Director of Operations

Country

United States of America

State / County

California

City

Paramount

Division

Wyman Gordon

Company

Carlton

Function

Operations

Workplace Type

On-Site

Position type

Full Time

Opportunity ID

24222

Job Description

Position Summary:

The Director of Operations is responsible for leading and executing all aspects of manufacturing and operational performance at Carlton Forge Works. This role has full accountability for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, and employee engagement across forging and supporting operations.

The Director of Operations translates business and strategic objectives into executable operating plans and drives disciplined execution through strong leadership, data-driven management, and continuous improvement. Success in this role requires the ability to lead a complex, capital-intensive manufacturing operation while developing people, improving processes, and ensuring compliance with aerospace, defense, and PCC standards.

Scope of Responsibility:

• Forging operations and supporting manufacturing processes
• Production scheduling and execution
• Manufacturing support functions (maintenance, tooling, facilities)
• Continuous improvement and operational excellence
• Safety, quality, delivery, cost, and financial performance

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Leadership

• Lead daily manufacturing operations to ensure achievement of Safety, Quality, Cost and Delivery objectives
• Own and drive operational KPIs with disciplined review cadences and credible recovery plans when targets are missed
• Ensure execution of the business plan across daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual horizons
• Provide clear direction, accountability, and prioritization across the operations organization

Safety & Compliance

• Serve as a visible role model and sponsor of safety with a zero-injury mindset
• Ensure compliance with EH&S, OSHA, environmental, export control (ITAR/EAR), and PCC policies
• Empower employees to identify and escalate safety risks without hesitation
• Partner closely with EH&S to continuously improve safety performance and culture

Continuous Improvement

• Champion Lean Manufacturing, TOC, Six Sigma, and PCC toolbox methodologies
• Lead and sponsor continuous improvement events focused on yield, throughput, flow, cost, and capacity
• Drive improvements in asset utilization
• Foster a mindset of relentless improvement across all levels of the organization

Quality & Customer Performance

• Ensure robust process control and adherence to work instructions and procedures
• Partner with Quality to maintain AS9100 and customer audit readiness
• Drive zero-defect culture with strong root cause and corrective action discipline

Financial & Business Management

• Own manufacturing cost structure and productivity improvement initiatives
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning
• Ensure integrity of production and cost data (labor, materials, inventory, variances)
• Identify and justify capital investments; lead development of Capital Authorization Requests (CARs)

People Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop operations managers, supervisors, and technical leaders
• Build a strong succession pipeline and depth of talent
• Conduct performance reviews, provide regular feedback, and enforce policies consistently
• Promote employee engagement, ownership, and accountability

Strategic Collaboration

• Partner with Engineering on process improvements, new product introduction, and manufacturability
• Work closely with Supply Chain on material flow, scheduling, and supplier performance
• Collaborate with Commercial teams on capacity planning and growth opportunities
• Communicate effectively with senior leadership on performance, risks, and opportunities

Measures of Success:

• Zero injuries and sustained world-class safety performance
• On-time delivery and schedule adherence
• Improved yield, throughput, and asset utilization
• Cost reduction and margin expansion
• Strong audit, compliance, and ethical performance
• Engaged, capable, and developed operations leadership team

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, or Business (MBA or MS preferred)
• 7-10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience
• Demonstrated success leading complex manufacturing operations
• Strong financial and operational acumen
• Proven experience driving measurable improvement through Lean / CI methodologies

Preferred Experience:

• Forging, metals, aerospace, or defense manufacturing environments
• PCC tools, systems, and performance culture
• AS9100, NADCAP, and customer audit environments

Leadership Attributes:

• Decisive, disciplined, and execution-focused
• Data-driven with strong problem-solving skills
• High integrity and ownership mindset
• Comfortable operating under pressure and competing priorities
• Respected leader across all levels of the organization

Reporting Relationship:

• Reports to: General Manager
• Direct reports: Operations and Maintenance leaders

Relocation:

Relocation is authorized for this position.

For informational purposes only, the range for annual base salary for this role is $170,000 to $210,000 US Dollar (USD) Salaried based on a variety of factors. For informational purposes only, this role is eligible to participate in the Company's Executive Bonus Plan, paid out up to 30% of the applicable annual base salary, based on the Company's performance in the prior calendar year. Employees will receive 120 hours paid time off every year. Employees will also receive 10 paid holidays. Employees (and their families) are eligible to participate in the company's medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees are eligible to enroll in the Company's 401(k) plan.

Relocation is authorized for this position.

For informational purposes only, the range for annual base salary for this role is $170000 to $210000 US Dollar (USD) Salaried based on a variety of factors. For informational purposes only, this role is eligible to participate in the Company's Executive Bonus Plan, paid out up to 30% of the applicable annual base salary, based on the Company's performance in the prior calendar year. Employees will receive 160 hours paid time off every year. Employees will also receive 10 paid holidays. Employees (and their families) are eligible to participate in the company's medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees are eligible to enroll in the Company's 401(k) plan.