Director of Manufacturing Operations *Bilingual- Spanish & English*

Korn Ferry; Miami (FL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Korn Ferry Group is seeking a strategic Director of Operations to lead a high-volume production operation for customized promotional products in Miami, FL. The role emphasizes Lean transformation, profitability, safety, and cross-functional leadership to meet customer and business objectives.

The ideal candidate will have 8+ years of manufacturing ops experience, P&L accountability, and strong data analytics to drive performance improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related field and 8+ years of manufacturing ops experience preferred.
• Proven experience in high-volume production and P&L accountability.
• Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement experience required.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of business and operational strategy.
• Manage business unit P&L with emphasis on cost optimization and revenue growth.
• Translate enterprise goals into actionable operating strategies.
• Lead workforce planning with Finance and HR.
• Establish and track KPIs; act on production and quality data.
• Oversee manufacturing to ensure efficiency and quality.
• Drive Lean and continuous improvement to reduce waste.
• Ensure safety, compliance, and quality standards.
• Collaborate with Sales/Marketing to align ops with market needs.
• Ensure timely, high-quality customer order execution.
• Support product innovation and onboarding of customers.
• Provide operational input for pricing and go-to-market strategies.
• Lead customer tours and identify improvement opportunities.
• Lead and mentor production leaders and teams.
• Foster ownership, inclusion, and open communication.
• Collaborate across Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, and Finance.

Skills

P&L management

Operational leadership

Lean manufacturing

Budgeting

Data analysis

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing/Engineering/Operations Management/Business

Tools

ERP systems

Power BI

Excel

Job description

A leading consumer products organization is seeking a strategic operations leader to oversee a high-volume production operation supporting customized promotional products.

Position Overview

The Director of Operations provides strategic and operational leadership across production functions, ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality product decoration while maximizing productivity, quality, and profitability. This leader will partner with cross-functional teams to achieve customer and business objectives through operational excellence, high-performing teams, and Lean Manufacturing methods.

As a visible change agent, coach, and mentor, the Director will build a culture of accountability, innovation, inclusion, and continuous improvement while delivering measurable business results.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic and Business Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of business and operational strategy.
• Manage the business unit P&L, emphasizing cost optimization while supporting revenue growth.
• Translate enterprise goals into actionable operating strategies.
• Lead business planning and performance forecasting with Finance and commercial teams.
• Partner with Sales and Operations Planning and Human Resources on annual and monthly workforce planning.
• Establish and improve key performance indicators; analyze operational data and implement corrective actions to achieve production, quality, safety, and financial targets.

Operational Excellence

• Oversee manufacturing and production processes to ensure efficiency and quality.
• Drive Lean and continuous improvement initiatives that eliminate waste, optimize workflows, and produce measurable results.
• Optimize the use of labor, materials, and equipment to meet customer demand.
• Champion compliance with safety regulations and quality standards.

Customer and Commercial Alignment

• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Customer Care to align operations with market needs.
• Ensure timely, high-quality execution of customer orders.
• Support product innovation, customer onboarding, and strategic account growth.
• Provide operational insight that informs pricing and go-to-market strategies.
• Lead customer tours and identify actionable improvement opportunities.

People Leadership and Culture

• Lead and inspire managers, frontline employees, and professional staff.
• Recruit, coach, mentor, and develop production leaders while maintaining strong succession plans.
• Foster ownership, engagement, continuous improvement, inclusion, and open communication.
• Partner with Human Resources to align variable labor with business plans and create development opportunities.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Customer Care, Sales, and other functional leaders to align priorities and resolve operational challenges.
• Lead participation in enterprise-wide projects and system enhancements.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for operational and customer-impacting issues.

Required Experience and Capabilities

• Proven success in P&L management and operational leadership.
• Experience in facility operations, safety, and capital planning.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end customer operations.
• Commercial acumen and the ability to collaborate across functions.
• Prior leadership of both frontline and salaried teams.
• Familiarity with ERP systems and production-planning tools.
• Demonstrated application of Lean Manufacturing and process-improvement methods.
• Strong knowledge of budgeting, labor management, cost control, capital planning, performance metrics, and financial analysis.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to turn data into practical, results-oriented solutions.
• Excellent communication and leadership presence across frontline, leadership, and executive audiences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• At least eight years of progressive manufacturing operations experience, including leadership of production teams in a high-volume environment.
• Bilingual English and Spanish communication skills required.
• Proficiency with manufacturing systems and Microsoft Office applications, including advanced Excel and Power BI for analysis and reporting.

Why Consider This Opportunity

• Lead a complex, high-volume manufacturing operation with full P&L accountability.
• Shape strategy while remaining closely connected to customers and frontline execution.
• Drive Lean transformation, workforce development, performance improvement, and profitable growth.
• Partner across commercial, supply chain, engineering, quality, finance, and human resources functions.