacturing discipline, and best practice deployment across fabrication and bonding operations.
• Cross-Functional Business Leadership
  • Collaborate closely with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Program Management, and Site Leadership to align manufacturing priorities with customer commitments and business objectives.
  • Support capacity planning, capital equipment planning, budgeting, and resource allocation activities to meet current and future business demands.
  • Communicate operational performance, risks, and improvement initiatives to senior leadership while ensuring compliance with quality, regulatory, environmental, and safety requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related technical discipline required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience within photonics, optics, semiconductor, aerospace, medical device, or other precision manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading fabrication, bonding, assembly, or other complex manufacturing operations in a high-mix, low-volume environment.
• Proven experience supporting new product introductions, technology transfers, and implementation of new manufacturing processes and equipment.
• Strong knowledge of optical fabrication, precision manufacturing, bonding processes, or related advanced manufacturing technologies preferred.
• Experience leading Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives with demonstrated measurable results.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing metrics, capacity planning, production scheduling, and operational performance management.
• Experience working within regulated manufacturing environments such as AS9100, ISO 9001, ISO 13485, or similar quality systems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary teams while driving accountability and employee engagement.
• Excellent communication, project management, and cross-functional leadership skills with the ability to influence at all organizational levels.

Pay

$145,000 - $170,000 annually