Director of Operations

We are supporting a confidential search for a Director of Operations to lead a large, high-complexity manufacturing facility in Orange County. This is a senior leadership role overseeing approximately 400 employees across manufacturing, engineering, production, and plant operations.

This role is critical to the business and tied to a near-term leadership transition, creating a unique opportunity for an operations leader with a strong engineering foundation to step into a highly visible, high-impact position.

The Director of Operations will report directly to the General Manager and play a key role in driving operational excellence, workforce leadership, and execution across a regulated manufacturing environment.

• Lead day-to-day operations for a large-scale manufacturing facility with 400+ employees
• Own plant-level execution across production, engineering, quality, maintenance, and safety
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on throughput, cost, quality, and delivery
• Partner closely with Engineering to ensure manufacturability, process optimization, and scalability
• Develop and lead frontline and mid-level leaders across operations
• Ensure compliance with industry and regulatory standards (AS9100, ISO, FAA, DoD, etc.)
• Support workforce planning, succession, and talent development initiatives
• Collaborate with senior leadership on strategic planning and operational execution

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or similar strongly preferred)
• 12–20 years of experience in manufacturing or operations leadership
• Proven experience leading large teams (200+ employees) in a plant or facility environment
• Background in aerospace, defense, precision manufacturing, medical devices, automotive, or similarly regulated industries
• Hands-on leadership style with strong floor presence
• Experience driving operational metrics, continuous improvement, and cross-functional alignment
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, high-accountability environments

• Senior leadership role with broad operational ownership
• Opportunity to step into a mission-critical position with real impact
• Strong compensation package with bonus potential
• Long-term growth opportunity within a well-established manufacturing organization
• High visibility and influence at the plant and enterprise level