Senior Director, Operations

nVent•Anoka, MN

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Operations is a strategic operations leader responsible for scaling a $1.5B+ manufacturing campus and a multi-site footprint through digital transformation, operational excellence, and leadership. The immediate priority is to stabilize and transform nVent’s Anoka manufacturing operation, which generates approximately $1.5 billion in annual revenue and employs roughly 1,700 people, with growth anticipated to approximately 2,000 employees. The campus is nVent’s largest U.S. manufacturing operation and second-largest globally. The role reports to the Vice President, Integrated Supply Chain of the Systems Protection Segment and has visibility across the organization, with potential opportunities for broader enterprise leadership responsibility. The role leads operational strategy, digital manufacturing, capacity planning, Smart Factory initiatives, and end-to-end performance across Operations, Procurement, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Environmental Health & Safety, Facilities, Material Handling, and Business Support. It develops site and multi-location plans, drives operational stabilization and continuous improvement, aligns capital and workforce strategies with growth, and builds organizational capability and an inclusive, high-performance culture. The position also advances safety, compliance, sustainability, customer confidence, and disciplined operating systems.

Requirements

BA or BS degree in Business, Engineering, or a similar field.
Deep understanding of Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies such as TPM and Kaizen in high-volume environments.
Strong command of Smart Factory technologies, including IoT integration, predictive maintenance, automated material handling, and data-driven shop-floor management.
Knowledge of EHS compliance, supply chain logistics, strategic procurement, and capital expenditure management.
Expertise in long-range capacity planning, workforce strategy, legacy product-line operations, and new product introductions.
Proficiency in P&L management, budget forecasting, and aligning plant performance metrics with enterprise financial objectives.
Ability to translate corporate strategy into actionable site-level plans and coordinate cross-functional teams.
Demonstrated success leading large-scale cultural and technical change, including digital manufacturing transitions while maintaining stable output.
Ability to use operational analytics to identify bottlenecks, optimize production capability, and justify capital investments.
Exceptional communication skills across organizational levels and ability to partner with Human Resources on organizational health.
Ability to build, mentor, and inspire high-performing teams and foster psychological safety and professional growth.
Ability to navigate matrix organizations and collaborate with Sales, Engineering, Finance, and HR stakeholders.
Ability to remain decisive and calm under pressure while managing production spikes, technical troubleshooting, and daily operational demands.
Ability to balance immediate operational needs with long-term improvements to infrastructure, tooling, and facilities.
Aptitude for cultivating an inclusive, high-engagement workplace that encourages employee participation in problem solving and recognizes strong performance.

Nice To Haves

MBA or other graduate degree.

Responsibilities

Embed Lean and problem-solving disciplines, empower employees to eliminate waste and implement solutions, sustain improvement gains, and recognize exceptional performance.
Lead multi-site operational transformation across the flagship campus and other high-growth plants, aligning capacity, capabilities, and talent with business growth and customer demand.
Advance Smart Factory and digital manufacturing through investments in automation, tooling, equipment, and data-driven Industry 4.0 systems while balancing legacy and next-generation operations.
Own end-to-end performance across Operations, Procurement, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, EHS, Facilities, Material Handling, and Business Support, delivering against safety, quality, delivery, cost, and cash flow objectives.
Develop and execute integrated strategic business plans, including long-range capacity planning, capital deployment, workforce strategy, and multi-site footprint optimization.
Partner with senior leadership, supply chain, engineering, and commercial teams to align operational strategies, remove constraints, and support new product introductions and business expansion.
Lead, coach, and inspire a large, diverse organization; develop leadership benches and succession pipelines; and foster accountability, engagement, and inclusion.
Use data and operational analytics to identify bottlenecks, improve OEE and asset utilization, optimize material flow, and prioritize investments that support scalability and profitability.
Establish communication and employee-engagement mechanisms to monitor organizational health, gather feedback, and address concerns with Human Resources.
Ensure safety, regulatory compliance, and sustainability performance, reinforcing a zero-harm culture and responsible sourcing and governance practices.
Establish and sustain a management operating system that includes daily management, tiered accountability, visual management, structured problem solving, and disciplined escalation.
Stabilize and improve critical manufacturing lines to meet safety, quality, delivery, and productivity commitments and restore operational predictability and customer confidence.
Develop a culture of accountability, transparency, problem solving, and employee engagement where issues are raised early and addressed at their root cause.
Evaluate and optimize material flow, production layout, workforce deployment, and capacity utilization across the campus for immediate needs and long-term scalability.
Partner with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Lean, Human Resources, and Finance leaders to improve organizational capability, execution, and alignment on priorities.