Director of Manufacturing Operations - Hillsboro

nLIGHT•Hillsboro, OR

9d•$150,000 - $185,000

About The Position

The Director of Manufacturing Operations is a senior leadership position responsible for overseeing all aspects of semiconductor laser assembly production. This role ensures operational excellence by managing strategic planning, production execution, and cross-functional collaboration to achieve world-class standards in quality, delivery, efficiency, and safety. The director drives continuous improvement and innovation, supporting the company's growth and competitiveness in both military and commercial markets.

Requirements

Requires a BS in Engineering (Optical, Physics, Electrical, Chemical, Mechanical) and 10+ years high-tech manufacturing experience with at least five years in a managerial role, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
8+ years of experience in product & process development, NPI or process control of laser systems/photonic components
8+ years of experience working for company providing products for US Defense and/or Government Contracting.
Working knowledge of FAR/DFAR requirements, and ITAR-compliant operations
Skilled in implementing and utilizing lean manufacturing, SPC, ERP, and MRP systems
Strong business and people skills, including strategic thinking, executive communication, and basic business financial acumen
Strong record of developing and transferring products and processes related to laser systems and photonic components
Strong record of effective judgement and decisiveness, clear thinking, problem solving through structured methodologies
Strong situational leadership skills, record of developing great teams and strong hires
Sets very strong culture of accountability, disciplined thinking, integrity and expectations, leads by example
Strong communication skills
Excellent team player
Demonstrated ability to protect confidential and proprietary information and exercise discretion.
Ability to travel up to 15%

Nice To Haves

MS in Engineering or Business is preferred.
APICS CPIM experience is preferred, but not required
Six Sigma Black Belt is preferred, but not required

Responsibilities

Manages strategic and tactical aspects of semiconductor laser assembly production for medium-to-high-volume production of ruggedized military & commercial products
Establishes production schedules with planning and business groups and executes against schedule to meet goals for revenue, on-time delivery and lead-time
Provides supervision and leadership to direct reports including employee performance management, motivating and facilitating continuous learning and development, conducting annual performance appraisals, and providing timely feedback and recognition.
Meets aggressive, world-class goals on quality, cycle time, yield and cost
Leads global multi-disciplinary teams to deliver new products, sustaining engineering, and NPI of laser-based product lines as part of key strategy in vertically integrated organization.
Analyzes bottlenecks and establishes sufficient capacity to cost-effectively meet production demands
Drives continuous improvement opportunities and yield metrics utilizing wide variety of analytical techniques (such as FMEA, SPC, DOE, Gage R&R, 8D), lean manufacturing, and six sigma concepts.
Coordinates with facilities, including maintenance and build-outs, for optimal uptime and cost
Interfaces with senior leadership and various support functions such as Supply Chain, Development Engineering, Quality, Finance, HR, and IT as required to establish plans and execute against them
Collaborates with R&D to analyze competition, market trends, emerging technology and drives strategic engineering projects into production as capable products & processes.
Ensures strong safety program in place
Manages and motivates direct staff
Builds upon ISO9001:2000 certified quality management system in place

Benefits

Target Cash Bonus of 15% of earned wages
Eligible for Restricted Stock Unit grants
4 weeks of Paid Time Off per year
10 paid Holidays
Eligible for health benefits on the 1st day of the month after your start date
Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits, including prescription and orthodontia with employee-paid premiums as low as $40.00 per pay period
Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
401(k) with company match and immediate vesting
Company paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, and Life & AD&D Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Aflac Supplemental Insurance
Paid Bereavement Leave and Jury Duty
Tuition Assistance Program
Pet Insurance