Director, Operations, NA

CTS Corporation•Lisle, IL

4d•$175,000 - $210,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Operations Director, North America provides strategic and operational leadership for the regional manufacturing network, ensuring safe, compliant, cost-effective, and customer-focused execution across assigned sites. This position requires a hands-on, execution-focused leader who can standardize operating processes, improve performance variability across sites, coach plant leadership teams, and convert strategic business priorities into measurable operational and financial results. This role is accountable for safety, quality, delivery, cost, inventory, productivity, customer responsiveness, capital execution, and people development across the North America plants.

Requirements

Strong multi-site manufacturing leadership experience with demonstrated ability to deliver results through plant leadership teams.
Deep knowledge of Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, structured problem solving, visual management, standard work, and daily management systems.
Strong business acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, P&L management, productivity analysis, labor planning, capital investment justification, and margin improvement.
Demonstrated ability to standardize processes across sites while adapting execution to local operating realities and customer requirements.
Demonstrated ability to lead through influence across operations, supply chain, quality, engineering, finance, HR, and commercial functions.
Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to engage shop-floor teams, plant leadership, executives, and customers.
Ability to prioritize competing objectives, manage risk, lead through change, and make timely decisions in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Proven track record of building high-performing teams, developing leaders, improving retention, and creating succession plans for critical operations roles.
High integrity, sound judgment, and commitment to safety, quality, compliance, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement.
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related field required; master’s degree or MBA preferred.
Minimum of 12 to 15 years of progressive manufacturing operations experience, including leadership of complex plant operations.
Minimum of 5 years of multi-site operations leadership experience preferred, with accountability for regional performance across multiple plants or business units.
Experience leading manufacturing operations in North America, including cross-border or multi-country operating environments, preferred.
Experience with P&L ownership, operating budgets, capital planning, productivity programs, operational KPI management, and financial performance improvement required.
Demonstrated experience with Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or equivalent continuous improvement systems required; certification preferred.
Experience with ERP systems, manufacturing data, automation initiatives, and digital operations tools preferred.
Experience in automotive, electronics, sensors, mechatronics, industrial manufacturing, or similarly regulated manufacturing environments preferred.
Bilingual English/Spanish capability preferred, particularly for roles supporting Mexico operations.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or MBA preferred.
Minimum of 5 years of multi-site operations leadership experience preferred, with accountability for regional performance across multiple plants or business units.
Experience leading manufacturing operations in North America, including cross-border or multi-country operating environments, preferred.
Certification in Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or equivalent continuous improvement systems preferred.
Experience with ERP systems, manufacturing data, automation initiatives, and digital operations tools preferred.
Experience in automotive, electronics, sensors, mechatronics, industrial manufacturing, or similarly regulated manufacturing environments preferred.
Bilingual English/Spanish capability preferred, particularly for roles supporting Mexico operations.

Responsibilities

Lead the North America manufacturing operations network, establishing clear priorities, standard work, operating cadences, and performance expectations across assigned sites.
Own regional operational performance and operational excellence across safety, quality, delivery, cost, inventory, productivity, customer responsiveness, and employee engagement metrics.
Partner with business unit leadership, plant managers, supply chain, quality, engineering, finance, HR, and commercial teams to align operating plans with customer demand and business objectives.
Establish and reinforce standardized operating processes across the region while allowing appropriate site-level flexibility based on product, customer, and regulatory requirements.
Drive a disciplined daily, weekly, and monthly management system to review performance, identify gaps, assign accountability, and ensure timely corrective actions.
Translate operational actions into financial outcomes by improving margin performance, controlling costs, optimizing resources, and partnering with finance on budgeting and forecasting.
Provide leadership, coaching, and development for plant managers and site leadership teams, building a strong succession pipeline and culture of accountability.
Champion a zero-harm safety culture and ensure compliance with company EHS standards and applicable regulatory requirements.
Ensure customer requirements are met or exceeded, including on-time delivery, responsiveness, quality performance, and timely resolution of escalations.
Lead continuous improvement and Lean deployment across the region, including visual management, standard work, 5S, value stream improvement, structured problem solving, and waste reduction.
Reduce performance variability between sites by deploying common metrics, operating reviews, best-practice sharing, and targeted improvement plans.
Drive structural cost improvement through labor efficiency, material yield, scrap reduction, inventory optimization, manufacturing productivity, and capacity utilization.
Review and approve capital project proposals, support business cases, and ensure approved capital expenditures are implemented on time, on budget, and with expected returns.
Support digital manufacturing, automation, data transparency, and ERP-enabled process improvements where they improve operational control, productivity, and decision-making.
Ensure manufacturing equipment, facilities, and processes are maintained and utilized effectively to produce high-quality products at competitive cost.
Maintain strong governance of quality management systems, audit readiness, corrective actions, and certification requirements applicable to assigned sites.
Support new product introductions, transfers, footprint changes, and capacity expansion projects through disciplined planning and cross-functional execution.
Establish strong communication routines with site and regional teams to reinforce priorities, escalate risks, and ensure alignment on business-critical actions.
Ensure compliance with corporate policies, business unit procedures, internal controls, and applicable legal and regulatory requirements.