Sr. Manager, Operations

VACCO Industries•South El Monte, CA

About The Position

The Sr. Manager, Operations provides strategic and technical leadership to Operations Supervisors, Leads, and Technicians to ensure work meets engineering specifications, quality standards, customer requirements, and regulatory obligations. The role leads multi-cell or multi-department operations for precision mechanical parts and assemblies, driving financial, operational, and organizational KPIs through disciplined execution, operational excellence, and data-driven leadership. The position owns operational planning for capacity, long-range resources, production flow, and continuous improvement to support growth, cost optimization, and schedule adherence. It requires a deep understanding of product functionality, manufacturing processes, testing requirements, and end-use applications. The Sr. Manager develops leadership capability and organizational talent, fosters accountability and engagement, and serves as a senior operational partner to cross-functional stakeholders in shaping strategy and business decisions. The role supports or leads budget planning, labor strategy, forecasting, capital allocation, and resource management for assigned operational areas. Most work takes place in a typical, controlled office environment. The role also involves sitting for extended periods, walking, reaching, some bending or stooping, and occasional lifting of up to 20 pounds.

Requirements

At least 7–10 years of progressive manufacturing operations experience, including leadership responsibility over production teams, assembly, testing, troubleshooting, and quality control.
Demonstrated operations management or manufacturing leadership at a department or multi-team level.
Strong technical understanding of mechanical assemblies, manufacturing processes, testing systems, workmanship criteria, and quality standards.
Ability to serve as a senior technical resource for Supervisors and Leads on builds, test processes, troubleshooting, and compliance with engineering specifications.
Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, work instructions, testing documents, specifications, and technical requirements.
Strong command of operational excellence concepts, manufacturing workflows, capacity planning, continuous improvement, and resource planning.
Experience owning budgets, forecasts, labor planning, and strategic resource allocation.
Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional partners and drive organizational alignment.
Excellent leadership, communication, coaching, change management, and collaboration skills.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and standard business systems.
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or a related technical discipline.
7–10+ years of manufacturing experience with direct involvement in production operations, assembly, testing, troubleshooting, or quality-driven manufacturing environments.
Significant operations management or multi-team leadership experience.
Demonstrated capability leading technical teams in hands-on manufacturing environments with measurable operational impact.
Ability to read and interpret safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals; write routine reports and correspondence; and speak effectively before groups of customers or employees.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred but not required.
Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop Operations Supervisors, Leads, and Technicians to achieve operational metrics, production goals, delivery performance, and organizational objectives.
Ensure products are manufactured, assembled, tested, and documented according to engineering specifications, quality standards, customer requirements, and regulatory obligations.
Serve as a senior technical and operational authority, guiding production personnel on builds, testing, troubleshooting, workmanship standards, and process optimization.
Maintain an expert understanding of product designs, manufacturing workflows, testing regimes, assembly methods, and end-use environments to support operational decisions.
Coordinate with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning, Manufacturing Engineering, and Program Management to ensure aligned execution.
Oversee KPIs including on-time delivery, utilization, efficiency, productivity, quality, and cost; identify trends and implement organizational corrective actions.
Lead capacity modeling, long-term planning, workflow optimization, and continuous improvement strategies to support scalability and schedule reliability.
Develop organizational talent through coaching, performance management, succession planning, and partnership with HR to attract and retain technical staff.
Champion operational best practices, standard work, and continuous improvement methodologies with cross-functional stakeholders.
Recruit, manage, and develop leadership teams to promote operational excellence, accountability, and employee engagement.
Communicate operational priorities, performance expectations, customer requirements, and business objectives to teams.
Deliver measurable improvements in productivity, cost efficiency, quality, and operational throughput.
Build and sustain relationships with cross-functional leaders to support alignment, responsiveness, and execution across departments.
Translate company strategy into operational plans and daily execution priorities.
Formulate and oversee strategic and operational objectives aligned with corporate and customer commitments.
Analyze operational and financial data to support decisions, identify performance gaps, and improve efficiency and profitability.
Support or lead budget planning, labor strategy, forecasting, capital allocation, and resource management for assigned operational areas.
Influence senior leaders and stakeholders while balancing operational constraints, technical requirements, and customer imperatives.