Job Description / Purpose

The Director of Operations is responsible for leading and integrating the company's manufacturing operations, including Production, Maintenance, Engineering, and operational Quality execution. This individual is a growth-oriented leader with a continuous improvement mindset and a passion for building scalable, high-performing operational organizations. This role is responsible for building and leading a scalable, data-driven operational system that drives safe, reliable, efficient, and sustainable performance across the organization.

The Director of Operations reports directly to the COO and works closely with the leadership team to align operational execution with company strategy, business objectives, and long-term growth initiatives. This individual will play a key role in transforming the business by improving operational consistency, leadership accountability, process discipline, and scalable systems across the organization.

This role requires a hands-on operational leader capable of balancing day-to-day execution with long-term operational development and business transformation. The ideal candidate will bring a systematic, KPI-driven approach to operational leadership focused on improving operational visibility, building scalable processes, driving accountability, and creating a proactive culture centered around safety, ownership, communication, and continuous improvement.

The Director of Operations will actively participate in the company's EOS / D-10 leadership structure and help drive organizational alignment, execution, leadership accountability, and operational consistency throughout the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a 24/7 manufacturing operation, including direct leadership responsibility for Production, Maintenance, Engineering, and Quality teams.
• Build a high-performance culture centered around safety, accountability, ownership, proactive communication, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with EH&S to ensure compliance with all safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements while reinforcing operational accountability across the organization.
• Develop leaders and strengthen organizational capability through coaching, accountability, team member development, succession planning, and leadership consistency across the operation.
• Build and lead scalable, data-driven operational systems that improve operational visibility, KPI management, decision-making, execution, and long-term organizational performance.
• Drive operational performance related to safety, compliance, quality, OTD, productivity, reliability, labor efficiency, cost management, and customer satisfaction.
• Improve operational stability by reducing downtime, blocked material, rework, waste, operational variation, and reactive firefighting through structured problem-solving and proactive operational management.
• Lead cross-functional coordination between Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and other departments to ensure alignment, operational execution, and business continuity.
• Manage operational budgets, labor performance, CapEx projects, resource planning, and operational improvement initiatives to support business objectives and long-term growth.
• Drive utilization of ERP systems, maintenance systems, QMS platforms, operational reporting tools, and scalable technologies to support operational efficiency and visibility.
• Participate in and help lead the company's EOS / D-10 leadership structure, including execution of KPIs, Rocks, priorities, accountability processes, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Allocate resources effectively to optimize operational performance and asset utilization.
• Establish, monitor, and drive KPIs related to safety, quality, reliability, delivery, productivity, labor efficiency, and operational effectiveness.
• Develop people, processes and systems that improve operational visibility, proactive decision-making, accountability, execution, and scalability.
• Utilize operational data and reporting to identify trends, risks, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities.
• Work cross-functionally to improve organizational alignment and operational execution.
• Recruit, coach, develop, and lead operational staff and leadership teams.
• Ensure compliance with company safety standards along with OSHA and EPA requirements.
• Stay current on operational best practices, manufacturing leadership trends, operational technologies, and data-driven operational management practices.

Qualifications & Experience

• 7-15+ years of manufacturing operations leadership experience in a manufacturing, industrial, chemical, or process-driven environment.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional operational teams and turnarounds including Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and Quality.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing operations, maintenance integration, operational planning, quality systems, and safety leadership.
• Experience building scalable operational systems, KPI management structures, and data-driven operational processes.
• Experience managing operational KPIs, labor performance, budgets, CapEx projects, and operational improvement initiatives.
• Experience with ERP systems, operational reporting tools, maintenance systems, QMS platforms, Power BI, and digital operational technologies preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Operations Management, Engineering, or related field preferred.