Operations Director

About This Role

Operations Directors lead the overall operations of a high-performance CNC machine shop. This individual will have full responsibility for the day-to-day management, technical excellence, production performance, staffing, scheduling, efficiency, and continuous improvement of the facility. The role suits a seasoned machining professional with approximately 20 years of industry experience who understands metal cutting and CNC machining at a deep technical level and has progressed into a strong operational leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Ensure that the entire organization operates safely, efficiently, profitably, and to the highest standards of quality and technical excellence
• Have overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the CNC machine shop
• Establish and maintain a culture of technical excellence, accountability, safety, quality, and continuous improvement
• Provide leadership and direction to machining, programming, production, quality, maintenance, and other shop personnel
• Ensure the shop has the appropriate personnel, equipment, tooling, processes, and resources to meet customer requirements
• Establish clear expectations for supervisors, leads, machinists, programmers, and support personnel
• Serve as the primary operational leader and decision-maker for the manufacturing facility
• Work closely with programmers, machinists, and engineers to resolve technical machining issues
• Evaluate machining processes and identify opportunities to improve cycle time, tool life, throughput, and quality
• Ensure manufacturing processes are technically sound, repeatable, and scalable
• Provide technical guidance when difficult or complex machining problems arise
• Maintain an environment where machinists, engineers, and programmers continuously improve their technical capabilities
• Responsible for weld shop, tooling assembly, and manufacturing readiness team

Requirements

• Approximately 20 years of experience in the CNC machining/manufacturing industry
• Previous experience as a Shop Manager, Manufacturing Manager, Operations Manager, Plant Manager, Production Manager, or Director of Operations
• Experience managing multiple shifts and 24/7 operations
• Experience with complex, tight-tolerance, or high-value machined components
• Experience with 5-axis machining and advanced CNC manufacturing
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing or continuous-improvement initiatives
• Experience with ERP/MRP and production scheduling systems
• Experience managing capital equipment purchases and machine capacity planning
• Ability to work safely in a manufacturing environment, including walking the production floor, climbing stairs or ladders, occasionally lifting up to 25 pounds, and wearing required personal protective equipment (PPE)