The PositionThe Director of Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for all production functions, ensuring the safe, efficient, and high-quality decoration of promotional products while maximizing productivity, quality, and profitability. This role partners closely with cross-functional leaders to achieve customer and business objectives by driving operational excellence, developing high-performing teams, and leading continuous improvement initiatives through Lean Manufacturing methods. Serving as a visible change agent, coach, and mentor, this role fosters a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement while delivering measurable business results.
Duties and Responsibilities:Strategic & Business Leadership- Lead development and execution of business strategy.
- Manage the business unit P&L, focusing on cost optimization, while supporting revenue growth.
- Translate enterprise goals into actionable strategies aligned with strengths and opportunities.
- Lead business planning and performance forecasting in collaboration with finance and commercial teams.
- Partner with the S&OP and HR functions for annual and monthly workforce planning.
- Establish, monitor & improve key performance indicators (KPIs), analyze operational data, and implement corrective actions to achieve production, quality, safety, and financial targets
Operational Excellence- Oversee all manufacturing and production processes to ensure efficiency and quality.
- Drive Lean and continuous improvement initiatives to eliminate waste, optimize workflows and deliver measurable results.
- Ensure optimal utilization of labor, materials, and equipment to meet customer demand.
- Champion compliance with safety regulations and quality standards.
Customer & Commercial Alignment- Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Customer Care to align operations with market needs.
- Ensure timely and high-quality execution of customer orders.
- Support product innovation, customer onboarding, and strategic account growth.
- Provide operational insights for pricing and go-to-market strategies.
- Provide tours for customers, with a focus on listening for suggestions and improvement opportunities.
Leadership & Culture- Inspire a team of managers, frontline, and professional staff.
- Recruit, coach, mentor, and develop production leaders, managing robust succession plans.
- Foster a culture of ownership, engagement, continuous improvement, and inclusion.
- Promote open communication and alignment with business objectives.
- Work closely with peers in HR to lead variable labor, ensuring staffing is aligned with business plans and providing ample growth & development opportunities.
- Models PCNA values and the company Code of Conduct.
Cross-Functional Collaboration- Collaborate with Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Customer Care, Sales and other functional leaders to align priorities, resolve operational challenges, and improve customer experience
- Lead participation in enterprise-wide projects and system enhancements.
- Serve as the senior escalation point for operational and customer-impacting issues.
Required Skills/Abilities:- Proven success in P&L management and operational leadership.
- Experience in facility operations, safety, and capital planning.
- Understanding of end-to-end customer operations.
- Strong commercial acumen and cross-functional collaboration.
- Effective leadership presence and communication.
- Prior leadership over both frontline and salaried teams.
- Familiarity with ERP systems and production planning tools.
- Demonstrated experience applying Lean Manufacturing and other process improvement methods.
- Strong understanding of budgeting, labor management, cost control, capital planning, performance metrics, and financial analysis to drive business results
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate complex operational challenges, leverage data, and implement practical, results-oriented solutions.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively engage frontline employees, leadership, and executive stakeholders while driving alignment around operational priorities
Education and Experience:- Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered
- Minimum of 8 years of progressive manufacturing operations experience, including experience leading production teams in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
- Bilingual Requirement: Fluency in English and Spanish is required, with the ability to communicate effectively in both languages with a diverse workforce and across all levels of the organization.
- Proficiency with manufacturing systems and Microsoft Office applications, including advanced Excel and Power BI for data analysis and reporting.
Supervisory Responsibilities:- Directly supervises a team of production managers and department supervisors.
- Responsible for developing and leading team members to meet operational goals and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Physical Requirements:- Ability to work in an environment that requires occasional lifting of up to 25 pounds and navigating around operational equipment.
- Frequent use of a computer and other office equipment for reporting, planning and communication.
