Director of Operations & Engineering

IBC Materials & Technologies•Lebanon, IN

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Operations & Engineering will provide technical and operational leadership across engineering, production, quality, and business development. This role acts as the primary technical authority for the company's thermal spray applications and component dimensional restoration, ensuring all work is technically sound, properly planned, and executed efficiently in accordance with company standards and customer requirements. The position involves coordinating and directing projects, planning technical activities, and ensuring successful execution of work and programs. Responsibilities include evaluating incoming work (RFQs, contract requirements, customer requests) for technical fit, scope, costing, and scheduling. The role also involves building customer relationships, participating in production meetings, monitoring financial performance (P&L, job profitability, backlog, pipeline), assisting with budgets and forecasts, recommending capital equipment, reviewing technical work and methodologies, codifying technical knowledge into SOPs, overseeing subsurface and finishing operations, assisting with team development (hiring, training, performance reviews), reporting to executive management, performing administrative duties, and enforcing quality and compliance standards (ISO9001, AS9100, OSHA).

Requirements

Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship.
Due to potential access to export-controlled technical data, candidate must qualify as a “U.S. person” as defined under applicable export control laws, including ITAR/EAR, or otherwise be authorized to access such data under applicable law.
Must have a bachelor's degree in materials science, metallurgy, mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering technology, or industrial engineering.
Must have 5–10 years of relevant operations management experience, preferably overseeing an autonomous business unit or standalone profit center.
Must have a minimum of 5–10 years of direct project management experience.
Must have demonstrated leadership experience and excellent communication skills.
Must be detail-oriented to understand complex systems, as well as capable of utilizing advanced mathematics for process and coating parameter development.
Solidworks or equivalent 3-D modeling software experience is required.
Must have a strong knowledge of the Microsoft Suite of products (Office, Access, Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.).
Must have the proven ability to write professional-level, highly technical reports.
All employment at IBC is conditional upon successful results from background and drug testing.

Nice To Haves

Experience with thermal spray and manual machining in a production environment is preferred.
Previous experience in industrial R&D and/or government contract work is preferred.
Minimum 5–10 years of hands-on or supervisory experience specifically within thermal spray coating technologies (including HVOF, Plasma Spray, Flame Spray, and Arc Spray) and industrial component salvage/repair operations is highly desirable.
Demonstrated familiarity with precision conventional/CNC machining, industrial metrology instruments, and cylindrical/surface grinding techniques required to finish hard thermal spray surfaces.
Familiarity with ITAR/EAR compliance protocols and the secure management of controlled technical data packages.

Responsibilities

Communicate and execute MTI strategic goals and objectives.
Provide technical and operational leadership across engineering, production, quality, and business development.
Act as the primary technical authority for the company's thermal spray applications and component dimensional restoration, ensuring all work is technically sound, properly planned, and executed efficiently in accordance with company standards and customer requirements.
Coordinate and direct projects, plan technical activities, and ensure successful execution of work and programs.
Engage with other IBC Group technical and support staff as needed.
Review incoming work including RFQs, contract requirements, and customer requests to ensure proper technical fit, scope, accurate industrial job costing/pricing for variable repair geometries, and scheduling before acceptance.
Manage customer portals and interact directly with customers as needed.
Interact and build ongoing relationships with MTI, IBC Group customers, sponsors, and community partners.
Participate in production and planning meetings to communicate priorities, schedules, and expectations, ensuring alignment between technical requirements and daily operations.
Monitor financial performance including P&L, job profitability, backlog, and pipeline to ensure the business operates in a highly profitable, sustainable, and commercially independent manner.
Assist in preparing budgets, forecasts, bids, contracts, and proposals, and make recommendations regarding staffing, equipment, and operational needs based on business conditions.
Recommend and support procurement of capital equipment and technical resources, subject to Company approval authority, budget limits, and applicable purchasing policies.
Review technical work, reports, and methodologies to ensure accuracy, compliance, and sound engineering practices.
Provide technical guidance on production, engineering, and R&D activities as required.
Lead the extraction and transition of historical technical knowledge into codified manufacturing routes, job routers, and robust Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure repeatable shop-floor quality.
Oversee associated mechanical manufacturing and finishing operations critical to component repair, including pre-machining inspection, chemical stripping, masking, grit blasting, and precision post-coat grinding/machining to tight dimensional blueprint tolerances.
Assist in hiring, training, mentoring, timecard oversight, performance reviews, and corrective actions of team members, helping to ensure personnel follow procedures, policies, and performance expectations.
Meet regularly with executive management to review performance, current contracts, risks, and future opportunities.
Perform administrative duties as required, including approving expenditures, reviewing reports, monitoring project activity, and ensuring proper documentation and recordkeeping.
Follow and enforce all applicable ISO9001, AS9100, internal quality policies, OSHA safety regulations, and company safety policies.
Ensure the facility and production team operate in constant compliance and are prepared for customer-specific or industry-specific technical audits.
Complete additional tasks or projects as assigned by company leadership.