Director, Oprations | Job Opening in

Job Summary

The Director, Operations – is responsible for the end-to-end operational execution of the Cobra product family manufactured in the United States, including Manufacturing, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Production Planning, Logistics, and Service.

The Director is accountable for ensuring that Cobra systems are manufactured according to released engineering specifications, meet established quality and reliability requirements, ship according to customer commitments, and receive effective installation and field support.

The position works closely with Product Development Team (PDT), Product Validation Team (PVT), Advanced Research Team (ART), Sales, Program Management, and Finance, while maintaining clear functional boundaries:

The Director, Operations is accountable for the Cobra product line's Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Service (QCDS) performance.

Responsibilities

Manufacturing Operations

Lead all U.S. manufacturing activities for the Cobra product family.
Own production execution from released BOM through final system shipment.
Manage system assembly, refrigeration integration, electrical integration, production testing, final inspection, and shipment readiness.
Ensure every system is built according to the released BOM, drawings, software configuration, work instructions, and ECO/ECN.
Establish weekly and monthly production plans based on backlog and customer commitments.
Manage manufacturing capacity, technician staffing, tooling, fixtures, equipment, and floor space.
Improve manufacturing cycle time, first-pass yield, productivity, and cost.
Eliminate dependence on undocumented processes and tribal knowledge through controlled work instructions and manufacturing documentation.

Quality & Reliability

The Director has management responsibility for Quality for the U.S.-manufactured Cobra product line.

Ensure every Cobra meets released performance and quality requirements before shipment.
Establish incoming, in-process, system-level, and final quality gates.
Maintain system configuration and manufacturing traceability.
Track manufacturing defects, field failures, RMAs, and recurring reliability issues.
Lead structured Root Cause Analysis and CAPA for manufacturing and operational failures.
Work with PDT when root cause involves product design.
Work with suppliers on supplier-quality issues.
Maintain appropriate quality records and support customer quality audits.
Ensure that delivery pressure does not result in shipment of systems that fail documented acceptance requirements.

Customer Delivery

The Director owns the operational execution required to meet committed Cobra delivery dates.

Responsibilities include:

Maintain a master Cobra production and shipment schedule.
Identify schedule risks early.
Establish recovery plans for critical customer deliveries.
Coordinate Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Service, and Engineering dependencies.
Provide management with accurate shipment forecasts.
Escalate risks immediately when customer commitments are threatened.

Supply Chain & Material Readiness

Ensure all critical Cobra components are available to support the production plan.
Manage purchasing, material planning, inventory, and supplier performance.
Identify long-lead-time and single-source components.
Establish appropriate safety stock for critical components.
Develop alternate-source strategies with Engineering where necessary.
Monitor supplier OTD and quality.
Ensure component substitutions are never implemented without proper Engineering approval and ECO/ECN control.
Manage obsolete and excess inventory.

Manufacturing Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering under Operations should own:

Manufacturing processes
Assembly procedures
Tooling and fixtures
Work instructions
Production test implementation
Manufacturing troubleshooting
Process optimization
Technician training
DFM feedback
Manufacturing automation

Cobra Service Organization

The Director will also lead the Service organization supporting the Cobra installed base.

Responsibilities include:

Customer installation and system bring-up
Preventive maintenance
Field troubleshooting
Customer-site repair
In-house RMA
Spare-parts management
Service scheduling
Field technician training
Customer uptime
Escalation management

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Qualification and Skills

Qualifications

Proven ability to lead, develop, and hold accountable cross-functional teams while fostering a culture of safety, quality, productivity, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction.
Strong technical aptitude with the ability to understand complex products, manufacturing processes, engineering requirements, and production challenges.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with Engineering, Sales, Quality, Supply Chain, Service, and other functional teams.
Strong business acumen with the ability to translate company objectives into measurable operational goals and results.
Excellent problem-solving, decision-making, communication, and organizational skills.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related technical field required.
Master’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related discipline preferred.
Lean Six Sigma certification or other formal training in continuous improvement methodologies preferred.

Experience

10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing, operations, engineering, or a related technical environment, with increasing levels of leadership responsibility.
Demonstrated experience leading manufacturing operations, preferably within the semiconductor, semiconductor equipment, electronics, test and measurement, precision equipment, or other highly technical manufacturing industry.
Experience managing and developing technical and non-technical personnel, including supervisors, managers, engineers, technicians, and production employees.

Skills & Competencies

Leadership & People Management: Ability to establish clear expectations, develop talent, address performance issues, and build accountability throughout the organization.
Technical Acumen: Ability to quickly understand complex technical products, manufacturing processes, equipment, drawings, specifications, and engineering concepts.
Operational Excellence: Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, production planning, capacity management, workflow optimization, and continuous improvement.
Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop and execute short- and long-term operational strategies aligned with company objectives.
Problem Solving: Strong analytical and root-cause problem-solving skills with the ability to make sound decisions using data.
Financial Acumen: Ability to manage budgets, control costs, evaluate operational investments, and understand the financial impact of operational decisions.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Sales, Service, Finance, and executive leadership.
Communication: Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
Accountability: Strong ability to establish measurable objectives, monitor performance, and drive teams toward results.
Continuous Improvement: Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, root-cause analysis, and other operational improvement methodologies.
Systems: Proficiency with ERP/MRP, Microsoft Office, and other manufacturing/operations systems.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and remain effective under pressure in a deadline- and customer-driven environment.

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Benefits

401(k)
Dental insurance
Employee assistance program
Health insurance
Life insurance
Paid time off
Relocation assistance
Tuition reimbursement
Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Working Condition

On-site