Director of Operations

Hercules OEM•Burnsville, MN

14d

About The Position

A growing, entrepreneurial business is seeking a Director of Operations to lead a multi‑site value‑added distribution and light manufacturing network. This is a key leadership role reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the Executive Team. As the head of Operations, you will drive performance across delivery (OTSIF), productivity, capacity planning, facility layout strategy, equipment uptime, automation evaluation, inventory health, safety, and labor effectiveness. You will lead Operations and Supply Chain as a unified organization, developing a high‑performing team and strengthening the capabilities required to support the company’s growth.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field.
15+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations, supply chain, or manufacturing environments.
Proven success improving operational KPIs (delivery/OTSIF, cost, labor efficiency, uptime, inventory accuracy).
Deep experience in capacity planning, workflow optimization, and facility layout strategy.
Experience evaluating or implementing automation or capital improvements.
Strong Lean/CI background (standard work, 5S, problem-solving).
ERP experience (D365 experience a plus).
Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence across functions and at the executive level.
Excellent communication, analytical, and decision‑making abilities.
Multi‑site leadership experience strongly preferred.
Ability to travel to operational sites as needed.

Responsibilities

Lead day‑to‑day operations across a multi‑site network, ensuring consistent performance in safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
Own capacity planning, labor planning, resource alignment, and facility layout strategy to support scalable growth.
Drive productivity improvements, equipment uptime optimization, and automation evaluation/implementation.
Build and lead a unified Operations + Supply Chain function, including direct oversight of supply chain leadership.
Strengthen inventory health, accuracy, replenishment strategy, safety stock planning, and supplier performance.
Provide operational inputs into SIOP and ensure alignment between demand, supply, and capacity.
Champion Lean and continuous improvement initiatives (standard work, 5S, structured problem‑solving).
Develop site leaders, supervisors, and teams to build high performance, accountability, and engagement.
Partner cross‑functionally across Engineering, Quality, HR, Finance, and Commercial teams.
Contribute to executive-level decision‑making, strategic planning, and organizational development.