Director of Manufacturing Operations

Merritt Precision • Merritt Island, FL

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Operations is the site leader responsible for the overall performance of Merritt Precision's Florida manufacturing facility. Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, this role provides strategic and operational leadership across manufacturing, production planning, supply chain, facilities, safety, quality, customer service, financial performance, and Employee engagement. The Director partners closely with Engineering to ensure seamless execution from design through manufacturing. The Director partners with the Vice President of Operations and cross-functional leaders to execute company strategy, achieve business objectives, strengthen leadership capability, and ensure the facility consistently delivers strong results in safety, quality, delivery, cost, and customer satisfaction.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Business Administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive manufacturing or operations leadership experience, including at least five years leading multi-functional teams.
• Experience managing managers or department leaders and responsibility for facility-wide operational performance.
• Demonstrated success with Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, budgeting, capital planning, and ERP/MRP systems.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in composites manufacturing, marine, aerospace, automotive, defense, or a related industry preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for the Merritt Precision Florida facility.
• Develop and execute annual operating plans aligned with company strategy and customer commitments.
• Lead managers and supervisors, establish clear expectations, and build a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Build trusted relationships with key customers through regular communication, operational reviews, facility tours, and issue resolution.
• Provide regular updates to the Vice President of Operations regarding performance, risks, priorities, and improvement initiatives.
• Lead manufacturing operations to achieve strong performance in safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement.
• Optimize production flow, staffing, equipment utilization, labor efficiency, throughput, and capacity.
• Champion Lean Manufacturing, standard work, root cause problem-solving, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop equipment strategies including PM, capital investments, and long-term capability planning.
• Oversee implementation of new processes, equipment, automation, and operational technologies.
• Develop and manage the facility operating budget and support forecasting and capital planning.
• Monitor labor, overtime, productivity, inventory, scrap, rework, and operating expenses.
• Drive sustainable improvements in profitability, resource utilization, and operational efficiency.
• Partner with Finance and leadership to evaluate business performance and corrective actions.
• Ensure operational execution supports exceptional customer service and on-time delivery.
• Partner with Quality, Engineering, Sales, and Customer Service to resolve issues and meet customer requirements.
• Support customer visits, audits, business reviews, and corrective action activities.
• Ensure compliance with quality systems, safety requirements, company policies, and applicable regulations.
• Provide oversight of purchasing, production planning, scheduling, inventory, warehouse, shipping, receiving, and facility operations.
• Ownership of production planning, scheduling, and ERP/database execution to ensure accurate production priorities, resource allocation, and customer commitments.
• Ensure material availability supports production requirements while maintaining appropriate inventory levels.
• Improve supplier performance, inventory accuracy, schedule attainment, and operational readiness.
• Recruit, develop, coach, and retain high-performing managers, supervisors, and future leaders.
• Establish succession plans and development priorities for key operational roles.
• Partner with Human Resources on workforce planning, employee relations, performance management, and engagement initiatives.
• Model integrity, humility, accountability, professionalism, and servant leadership.
• Champion the Correct Craft culture by developing people, leading with humility, serving others, fostering accountability, and creating an environment where employees can grow professionally and personally.
• Champion a proactive, zero-incident safety culture throughout the facility.
• Ensure leaders and employees follow safe work practices and promptly address hazards and incidents.
• Partner with Safety and Human Resources to maintain compliance with OSHA and other applicable requirements.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director