Director of Manufacturing

Talnt; Denison (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Talnt seeks an experienced Director of Manufacturing to lead aluminum casting operations in North Texas, overseeing core making, molding, melting, and shaping processes. You will drive safety, quality, on-time delivery, and profitability while building high-performing teams.

The role requires hands-on leadership in foundry environments, Lean, and continuous improvement, with accountability for budgeting, S&OP, and cross-functional collaboration with Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in manufacturing operations with cross-functional accountability.
• Experience in foundry operations, metal casting, or related industrial environments.
• Proven ability to lead production, maintenance, supply chain, and planning functions.
• Strong knowledge of Lean manufacturing, Theory of Constraints, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement.
• Experience with production scheduling, S&OP, inventory management, and ERP systems.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills; onsite presence required.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily manufacturing operations across core making, molding, melting and pouring, shakeout, cutoff, grinding, finishing, weld repair, and related processes.
• Lead production managers, supervisors, maintenance, supply chain, planning, and CI teams with clear accountability and development.
• Oversee production scheduling, capacity planning, labor allocation, and shift coordination to meet targets and customer commitments.
• Manage S&OP processes coordinating with Sales, Finance, Engineering, and Quality.
• Direct procurement, supplier management, inventory control, shipping, receiving, and outside processing to improve supplier performance and working capital.
• Implement Lean Manufacturing, TOC, Six Sigma, 5S, and standard work to reduce waste and improve throughput.
• Oversee maintenance, equipment reliability, preventive programs, and capital projects for furnaces and critical assets.
• Collaborate with Quality, Engineering and EHS to maintain compliance with AS9100, Nadcap, ITAR, and customer specs.
• Manage manufacturing budgets, labor costs, overtime, scrap, rework, and CAPEX; collaborate with Finance to improve cost efficiency and margins.
• Establish and monitor KPIs for safety, on-time delivery, schedule attainment, scrap/rework costs, uptime, productivity, and controllable expenses.

Skills

Leadership

Foundry ops

Lean Manufacturing

S&OP

ERP systems

Safety culture

Cross-functional

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

ERP implementations

Job description

About the Role:

We are seeking an experienced Director of Manufacturingto lead manufacturing operations, production planning, supply chain, maintenance, and continuous improvement at an aluminum casting facility in North Texas. This onsite executive leadership position oversees aluminum sand casting and permanent mold manufacturing operations supporting aerospace, defense, space, and commercial markets. The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader with expertise in foundry operations, Lean Manufacturing, operational excellence, production efficiency, cost control, and cross-functional team development. This role is responsible for driving safety, quality, on-time delivery, productivity, and profitability while strengthening operational systems and developing high-performing teams.

Responsibilities:

• Direct daily manufacturing operations across core making, molding, melting and pouring, shakeout, cutoff, grinding, finishing, weld repair, and related foundry processes, ensuring safe, efficient, and cost-effective production.
• Lead production managers, supervisors, maintenance, supply chain, planning, and continuous improvement teams, establishing performance expectations, operational accountability, employee development, and succession planning.
• Oversee production scheduling, capacity planning, labor allocation, workforce utilization, and shift coordination to achieve production targets, customer commitments, and operational efficiency.
• Manage Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP), coordinating with Sales, Finance, Engineering, and Quality to align customer demand with production capacity, material availability, inventory, and manufacturing resources.
• Direct procurement, purchasing, supplier management, inventory control, shipping, receiving, and outside processing activities to improve supplier performance, material availability, inventory accuracy, and working capital.
• Implement Lean Manufacturing, Theory of Constraints (TOC), Six Sigma methodologies, kaizen, 5S, visual management, root cause analysis, and standardized work to eliminate waste, improve throughput, reduce work-in-process inventory, and optimize manufacturing cycle times.
• Oversee maintenance, equipment reliability, preventive maintenance programs, facilities operations, and capital improvement initiatives involving furnaces, cranes, compressors, dust collection systems, heat treatment equipment, and other critical manufacturing assets.
• Partner with Quality, Engineering, and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) teams to maintain compliance with applicable AS9100, Nadcap, ITAR, customer specifications, safety regulations, and controlled manufacturing processes while supporting corrective actions, traceability, and product integrity.
• Manage manufacturing budgets, labor costs, overtime, scrap, rework, consumables, outside processing expenses, and capital expenditures. Partner with Finance to improve cost efficiency, production margins, inventory management, and return on investment.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), including workplace safety, on-time delivery (OTD), production schedule attainment, scrap and rework costs, equipment uptime, labor productivity, and controllable operating expenses. Implement corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives to achieve measurable results.

Qualifications:

• Significant progressive leadership experience in manufacturing operations, including responsibility for production teams, supervisors, managers, operational performance, and cross-functional execution.
• Demonstrated experience in foundry operations, metal casting, precision manufacturing, or a related industrial manufacturing environment, with a strong understanding of production workflows, manufacturing processes, and equipment utilization.
• Proven ability to lead multiple operational functions, including production, maintenance, supply chain management, purchasing, inventory control, and production planning.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles, continuous improvement, Theory of Constraints, operational excellence, root cause analysis, and performance management systems.
• Experience implementing production schedules, capacity planning, Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP), inventory management, and manufacturing resource planning to improve throughput and on-time delivery.
• Strong financial and business acumen, including operating budget management, manufacturing cost analysis, labor productivity, scrap reduction, capital expenditure planning, and cost improvement initiatives.
• Experience using enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, manufacturing performance dashboards, production reporting, and key performance indicators to support data-driven operational decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain a strong safety culture, improve product quality, develop manufacturing leaders, manage organizational change, and drive accountability in a fast-paced production environment.
• Excellent communication, analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across Engineering, Quality, Finance, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and executive leadership.
• Ability to work onsite in a manufacturing facility, maintain a visible presence on the production floor, and effectively manage competing operational priorities.

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Direct experience with aluminum sand casting, permanent mold casting, foundry metallurgy, machining, heat treatment, weld repair, and metal finishing operations.
• Experience supporting aerospace, defense, space, or other highly regulated manufacturing industries with stringent customer specifications, traceability requirements, and quality management systems.
• Familiarity with AS9100, Nadcap, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), nondestructive testing (NDT), and manufacturing quality compliance.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification, APICS/ASCM certification, or formal training in Theory of Constraints, Lean Manufacturing, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience leading ERP implementation or optimization, Sales and Operations Planning improvements, preventive maintenance programs, capital equipment projects, and plant-wide operational transformation initiatives.