Director Manufacturing Operations

Gateway Recruiting; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Gateway Recruiting is seeking a Director of Manufacturing Operations in Portland, Oregon. The ideal candidate will oversee semiconductor laser assembly production, ensuring operational excellence through strategic planning and cross-functional collaboration. Responsibilities include managing production schedules and driving continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualified candidates should have a BS in Engineering and over a decade of manufacturing experience, particularly in leadership roles. The position supports both military and commercial markets, emphasizing quality, efficiency, and safety.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of high-tech manufacturing experience, with 5+ years in a managerial role.
• 8+ years of experience in product & process development of laser systems.
• Demonstrated ability to protect confidential and proprietary information.

Responsibilities

• Oversee semiconductor laser assembly production processes.
• Drive continuous improvement and analyze bottlenecks.
• Lead cross-functional teams and manage production schedules.

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

Project management

Analytical techniques

Strategic thinking

Communication

Team building

Problem-solving

Education

BS in Engineering (Optical, Physics, Electrical, Chemical, Mechanical)

MS in Engineering or Business (preferred)

Tools

ERP systems

MRP systems

SPC

FMEA

Job description

Position Summary

The Director of Manufacturing Operations is a senior leadership position responsible for overseeing all aspects of semiconductor laser assembly production. This role ensures operational excellence by managing strategic planning, production execution, and cross-functional collaboration to achieve world-class standards in quality, delivery, efficiency, and safety. The director drives continuous improvement and innovation, supporting the company's growth and competitiveness in both military and commercial markets.

Responsibilities

• Manages strategic and tactical aspects of semiconductor laser assembly production for medium‑to‑high‑volume production of ruggedized military & commercial products
• Establishes production schedules with planning and business groups and executes against schedule to meet goals for revenue, on‑time delivery and lead‑time
• Provides supervision and leadership to direct reports including employee performance management, motivating and facilitating continuous learning and development, conducting annual performance appraisals, and providing timely feedback and recognition.
• Meets aggressive, world‑class goals on quality, cycle time, yield and cost
• Leads global multi‑disciplinary teams to deliver new products, sustaining engineering, and NPI of laser‑based product lines as part of key strategy in vertically integrated organization.
• Analyzes bottlenecks and establishes sufficient capacity to cost‑effectively meet production demands
• Drives continuous improvement opportunities and yield metrics utilizing wide variety of analytical techniques (such as FMEA, SPC, DOE, Gage R&R, 8D), lean manufacturing, and six sigma concepts.
• Coordinates with facilities, including maintenance and buildouts, for optimal uptime and cost
• Interfaces with senior leadership and various support functions such as Supply Chain, Development Engineering, Quality, Finance, HR, and IT as required to establish plans and execute against them
• Collaborates with R&D to analyze competition, market trends, emerging technology and drives strategic engineering projects into production as capable products & processes.
• Ensures strong safety program in place
• Manages and motivates direct staff
• Builds upon ISO9001:2000 certified quality management system in place

Qualifications

• Requires a BS in Engineering (Optical, Physics, Electrical, Chemical, Mechanical) and 10+ years high‑tech manufacturing experience with at least five years in a managerial role, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• MS in Engineering or Business is preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in product & process development, NPI or process control of laser systems/photonic components
• 8+ years of experience working for company providing products for US Defense and/or Government Contracting.
• Working knowledge of FAR/DFAR requirements, and ITAR‑compliant operations
• Skilled in implementing and utilizing lean manufacturing, SPC, ERP, and MRP systems
• Strong business and people skills, including strategic thinking, executive communication, and basic business financial acumen
• Strong record of developing and transferring products and processes related to laser systems and photonic components
• Strong record of effective judgement and decisiveness, clear thinking, problem solving through structured methodologies
• Strong situational leadership skills, record of developing great teams and strong hires
• Sets very strong culture of accountability, disciplined thinking, integrity and expectations, leads by example
• APICS CPIM experience is preferred, but not required
• Six Sigma Black Belt is preferred, but not required
• Strong communication skills
• Excellent team player
• Demonstrated ability to protect confidential and proprietary information and exercise discretion.
• Ability to travel up to 15%