Director of Operations

Xylem • Texarkana, AR

11d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Operations for the Smith-Blair business within Xylem provides strategic and operational leadership for manufacturing activities to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable operations that meet customer, quality, delivery, and financial commitments. This leader is responsible for driving performance across production, materials flow, quality, maintenance, and continuous improvement while building a culture of accountability, engagement, and operational excellence. Also has responsibility for Supply Chain and Maintenance for the Smith-Blair business.
This role partners closely with commercial, engineering, quality, EH&S, finance, and site leadership to align manufacturing execution with business priorities. The Director of Operations is expected to lead from the floor, develop high-performing teams, and drive sustainable improvements in safety, productivity, cost, and service.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations management, manufacturing, supply chain, business, or a related field is required.
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing or operations experience
• 5+ years of leadership experience in a plant or manufacturing operations environment
• Proven success leading cross-functional teams and delivering measurable operational improvement
• Experience with lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and KPI-based performance management

Nice To Haves

• An advanced degree is a plus.
• Experience in a multi-shift or high-mix manufacturing environment preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing operations with a strong commitment to safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost performance.
• Champion a culture where safety is a core value and operational discipline is visible in daily management practices and leadership behaviors.
• Drive plant performance through clear operating rhythms, KPI reviews, tiered accountability, and effective problem-solving.
• Partner with supply chain and planning teams to align capacity, staffing, inventory, and production schedules with customer demand.
• Work closely with quality and engineering teams to reduce defects, improve process control, and strengthen corrective and preventive action disciplines.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts using lean principles and structured problem-solving to eliminate waste, improve flow, and increase throughput.
• Oversee manufacturing resource utilization, labor productivity, equipment effectiveness, and plant readiness to meet business objectives.
• Support maintenance and reliability strategies that improve uptime, asset care, and long-term operating stability.
• Develop operational talent through coaching, performance expectations, leadership development, and succession planning.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships that improve responsiveness, execution, and alignment across the business.
• Own and manage operating budgets, cost performance, and capital planning inputs to support growth and productivity objectives.
• Ensure compliance with all Xylem standards, EH&S requirements, and applicable regulatory expectations.

Benefits

• paid Volunteer Program, Xylem Watermark
• Employee Resource Groups (ERG)
• Equal Employment Opportunity (including disability and veterans) and Affirmative Action workplace
• reasonable accommodations

What This Job Offers

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