Director, Manufacturing Strategy & Operations

Role Overview

We are looking for a seasoned Director of Manufacturing Strategy & Operations to spearhead company-wide manufacturing projects aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, expanding scalability, and supporting sustained business growth. This role reports directly to executive leadership and serves as a critical partner across multiple departments including Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, Commercial, Quality, and Product Development.

The successful candidate will be responsible for crafting and implementing manufacturing strategies that foster efficiency, cost-effectiveness, capacity management, and operational excellence on a global scale, while ensuring daily operations align with overarching business goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and implement manufacturing strategies that align with the company’s financial, operational, and expansion goals.
• Lead cross-departmental projects to elevate manufacturing performance, enhance operational efficiencies, improve quality, and reduce costs across the production network.
• Collaborate closely with Supply Chain, Procurement, Planning, Quality, Engineering, Finance, and Commercial teams to guarantee manufacturing capacity meets business requirements.
• Utilize continuous improvement methods such as Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Kaizen to drive operational excellence.
• Track and boost manufacturing KPIs including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), labor productivity, yield, throughput, waste reduction, capacity usage, service levels, and cost management.
• Manage production and capacity planning to optimize resource use while satisfying customer demands.
• Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks to enhance productivity, efficiency, and service quality.
• Spearhead manufacturing network optimization through footprint analysis, process advancements, automation, and capital investment planning.
• Work with Procurement and external manufacturing partners to elevate supplier performance, production capabilities, and achieve cost savings.
• Prepare annual manufacturing budgets, set productivity goals, and lead cost-saving initiatives ensuring alignment with financial targets.
• Conduct manufacturing data analysis to uncover trends, potential risks, and opportunities, advising executive leadership accordingly.
• Ensure adherence to safety, quality, regulatory standards, and food or consumer product manufacturing requirements.
• Support new product introductions by collaborating with R&D, Engineering, and Commercial teams to ensure production readiness and successful launches.
• Lead, coach, and grow manufacturing and operations teams fostering accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and uphold standardized operating procedures and best practices within manufacturing operations.
• Drive strategic programs aimed at enhancing scalability and positioning the company for future growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business, or related discipline; MBA is preferred.
• Over 10 years of advancing leadership experience in manufacturing and operations within the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry.
• Demonstrated success managing manufacturing operations in a high-volume, fast-paced consumer products setting.
• In-depth knowledge of manufacturing processes, production and capacity planning, inventory control, and supply chain management.
• Expertise in applying Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, or parallel continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience overseeing manufacturing budgets, cost reduction programs, and operational performance metrics.
• Familiar with core manufacturing KPIs including OEE, yield, throughput, labor productivity, scrap rates, downtime, and utilization.
• Preferably experienced in collaboration with contract manufacturers and third-party production partners.
• Strong financial insight related to capital investments, productivity improvement, and cost optimization in manufacturing.
• Excellent analytical abilities for making data-driven decisions.
• Proven track record in leading cross-functional teams and influencing multiple stakeholder groups.
• Proficiency with ERP solutions such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics or similar platforms.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel; experienced in business intelligence and reporting tools.
• Outstanding communication, leadership, and project management capabilities.
• Ability to excel in a rapidly evolving, growth-focused manufacturing environment.