Operations Director – Memphis (U.S. Launch Team) (m/f/d)

Herchenbach Industrial Buildings • Memphis, TN

4d • Onsite

About The Position

We are an owner-managed, medium-sized company based in Germany and a leading provider of modular storage buildings, specializing in lightweight construction technologies. We are expanding into the U.S. market and seeking an Operations Director to lead our U.S. launch team. This role is crucial for building scalable processes from the ground up, ensuring operational excellence aligned with German HQ standards, and serving as the operational backbone of the U.S. business.

Requirements

• 8-10+ years of progressive operations leadership experience in industrial, construction, logistics, manufacturing, modular building, or project-based environments.
• Minimum 5 years managing multi-functional operations including warehouse, logistics, inventory, field execution, and vendor management.
• Minimum 3 years in a senior operational leadership role with accountability for execution, labor efficiency, cost control, and operational performance.
• Proven experience building or scaling operational processes, teams, or facilities in a startup, launch, or growth environment.
• Experience managing subcontractors, transportation providers, installation crews, and third-party vendors.
• Strong background in project execution, operational planning, and cross-functional coordination.
• Experience driving operational KPIs including on-time delivery, labor productivity, inventory accuracy, utilization, and cost management.
• Working knowledge of OSHA, safety compliance, and operational risk management.

Nice To Haves

• ERP, inventory management systems, and process improvement experience preferred.
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Owns end-to-end U.S. operations execution including warehouse, logistics, project delivery, and vendor management.
• Builds scalable processes from the ground up and ensures operational excellence aligned with German HQ standards.
• Leads all field execution and serves as the operational backbone of the U.S. business.
• Owns the full project lifecycle: order, staging, delivery, installation, teardown, and return processing.
• Ensures all materials, labor, and equipment are aligned with project timelines.
• Partners with sales to validate execution feasibility pre-close.
• Designs and implements all warehouse processes (inventory flow, staging, returns, maintenance).
• Manages laydown yard operations and material handling standards.
• Ensures readiness of all structures, components, and fabric systems.
• Oversees inbound/outbound freight, scheduling, and cost control.
• Establishes inventory tracking and forecasting processes.
• Optimizes utilization of assets across projects.
• Selects, onboards, and manages transportation providers, installation crews, and equipment vendors.
• Establishes performance standards, SLAs, and cost controls for vendors.
• Transitions key capabilities in-house when economically justified.
• Builds operational playbooks and SOPs from scratch.
• Drives continuous improvement in cycle time, cost per project, labor efficiency, and implements repeatable, scalable workflows.
• Ensures adherence to all U.S. safety, permitting, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintains certification tracking (install crews, equipment, site compliance).
• Partners with engineering on structural and installation standards.
• Identifies and develops U.S.-based suppliers for key components to reduce dependency on overseas shipping and improve lead times, cost structure, and scalability.

Benefits

• Challenging and entrepreneurial role with responsibility for the US market in a dynamic growth environment.
• Attractive salary package.
• Plenty of room for regular exchange and opportunities to contribute to a positive working environment.
• Modern equipment and everything you need for success in your role.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed