Position OverviewThe
Chief Operating Officer owns all manufacturing operations for the company. Responsibilities include strategy development and execution for safety, supply chain, quality, production, logistics, and cost. A successful candidate must possess the experience and leadership capability to grow operations from a single-site manufacturing organization into a multi-site, potentially international operation with multiple Plant Managers and operational leaders reporting through the organization.
This position requires hands-on management in the short term. Initially, the COO will work directly on the manufacturing floor to establish the foundational systems required to support future growth, including inventory management, production scheduling, labor recording, and quality. The ideal candidate is a seasoned manufacturing leader who is equally comfortable standing at a press brake with a supervisor at 6:00 a.m. and presenting a capacity plan to executive leadership later that same day.
This position description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this role. Duties, responsibilities, and qualifications may be adjusted as business needs evolve.
What You'll DoSupply Chain- Develop in-source/out-source strategy, supplier selection, development, scorecarding, and management for direct and indirect product.
- Review and establish lot sizing required to support manufacturing.
Inventory Management- Focus on inventory turns improvement.
- Implement cycle counting, bin locations, min/max and reorder-point logic, and raw material and WIP tracking.
- Drive inventory record accuracy to 95%+ and eliminate unplanned shortages that stall production.
Production Scheduling- Build a disciplined scheduling process across milling, machining, sheet metal fabrication, welding, and assembly cells.
- Establish capacity planning, finite loading of bottleneck work centers, visual schedule boards, and daily tier meetings to improve on-time delivery performance.
Labor Recording- Stand up accurate job-level labor and machine-time capture systems.
- Reconcile reported hours to payroll.
- Utilize data to establish accurate routings, standard costs, and quoting assumptions.
Quality- Install and maintain a robust quality management system.
- Establish control plans, first-article inspections, in-process checks, nonconformance controls, corrective action processes, and supplier quality programs.
- Reduce scrap, rework, and customer quality escapes through measurable improvement initiatives.
ERP Discipline- Ensure ERP systems are configured and utilized effectively for BOMs, routings, work orders, inventory transactions, and production management.
- Improve alignment between ERP system data and actual operations.
Shop Floor Leadership- Coach supervisors and leads.
- Establish standard work and clear performance expectations.
- Build a culture of accountability, safety, quality, and continuous improvement.
- Maintain a visible presence throughout operations.
KPIs- Define, publish, and review operating scorecards including safety, on-time delivery, quality, productivity, inventory turns, labor efficiency, and margin performance.
- Conduct regular operating reviews with executive leadership.
Site Expansion / Integration- Lead site selection, facility design, equipment specification, and startup activities for future locations.
- Develop operational playbooks that support standardization and scalability.
- Support integration efforts for future acquisitions and operational expansions.
Plant Manager Leadership- Recruit, develop, and manage Plant Managers and future operational leaders.
- Establish site-level goals and conduct routine operating reviews.
Operating System- Deploy a common operating cadence across sites including daily, weekly, and monthly reviews, Lean tools, problem-solving methodologies, and KPI management.
Capital Planning- Partner with Finance to develop annual operating budgets and multi-year capital plans.
- Evaluate equipment, automation, and facility investments.
- Build ROI-based business cases for executive review.
Safety and Compliance- Maintain a world-class Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) program.
- Ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental regulations, customer requirements, and applicable industry certifications.
Growth Support- Partner with Sales, Engineering, and Finance on capacity planning, make-buy decisions, quoting accuracy, and acquisition integration initiatives.
What We're Looking ForRequired Qualifications- 15+ years of progressive manufacturing operations leadership experience, including at least 5 years as a Plant Manager and subsequent multi-site or VP-of-Operations responsibility.
- Direct experience in discrete, job-shop, or low-to-mid-volume/high-mix manufacturing environments involving CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, welding, and assembly.
- Demonstrated success building operational systems from the ground up, including inventory control, scheduling, shop-floor data collection, and quality systems.
- Hands-on working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems such as Epicor, Infor, JobBOSS, M1, Plex, NetSuite, SAP Business One, or similar platforms.
- Strong Lean Manufacturing and continuous-improvement experience including value stream mapping, 5S, SMED, standard work, Kaizen, and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Experience leading or sustaining ISO 9001 certification; AS9100, ISO 13485, or IATF 16949 experience is a plus.
- Financial fluency including P&L ownership, standard costing, variance analysis, capital budgeting, and working-capital management.
- Proven ability to recruit, develop, and hold accountable a team of plant leaders and supervisors.
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, Manufacturing, or a related field.
Work Environment- Time split between executive leadership responsibilities and manufacturing floor operations.
- Fast-paced manufacturing environment with changing priorities.
- Frequent interaction with employees, suppliers, customers, and executive leadership.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required on the manufacturing floor, including safety glasses, hearing protection, and safety footwear.
BenefitsOur benefits package includes:
- 401(k) with Safe Harbor company match
- 100% employer-paid medical insurance (base plan) for employees and qualified dependents
- 100% employer-paid vision insurance
- 50% employer-paid dental insurance
- 100% employer-paid short-term disability insurance
- 100% employer-paid accident insurance
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Paid Sick Leave
- Opportunities for professional growth and advancement
- A values-driven culture focused on Safety, Quality, Integrity, Customer Focus, Teamwork, and Respect
Join Our TeamIf you are a proven manufacturing leader who enjoys building systems, developing teams, driving accountability, and delivering measurable operational results, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today and help lead the future of precision manufacturing at Fulcrum Technologies Group.Work AuthorizationApplicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Fulcrum Technologies Group does not provide employment visa sponsorship for this position.
