Koch Industries

Director of Operations Optical Connectivity

Koch Industries$190K — $240K *
Lisle, IL 60532In-Person
Telecommunications & Hardware
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-10 years of experience in manufacturing operations leadership within complex environments.
  • Proven experience launching and scaling manufacturing operations, particularly in capacity expansion and production ramp-ups.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage operations across multiple manufacturing sites or regions.
  • Strong collaboration skills with global teams across diverse cultures and geographical locations.
  • Experience in developing and mentoring operational and technical leaders within the organization.
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field; or equivalent operations leadership experience.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and execute manufacturing operations strategy to drive business growth and operational readiness across multiple sites.
  • Drive initiatives for capacity expansion, factory ramp-ups, and operational scaling activities.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify operational risks and improve performance.
  • Support the transfer of manufacturing knowledge and processes globally to enhance execution capability.
  • Establish performance-driven mechanisms focused on safety, quality, productivity, and cost efficiency.
  • Develop and coach leadership talent by pinpointing capability gaps and providing constructive feedback.
  • Facilitate cross-functional problem-solving and manage escalations to meet business priorities and customer needs.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Flexible spending and health savings accounts.
  • Life insurance and disability coverage.
  • Retirement plans with employer contributions.
  • Paid vacation and time off provisions.
  • Educational assistance and training programs.
  • Potential for additional benefits such as infertility assistance and paid parental leave.
Full Job Description
Your Job

Molex is seeking a Director of Operations to lead and scale manufacturing operations for our Optical Connectivity business. This role will serve as a key operations leader responsible for building organizational capability, driving manufacturing performance, and supporting the growth of a global manufacturing footprint.

The successful candidate will partner closely with manufacturing, engineering, quality, and business leaders across multiple regions to accelerate operational readiness, support production transfers, improve manufacturing performance, and ensure successful execution of business growth initiatives. This role requires a leader who can balance strategic planning with hands-on operational execution while developing strong teams and scalable operating systems.

What You Will Do

  • Lead manufacturing operations strategy and execution to support business growth, operational readiness, and customer commitments across multiple sites.
  • Drive capacity expansion, factory ramp-ups, production readiness activities, and operational scaling initiatives.
  • Partner with manufacturing, engineering, quality, and business leaders to identify risks, remove barriers, and improve operational performance.
  • Support the transfer of manufacturing knowledge, processes, equipment, and technology across global locations to strengthen capability and execution.
  • Establish and improve operating mechanisms that drive performance in safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost.
  • Coach and develop operational and technical leaders by identifying capability gaps, providing constructive feedback, and building leadership depth across the organization.
  • Lead cross-functional problem solving and escalation management to ensure timely execution of business priorities and customer requirements.
  • Foster collaboration across global teams and manufacturing locations while promoting a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.


Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

  • Experience leading manufacturing operations within a complex production environment.
  • Experience launching, scaling, or expanding manufacturing operations, including production ramp-ups, capacity expansion, or new production line implementation.
  • Experience leading operations across multiple manufacturing sites or regions.
  • Experience working effectively with global teams across different cultures and geographic locations.
  • Experience developing, coaching, and leading operational, engineering, and technical teams.
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business, or a related field; or equivalent operations leadership experience.


What Will Put You Ahead

  • Experience within optical connectivity, fiber optics, telecommunications, electronics, precision manufacturing, or related industries.
  • Experience transferring production, technology, equipment, or manufacturing processes between global regions.
  • Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Operational Excellence certification and application experience.
  • Experience leading engineering, manufacturing engineering, process engineering, or other technical organizations.
  • Experience supporting high-growth manufacturing environments and large-scale operational transformations.
  • Experience driving measurable improvements in productivity, quality, yield, cost, and delivery performance.


For this role, we anticipate paying $190,000 - $240,000 per year. This role is eligible for variable pay, issued as a monetary bonus or in another form.

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.

Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here .

Our Benefits

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.

Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.

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About Koch Industries

Koch Industries, Inc. is an American privately-held multinational conglomerate corporation based in Wichita, Kansas. Its subsidiaries are involved in the manufacturing, refining, and distribution of petroleum, chemicals, energy, fiber, intermediates and polymers, minerals, fertilizers, pulp and paper, chemical technology equipment, ranching, finance, commodities trading, and investing. Koch owns Infor, Invista, Georgia-Pacific, Molex, Flint Hills Resources, Koch Pipeline, Koch Fertilizer, Koch Minerals, Matador Cattle Company, i360, and Guardian Industries. The firm employs 120,000 people in 60 countries, with about half of its business in the United States. The company is the largest non-Canadian landowner in the Athabasca oil sands. With annual revenues of $110 billion by 2014, the company is the largest privately held company in the United States. In 2007, it was ranked as the largest privately held company. If Koch Industries had been a public company in 2013, it would have ranked 17th in the Fortune 500. The company was founded by its namesake, Fred C. Koch, in 1940 after he developed an innovative crude oil refining process. Fred C. Koch died in 1967 and his majority interest in the company was split amongst his four sons. In June 1983, after a bitter legal and boardroom battle, the stakes of Frederick R. Koch and William "Bill" Koch were bought out for $1.1 billion and Charles Koch and David Koch became majority owners in the company. Charles owns 42% of the company; trusts for the benefit of Elaine Tettemer Marshall and Elaine's children, Preston Marshall and E. Pierce Marshall Jr., own 16% of the company. The heirs of David Koch, who died on August 23, 2019, own the balance, 42%, of the corporation.
Learn more about Koch Industries
Industry
Founded
1940

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