Director, Operations

Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc.•Milford, NH

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Milford, New Hampshire (USA), Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc. is the premier supplier of complete-to-print, high-volume, complex thin-wall investment castings and fully-finished casting-based subassemblies and components to industry. The company leads the industry in volume production, reduced lead-times and just-in-time manufacturing. Hitchiner produces castings in hundreds of different alloys for a broad spectrum of global markets and customers that include the leaders in the automotive, aerospace, and other industries. We offer an enriching environment where learning and growing become part of your career. Hitchiner is dedicated to fostering the professional growth and development of our employees. We offer upward mobility and internal promotions. The Director of Operations will lead the end-to-end manufacturing process, from wax injection and shelling to casting and finishing. This leader is responsible for maximizing plant throughput, minimizing scrap rates, and ensuring a culture of safety and continuous improvement in a complex manufacturing environment.

Requirements

Experience: Minimum of 10 years in manufacturing leadership, with specific experience in investment casting, foundry operations, or metallurgy.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Metallurgical, Mechanical, Industrial, or similar focus), Operations Management, or Business.
Technical Skills: Deep understanding of bottleneck identification and management, aerospace and automotive manufacturing environments, and leadership development.
Regulatory Knowledge: Experience managing compliance for aerospace and automotive manufacturing (ISO 9001, AS9100, NADCAP, IATF).

Nice To Haves

Methodologies: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Green Belt certification strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Production Management: Oversee all phases of the investment casting lifecycle (wax, shell, foundry, finishing) to ensure on-time delivery and adherence to production schedules, with a focus on increasing plant throughput in all areas.
Safety & Compliance: Champion a "Safety First" culture, ensuring strict adherence to OSHA regulations, environmental standards, and handling protocols for molten metals and chemicals.
Asset Management: Oversee the maintenance strategy for critical capital equipment (wax presses, shell equipment, cast furnaces, autoclaves, robotic cells) to minimize downtime.
Supply Chain & Inventory: Coordinate and align purchasing of raw material stocks and directly manage WIP levels on the production floor to ensure best-in-class WIP turns.
Continuous Improvement: Lead Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma initiatives to streamline workflow and reduce cost-per-unit
Ensures production operations and facilities are in compliance with applicable local, state, and federal regulations, company policies, and the Hitchiner Code of Conduct.
Perform additional duties as assigned.

Benefits

Onsite state of the art Gym/Fitness Center, open 24/7 for all employees
Medical and Dental Insurance
Health Savings Account (HSA)
Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
Basic and Accidental Life Insurance (company paid)
Short-term and Long-term Disability Insurance (company paid)
401K (pre-tax and ROTH) with Excellent Company Match and Immediate Vesting
Company Profit Sharing Plan
3 weeks’ Vacation to start; 4 weeks’ Vacation at 5 Years; 5 weeks’ Vacation at 10 years seniority
We set you up for success with our “Center for Excellence” onsite training center for new hires and existing employees to improve new learning and continuous growth
Training and Educational Assistance Programs