Director, Manufacturing Operations
About The Position
Grainger Frictionless is transforming how businesses manage inventory through an innovative combination of hardware, software, computer vision, and automation. As one of Grainger's fastest-growing businesses, we're scaling rapidly and investing in the operational capabilities needed to support continued growth. We are seeking an accomplished manufacturing and operations leader to oversee our Santa Ana production operation while helping define the manufacturing model that will support the future as the business scales. As Director of Manufacturing Operations, you will be responsible for delivering reliable, high-quality production performance today while building the systems, processes, and operating capabilities needed to scale tomorrow. This role requires a leader who can balance operational execution with long-term systems thinking, bringing together manufacturing, quality, engineering disciplines, workforce planning, and continuous improvement to support a growing business. You will have broad influence across production operations, manufacturing strategy, quality, planning, operational excellence, compliance, organizational development, and future scalability while partnering directly with executive leadership to shape what's next. This is an onsite position at our Santa Ana, California location.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field.
- 5+ years of senior manufacturing or operations leadership experience.
- Experience leading managers and other people leaders within a production environment.
- Demonstrated success leading manufacturing operations while improving productivity, quality, operational performance, and business results.
- Experience designing, improving, or scaling production systems, operating models, or manufacturing processes.
- Proven ownership of operating budgets, productivity initiatives, and cost-improvement efforts.
- Proven experience with operational transformation and scale in a complex environment.
- Strong business acumen and the ability to connect operational decisions to business outcomes.
Nice To Haves
- Experience applying Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, or related disciplines to improve production performance.
- Demonstrated ability to optimize material flow, labor productivity, quality systems, throughput, and manufacturing efficiency.
- Experience implementing standard work, performance management systems, and scalable operational processes.
- Experience with demand planning, capacity planning, S&OP, or demand-to-supply execution processes.
- Experience in high-growth manufacturing, automation, technology-enabled production, industrial products, or similarly evolving environments.
Responsibilities
- Lead all aspects of production execution, manufacturing planning, quality, maintenance, process improvement, and operational readiness.
- Deliver efficient, and reliable manufacturing performance while driving continuous improvement across productivity, quality, throughput, and cost.
- Design and improve scalable production systems, material flow processes, labor models, standard work, and operating practices that support business growth.
- Develop manufacturing strategies that align capacity, labor, equipment, and operational resources with increasing customer demand.
- Build and institutionalize performance metrics, accountability systems, operating rhythms, and management processes that drive executional excellence.
- Lead and develop a team of managers and functional leaders while creating a culture of safety, accountability, quality, and continuous improvement.
- Identify operational constraints and implement solutions that improve scalability, efficiency, product quality, and customer outcomes.
- Evaluate when current production capabilities, equipment, facilities, or organizational structures no longer support business needs and recommend future-state solutions.
- Partner across engineering, supply chain, finance, procurement, HR, and executive leadership to drive operational and business performance.
- Help establish more mature demand planning, capacity planning, and S&OP-style processes that improve operational planning as the business scales.
- Ensure compliance with applicable manufacturing, product safety, quality, regulatory, and code requirements.
- Partner closely with Environmental Health & Safety leaders to maintain a strong culture of safety and operational compliance.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment
- 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
- 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date)
- 6 company holidays per year.
- 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
- Employee discounts
- Tuition reimbursement
- Student loan refinancing
- Free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
- Maternity support programs
- Nursing benefits
- up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents
- up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
