Director of Manufacturing

XPEL•San Antonio, TX

1d•Remote

About The Position

The Director of Manufacturing is XPEL's senior technical leader for how our paint protection film (PPF) products are produced. This role provides technical leadership over roll-to-roll coating, lamination, slitting and converting processes for XPEL's paint protection film products, with a focus on TPU-based films. The Director will serve as XPEL's technical authority on the PPF film structure, including self-healing and protective topcoats, pressure-sensitive adhesives, primers and release liners. They will evaluate and optimize coating processes (such as slot-die, gravure and similar methods) to meet each product's coat weight, appearance and performance requirements, and guide best practices in drying, curing and web handling to ensure consistent, repeatable production. This role ensures products consistently meet specifications for clarity, gloss, thickness, adhesion, self-healing, stain and yellowing resistance, conformability and long-term weathering performance. The Director will lead root-cause analysis and corrective action on coating, adhesive and film defects, and connect field performance and installer feedback to process and material causes. They will provide technical oversight of XPEL's network of coating, converting and manufacturing partners to ensure processes, quality and capacity support company growth. This includes leading technical qualification and onboarding of new partners, such as process specifications, quality agreements, trial runs, capability studies, scorecards and audits. The Director will work with Procurement and Quality on raw-material specifications (TPU film, resins, adhesives, liners), incoming inspection and supplier corrective actions, with a focus on lot-to-lot variation. They will partner with R&D and Product Management to move new PPF products from lab and pilot scale to full production, including DOE, capability validation and product qualification. The role drives Lean, Six Sigma, SPC and related continuous improvement practices to reduce variation and improve yield, scrap, throughput, OEE and on-time delivery. Establishing change control, process documentation (SOPs, work instructions, recipes) and FMEA/PFMEA practices across coating and converting operations is key. The Director will build and develop a team of process and manufacturing engineers and serve as a technical mentor across XPEL and its partner network. Additional duties will be assigned by leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field.
10+ years of manufacturing or process engineering experience, including roll-to-roll coating, laminating, extrusion or converting of films, coated materials or other flexible substrates.
5+ years leading technical or multi-functional teams at the manager or director level.
Experience working with contract manufacturers, toll coaters, converters or key suppliers.
Track record of delivering measurable improvements in quality, yield and throughput.
Solid understanding of coating processes, drying and curing, web handling and lamination.
Knowledge of polymer films (TPU preferred), adhesive systems and coating chemistries.
Experience developing and enforcing product and process specifications, and with film testing methods such as adhesion, peel, gloss, thickness and weathering.
Working knowledge of SPC, DOE, structured root-cause analysis (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone) and FMEA.
Familiarity with ISO 9001 and/or IATF 16949 quality systems and EHS practices for coating operations.
Experience with ERP/MES systems and production data analytics.
Excellent communication skills with executives, R&D, partners, suppliers and production teams, with the ability to influence without direct authority.
Ability to travel up to 50%, including internationally.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in a technical discipline
Experience with paint protection film, TPU films or automotive exterior films and coatings
Experience in related industries such as automotive, adhesive tapes and labels, flexible packaging or coated materials
Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt or PMP certification

Responsibilities

Provide technical leadership over roll-to-roll coating, lamination, slitting and converting processes for XPEL's paint protection film products, with a focus on TPU-based films.
Serve as XPEL's technical authority on the PPF film structure, including self-healing and protective topcoats, pressure-sensitive adhesives, primers and release liners.
Evaluate and optimize coating processes (such as slot-die, gravure and similar methods) to meet each product's coat weight, appearance and performance requirements.
Guide best practices in drying, curing and web handling to ensure consistent, repeatable production.
Ensure products consistently meet specifications for clarity, gloss, thickness, adhesion, self-healing, stain and yellowing resistance, conformability and long-term weathering performance.
Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action on coating, adhesive and film defects, and connect field performance and installer feedback to process and material causes.
Provide technical oversight of XPEL's network of coating, converting and manufacturing partners to ensure processes, quality and capacity support company growth.
Lead technical qualification and onboarding of new partners, including process specifications, quality agreements, trial runs, capability studies, scorecards and audits.
Work with Procurement and Quality on raw-material specifications (TPU film, resins, adhesives, liners), incoming inspection and supplier corrective actions, with focus on lot-to-lot variation.
Partner with R&D and Product Management to move new PPF products from lab and pilot scale to full production, including DOE, capability validation and product qualification.
Drive Lean, Six Sigma, SPC and related continuous improvement practices to reduce variation and improve yield, scrap, throughput, OEE and on-time delivery.
Establish change control, process documentation (SOPs, work instructions, recipes) and FMEA/PFMEA practices across coating and converting operations.
Build and develop a team of process and manufacturing engineers and serve as a technical mentor across XPEL and its partner network.
Additional duties as assigned by leadership.