Sr. Director of Operations

About the Company

BLADE is the leader in industry-leading production of state-of-the-art, fully integrated deployable solutions such as shelters, generators, environmental control units, air filtration devices, and other engineered solutions primarily for the defense industry.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced, proactive Sr. Director of Operations to direct all activities related to manufacturing operations for our Geneva, Ohio and Mansfield, Ohio manufacturing sites. This role serves as a partner to our senior leadership team and is responsible for leading high-level business functions, managing multi-department teams, and aligning daily performance with company growth goals. The position is primarily located in Geneva, OH with travel to the Mansfield, OH facility.

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements short and long-range objectives, consistent with company strategic initiatives
• Directs facility-wide process optimization, strategic transformation, operational excellence, and safety compliance
• Drives continuous improvement initiatives for lean manufacturing throughout the operation
• Manages the development of and monitors execution of manufacturing to deliver product with focus on quality and on-time delivery
• Develops budgets and manages activities to accomplish financial objectives and ensures that manufacturing processes adhere to established schedules and budgets
• Coordinates operations and communications within, between, and among various functional areas and manufacturing sites
• Demonstrates leadership across the organization to drive urgency and creativity in problem solving and achievement of KPIs
• Participates in the preparation and/or review of proposals for new business based upon RFP/RFQ requirements
• Ensures operations conform to company’s policies and procedures, as well as federal, state, and local regulations
• Establishes, monitors, and ensures satisfactory customer and public relations, either through direct contact or delegation

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain, or industrial engineering or related field
• Experience: 10+ years of experience in manufacturing operations
• Lean and Six Sigma: Hands-on command of continuous improvement tools such as Kaizen, 5S, Kanban, and Value Stream Mapping
• Financial Oversight: Proven capability managing large departmental budgets, capital expenditure requests, and P&L accountability
• Systems Knowledge: Advanced proficiency using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) software
• Regulatory Compliance: Strong adherence to safety guidelines, OSHA standards, and quality frameworks like ISO certifications

This position requires access to or use of export-controlled technical data or technology controlled by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Accordingly, applicants must be U.S. Persons or must be eligible to obtain the required export authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce. A U.S. Person is defined as a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident, or a person who is a protected individual under the Immigration and Naturalization Act (8 U.S.C.1324(b)(a)(3)).