Director, Manufacturing Operations

W. W. Grainger; Santa Ana (CA); On-site; USD 149,000 - 248,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

6% 401(k) company contribution

Paid time off & holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Employee discounts

Paid parental leave

Job summary

W.W. Grainger, Inc. is seeking a seasoned Director of Manufacturing Operations for Grainger Frictionless in Santa Ana, CA. You will oversee production performance today and build scalable systems for tomorrow, aligning capacity, labor, and equipment with growing demand.

Lead a team of managers, drive safety and quality, partner across engineering, supply chain and finance, and shape a future-ready manufacturing model within Grainger Frictionless.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of senior manufacturing or operations leadership experience.
• Experience leading managers and other people leaders within a production environment.
• Demonstrated success leading manufacturing operations while improving productivity, quality, operational performance, and business results.

Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of production execution, manufacturing planning, quality, maintenance, process improvement, and operational readiness.
• Deliver efficient, and reliable manufacturing performance while driving continuous improvement across productivity, quality, throughput, and cost.
• Design and improve scalable production systems, material flow processes, labor models, standard work, and operating practices that support business growth.
• Develop manufacturing strategies that align capacity, labor, equipment, and operational resources with increasing customer demand.
• Build and institutionalize performance metrics, accountability systems, operating rhythms, and management processes that drive executional excellence.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Operations management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

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W.W. Grainger, Inc. is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America and Japan. At Grainger, We Keep the World Working®by serving more than4.6 million customersworldwide with maintenance, repair andoperating(MRO) products and value-added solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customerexpertise. Known for its commitment to service and purpose-driven culture, the Company reported2025 revenue of$17.9 billion. For more information, visit www.grainger.com.

Compensation

The anticipated base pay compensation range for this position is $148,900.00 – $248,200.00. This role is eligible for an incentive target of up to 25%, based on the achievement of individual and company performance objectives in accordance with the current terms of the incentive program which are subject to change.

Rewards and Benefits

With benefits starting on day one, our programs provide choice and flexibility to meet team members' individual needs, including:

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.

The pay range provided above is not a guarantee of compensation. The range reflects the potential base pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual base pay compensation will depend, in part, on factors such as geographic work location and relevant experience and skills.

The anticipated compensation range described above is subject to change and the compensation ultimately paid may be higher or lower than the range described above.

Grainger reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion at any time, consistent with applicable law.

Help Build the Next Generation of Inventory Management

Grainger Frictionless is transforming how businesses manage inventory through an innovative combination of hardware, software, computer vision, and automation. As one of Grainger's fastest-growing businesses, we're scaling rapidly and investing in the operational capabilities needed to support continued growth.

We are seeking an accomplished manufacturing and operations leader to oversee our Santa Ana production operation while helping define the manufacturing model that will support the future as the business scales.

As Director of Manufacturing Operations, you will be responsible for delivering reliable, high-quality production performance today while building the systems, processes, and operating capabilities needed to scale tomorrow. This role requires a leader who can balance operational execution with long-term systems thinking, bringing together manufacturing, quality, engineering disciplines, workforce planning, and continuous improvement to support a growing business.

You will have broad influence across production operations, manufacturing strategy, quality, planning, operational excellence, compliance, organizational development, and future scalability while partnering directly with executive leadership to shape what's next. This is an onsite position at our Santa Ana, California location.

What You'll Own

As the senior manufacturing leader for Grainger Frictionless, you will:

• Lead all aspects of production execution, manufacturing planning, quality, maintenance, process improvement, and operational readiness.
• Deliver efficient, and reliable manufacturing performance while driving continuous improvement across productivity, quality, throughput, and cost.
• Design and improve scalable production systems, material flow processes, labor models, standard work, and operating practices that support business growth.
• Develop manufacturing strategies that align capacity, labor, equipment, and operational resources with increasing customer demand.
• Build and institutionalize performance metrics, accountability systems, operating rhythms, and management processes that drive executional excellence.
• Lead and develop a team of managers and functional leaders while creating a culture of safety, accountability, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Identify operational constraints and implement solutions that improve scalability, efficiency, product quality, and customer outcomes.
• Evaluate when current production capabilities, equipment, facilities, or organizational structures no longer support business needs and recommend future-state solutions.
• Partner across engineering, supply chain, finance, procurement, HR, and executive leadership to drive operational and business performance.
• Help establish more mature demand planning, capacity planning, and S&OP-style processes that improve operational planning as the business scales.
• Ensure compliance with applicable manufacturing, product safety, quality, regulatory, and code requirements.
• Partner closely with Environmental Health & Safety leaders to maintain a strong culture of safety and operational compliance.

What Makes This Opportunity Unique

This role is about much more than running a manufacturing facility.

You will inherit a growing operation with significant opportunity to strengthen systems, improve execution, and build long-term scalability. As the business grows, you will help define what manufacturing looks like for Grainger Frictionless in the future, influencing operating models, production capabilities, organizational design, and capacity strategies that support continued expansion.

The ideal candidate is energized by:

• Scaling operations during periods of rapid growth
• Building structure in evolving environments
• Designing and improving production systems
• Leading through ambiguity and change
• Developing high-performing teams and leaders
• Solving complex operational challenges
• Influencing executive stakeholders and shaping strategy

You Have:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field.
• 5+ years of senior manufacturing or operations leadership experience.
• Experience leading managers and other people leaders within a production environment.
• Demonstrated success leading manufacturing operations while improving productivity, quality, operational performance, and business results.
• Experience designing, improving, or scaling production systems, operating models, or manufacturing processes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience applying Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, or related disciplines to improve production performance.
• Demonstrated ability to optimize material flow, labor productivity, quality systems, throughput, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Experience implementing standard work, performance management systems, and scalable operational processes.
• Experience with demand planning, capacity planning, S&OP, or demand-to-supply execution processes.
• Experience in high-growth manufacturing, automation, technology-enabled production, industrial products, or similarly evolving environments.

Leadership Profile

We're looking for a leader who can successfully balance strategic vision with operational execution.

You build trust quickly, develop strong teams, and translate complexity into practical action. You're comfortable making decisions on the production floor while also helping executive leaders think through long-term capacity, investment, and growth strategies. You bring a systems mindset and understand how manufacturing, quality, planning, people, and process design must work together to create scalable business performance.

At Grainger Frictionless, you'll have the opportunity to shape a business that is redefining inventory management through technology, automation, and innovative physical solutions.

You'll lead a critical production operation, influence strategic decisions, and help build the manufacturing capabilities, planning processes, and operational systems required for the next stage of growth.

If you're passionate about building scalable operations, developing exceptional teams, and creating the systems that power future growth, we'd love to hear from you.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible work environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one’s employment, should you need a reasonable accommodation …