Director of Operations & Supply Chain

Charter Manufacturing•Mequon, WI

2d•$168,900 - $211,100•Onsite

About The Position

Charter Manufacturing is a fourth-generation family-owned business seeking to grow and improve. This role is for a key member of the Casting Business Unit Leadership Team, reporting directly to the Business Unit President. The Director of Operations & Supply Chain will be instrumental in shaping the organization's future by driving operational excellence, enhancing performance, and building capabilities for sustained competitive advantage. This executive leader is responsible for the strategy, performance, and continuous improvement of a multi-site manufacturing and supply chain organization, overseeing manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and operational excellence functions. The position offers a chance to influence business strategy while ensuring safe, reliable, and cost-effective operations that contribute to customer success and profitable growth. The Director will lead the Operational Excellence transformation using Lean Enterprise and Toyota Production System (TPS) principles, aiming to advance world-class operating capabilities, strengthen leadership talent, and promote the adoption of innovative technologies and processes. The ideal candidate is a visionary leader capable of balancing strategic thinking with disciplined execution, inspiring organizational change, and fostering a culture centered on people, performance, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field.
10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including significant responsibility for multi-site operations, supply chain, or related business functions.
Proven success as a Plant Manager, Operations Manager, or equivalent senior operations leadership role.
Demonstrated ability to develop and execute operational strategies that improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and overall business performance.
Deep expertise in Lean Enterprise, Toyota Production System (TPS), and continuous improvement methodologies, with a proven track record of leading sustained, large-scale operational transformations.
Demonstrated success building high-performing teams, developing leaders, and driving accountability and engagement throughout the organization.
Experience leading supply chain functions, including planning, procurement, sourcing, logistics, inventory optimization, and supplier performance management.
Proven ability to lead change, influence across functions, and align teams around strategic business objectives in complex manufacturing environments.
Strong business acumen, communication skills, and executive presence, with the ability to effectively engage employees, customers, suppliers, and senior leadership.
Follow Environmental, Quality and Safety Management System procedures and requirements.
Ability to meet the essential job requirements, with or without reasonable accommodation, as outlined in the job description.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA), Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, or a related discipline.
Experience leading operations within metals manufacturing or other capital-intensive manufacturing businesses.
Demonstrated success leading Lean transformations utilizing Toyota Production System principles.
Experience leading complex, multi-site manufacturing organizations through significant growth, operational turnaround, capacity expansion, acquisition integration, or business transformation initiatives.
Proven success developing high-performing leadership teams and building organizational capability through succession planning and talent development.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the operations and supply chain strategy to achieve business objectives, enhance competitive advantage, and support long-term growth, including capital, capacity, technology, and capability investment roadmaps.
Contribute to business strategy development as a key member of the Business Unit Leadership Team, ensuring operational priorities align with strategic objectives.
Own operational financial performance, including budgets, spending, productivity improvement, working capital management, and cost structure optimization.
Lead the evaluation, justification, and implementation of capital investments, automation, new technologies, and process innovations.
Lead the organization's Operational Excellence transformation through Lean Enterprise and Toyota Production System principles.
Drive the adoption of new technologies, automation, and process innovations to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
Ensure robust management systems for safety, quality, environmental, operational, and business processes.
Build organizational capability, leadership talent, and succession pipelines.
Develop a deep and diverse leadership bench through coaching, succession planning, and intentional development.
Champion a culture of safety by ensuring a safe working environment, visible leadership engagement, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement in safety performance.
Serve as the voice of the customer within operations, ensuring customer requirements are consistently met or exceeded.
Partner cross-functionally with Engineering, Commercial, Quality, and other stakeholders to successfully launch new products, technologies, and processes.
Lead supply chain functions to ensure effective planning, procurement, sourcing, logistics, inventory optimization, and supplier performance management.
Develop and maintain strategic supplier partnerships.
Provide leadership for the Casting Division's multi-site operations organization, including Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Operational Excellence.
Directly lead Plant Managers, Supply Chain leadership, Quality leadership, and Operational Excellence leadership while developing organizational capability and succession strength.