Director of Manufacturing Operations, 3DP

Protolabs•Raleigh, NC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Be yourself at Protolabs Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a diverse team that feels they are valued in the workplace. So do you feel you do not meet every single requirement but still intrigued? We encourage you to still apply! You can help make our company even better. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, mental or physical ability, or any way you represent yourself. We strongly believe diversity makes for more successful teams. Why Protolabs? We are the leaders in digital manufacturing. We hire doers, makers, and creative thinkers who tackle our roles with an entrepreneurial spirit. Our culture is centered around meaningful work that brings new and innovative products to market at unprecedented speeds. We are a diverse team that comes from all walks of life and take pride in our team who is smart, genuine, humble, and passionate about what we do. It’s our people who fuel our creativity and make our culture feel like home. Join us as a Director Of Manufacturing Operations, 3DP! This is an onsite role based in Raleigh, NC. The Director of Manufacturing Operations is a key strategic leader responsible for driving world‑class performance across Protolabs’ high‑mix, high‑growth additive manufacturing operations. This role leads end‑to‑end production for our North Carolina facility, shaping the future of digital manufacturing through operational excellence, innovation, and team development. As the senior operations leader on site, you will champion a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement while ensuring scalable, reliable, and efficient production. You’ll partner closely with engineering, quality, and technology teams to push the boundaries of what’s possible in 3D printing—delivering exceptional outcomes for our customers and inspiring the next generation of advanced manufacturing talent.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field.
10+ years in manufacturing or operations leadership roles.
Deep production and manufacturing operations expertise.
Proven experience in precision, technology‑driven, or high‑volume manufacturing environments.
Demonstrated success in strengthening production systems through strong execution and continuous improvement.
Strong cross‑cultural leadership and stakeholder‑management capabilities.
Experience in regulated environments (e.g., ISO 13485, ITAR, CGMP, CMMC) is a plus.
Experience scaling manufacturing operations, including onboarding new technologies, equipment, and product families.

Nice To Haves

Background in additive manufacturing.
Proven experience leading or managing an entire manufacturing site (Site Director, Plant Manager, or equivalent).

Responsibilities

Lead Plant Operations by owning end‑to-end site operations including production, maintenance, safety, production quality, delivery, and financial performance.
Championing a Safety-First culture and drive daily results across quality, OTD, throughput, cost, rework, and labor efficiency.
Drive Operational Excellence through optimizing staffing, scheduling, capacity, and workflow to support production goals.
Collaborating with engineering, quality, and technical leaders to implement scalable processes and improve production flow.
Applying Lean, Kaizen, 5S, and visual management to eliminate bottlenecks and raise operational efficiency.
Strategic Leadership by partnering with 3DP Product Director to develop and drive the Manufacturing Operations roadmap ensuring we are continuously evolving to meet the needs of our customers.
Translating Manufacturing Operations roadmap into measurable KPIs and manage actions to achieve overall budget and margin targets.
Ensuring plant readiness for new equipment, technologies, capabilities, and product introductions through strong cross‑functional alignment and disciplined change management.
Cross‑Functional Partnership in working closely with engineering, CPS, supply chain, quality, and product teams to ensure flawless execution.
Driving rapid resolution of customer issues, production escalations, and site-level challenges.
Leadership & Culture by leading, coaching, and developing the site leadership team.
Building a culture of accountability, urgency, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Representing the facility to employees, customers, partners, and executives.

Benefits

We offer a competitive Total Rewards package including but not limited to: salary + annual bonus opportunity
In addition, we offer amazing benefits including but not limited to:
Health Insurance: Traditional OR High Deductible plan
Flexible Spending Accounts
Health Savings Account (including employer contributions)
Dental and Vision
Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance
Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
Paid caregiver leave
You will receive Self-Managed PTO + Holiday Pay + Wellness Hours + Volunteer Hours
401k with company match and immediate vest
Employee Stock Purchase Program at a 15% discounted rate
Matching grants through Protolabs foundation
And More!