Director of Operations

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for manufacturing operations and is accountable for achieving the organization's safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and people objectives. This position leads the development and execution of operational strategies that support business growth, customer requirements, financial performance, and continuous improvement.

The Director of Operations is responsible for creating a high-performance culture, developing the operations leadership team, optimizing manufacturing capacity and resources, and partnering closely with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, Human Resources, EHS, and other functions to achieve overall business objectives.

• Works with support departments to ensure that all area production methods and practices are consistent with internal quality standards, and customer requirements
• Provides overall leadership and direction for manufacturing operations, ensuring achievement of safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, inventory, and customer service objectives.
• Develops and executes short- and long-term operational strategies aligned with company objectives, customer demand, financial targets, and growth plans.
• Establishes operational priorities, performance expectations, and key performance indicators for the manufacturing organization and ensures accountability for results.
• Leads, develops, coaches, and holds accountable Operations Managers, Supervisors, and other operational leaders.
• Builds organizational capability through succession planning, leadership development, cross-training, workforce planning, and employee development.
• Drives a culture of accountability, employee engagement, continuous improvement, safety, quality, and operational excellence.
• Oversees production planning and execution to ensure customer requirements and on-time delivery commitments are achieved.
• Partners with Production Control, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Quality to identify and resolve constraints affecting production flow and customer delivery.
• Provides strategic oversight of labor utilization, staffing levels, overtime, equipment capacity, tooling, materials, and other manufacturing resources.
• Develops capacity and workforce plans based on current and future business requirements.
• Evaluates manufacturing performance and implements corrective actions when operational results fall below expectations.
• Drives improvements in throughput, cycle time, scrap, rework, labor efficiency, equipment utilization, inventory, and overall manufacturing cost.
• Leads continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, problem-solving methodologies, and other operational excellence tools.
• Identifies manufacturing bottlenecks and leads cross-functional efforts to improve capacity, flow, productivity, and operational performance.
• Partners with Engineering to evaluate manufacturing processes, equipment investments, automation opportunities, facility requirements, and capital improvements.
• Participates in the development and execution of capital expenditure plans that improve safety, quality, capacity, productivity, and cost performance.
• Partners with Finance to develop operating budgets, forecasts, labor plans, productivity targets, and cost reduction initiatives.
• Maintains accountability for operational spending and ensures manufacturing activities are performed within established financial objectives.
• Develops and executes cost reduction and productivity improvement strategies while maintaining product quality, regulatory compliance, and customer requirements.
• Reviews operational and financial performance regularly and communicates results, risks, recovery plans, and opportunities to senior leadership.
• Collaborates with Quality leadership to ensure manufacturing processes comply with the Quality Management System, customer requirements, AS9100 requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.
• Supports internal, customer, regulatory, and third-party audits and ensures timely resolution of operational findings and corrective actions.
• Ensures manufacturing processes consistently meet product quality standards and drives reduction of scrap, rework, escapes, and customer complaints.
• Maintains strong cross-functional relationships with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, Human Resources, EHS, Sales, and other departments.
• Serves as a key member of the site leadership team and participates in business planning, organizational strategy, resource allocation, and operational decision-making.
• Communicates operational priorities, performance, challenges, and expectations effectively throughout the organization.
• Promotes a zero-injury culture and ensures compliance with company safety policies, environmental requirements, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Ensures leaders and employees maintain safe work environments, appropriately address safety risks, and actively participate in safety improvement initiatives.
• Ensures compliance with company policies, procedures, ethical standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Leads organizational change and operational initiatives necessary to support growth, improve performance, and strengthen the overall effectiveness of the business.
• Performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related field required.
• Master's degree or MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing operations experience, preferably within aerospace, defense, fasteners, machining, forging, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• 5+ years of progressive leadership experience, including responsibility for managers and supervisors.
• Demonstrated experience leading large, multi-shift manufacturing organizations.
• Aerospace manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Experience working within an AS9100-certified manufacturing environment strongly preferred.
• Experience with NADCAP-controlled processes is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing operational budgets, labor costs, productivity, capacity, and manufacturing performance.
• Proven record of improving safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, and employee performance.
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and manufacturing performance reporting.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Strong operational and business acumen with the ability to connect manufacturing performance to overall business and financial objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through managers and supervisors and build high-performing leadership teams.
• Strong strategic thinking combined with the ability to drive disciplined execution.
• Proven ability to establish performance expectations and hold leaders accountable for measurable results.
• Strong financial acumen, including labor management, budgeting, forecasting, cost reduction, and productivity analysis.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify root causes and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing operations, production planning, capacity management, labor utilization, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to effectively manage competing priorities within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to communicate effectively with employees, customers, executives, and other stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate across functional areas.
• Demonstrated change management and organizational leadership capabilities.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Excel and other business productivity tools.
• Experience utilizing ERP/MRP systems and operational metrics to drive business decisions.
• Strong commitment to safety, quality, compliance, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Results-oriented with a high level of personal accountability and urgency.
• Ability to work effectively with limited direction and exercise sound judgment in complex situations.
• Ability to work flexible hours as necessary to support a multi-shift manufacturing operation.

With more than 120 operations and approximately 20,000 employees worldwide, Precision Castparts Corp. is the market leader in manufacturing large, complex structural investment castings, airfoil castings, forged components, aerostructures and highly engineered, critical fasteners for aerospace applications. In addition, we are the leading producer of airfoil castings for the industrial gas turbine market. We also manufacture extruded seamless pipe, fittings, and forgings for power generation and oil & gas applications; commercial and military airframe aerostructures; and metal alloys and other materials for the casting and forging industries. With such critical applications, we insist on quality and dependability - not just in the materials and products we make, but in the people we recruit.

PCC is relentless in its dedication to being a high-quality, low-cost and on-time producer; delivering the highest value to its customers while continually pursuing strategic, profitable growth.

In 2016, Berkshire Hathaway, led by Chairman and CEO Warren E. Buffett, acquired Precision Castparts Corp.