Director of Operations

Materion Corporation; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 149,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Materion Corporation seeks a Director of Operations, Premium Targets to lead a multi-site manufacturing organization with domestic and international operations. You will own safety, quality, delivery, and cost, while guiding Engineering, EHS, and Commercial teams to deliver superior service to internal and external customers.

The role requires 10+ years in manufacturing leadership, strong cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to execute long-range capital and workforce plans.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, business, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience in a manufacturing environment with leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated success in safety/EHS, manufacturing operations, and capital projects.
• Ability to lead end-to-end processes through cross-functional and matrixed teams.
• Willingness to travel up to 50%.

Responsibilities

• Lead safety and operational performance across multiple sites (Buffalo, Wheatfield, Albuquerque, Limerick, Brewster).
• Set and execute the Premium Targets strategy, multi-year roadmap, and capital/workforce plans.
• Drive Lean transformation and standardization of manufacturing and business processes.
• Partner with Technology, Quality, Supply Chain, Commercial, Engineering, and EHS to align priorities.
• Develop and coach leaders, ensuring accountability for results and talent growth.
• Deliver strong financial performance focusing on gross margin and cost management.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic thinking

Change management

Safety leadership

End-to-end processes

Travel up to 50%

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Lean manufacturing

Continuous improvement

Job description

At Materion, everyone is included, respected and offered opportunity to grow. Join us!

Position Summary

The Director of Operations, Premium Targets provides strategic and operational leadership for a complex, multi-site manufacturing organization with domestic and international operations. This leader is accountable for safety, quality, delivery, cost, customer performance, talent development, capital execution, and continuous improvement. The individual in this role will lead Operations, Supply Chain, and Engineering teams, including manufacturing facilities across multiple locations. As the organization’s senior operations safety leader, the Director sets clear expectations, models visible safety leadership, empowers employees to identify and address hazards, and holds leaders accountable for proactive risk reduction and continuous EHS improvement. Working across Technology, Quality, Supply Chain, Commercial, Engineering, EHS, and other functions, the Director translates business priorities into sustainable results, standardizes manufacturing and business processes, and delivers exceptional service to internal and external customers. The role also leads operations strategy and financial performance, including gross margin, inventory turns, and cost management.

Operations Leadership and Execution

• Lead a proactive, prevention-focused safety culture in which every employee is empowered and expected to identify hazards, stop unsafe work, and take ownership of a safe and healthy workplace.
• Lead manufacturing operations across Buffalo, Wheatfield, Albuquerque, Limerick, and Brewster, with strong matrix partnerships supporting Alzenau and Taiwan.
• Own performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, reliability, and customer commitments; establish clear metrics, review performance routinely, and hold site leaders accountable for results.
• Set and execute the Premium Targets operations strategy, multi-year roadmap, and long-range capital and workforce plans.
• Ensure facilities consistently deliver high-quality products on time to internal business units and external customers.
• Partner with Technology, Quality, Supply Chain, Commercial, Engineering, EHS, and other functions to align priorities and improve end-to-end performance.
• Develop, coach, and hold operational leaders accountable for business results, team effectiveness, and talent growth.
• Strengthen communication, operating discipline, and knowledge sharing across all Premium Targets facilities.
• Provide clear, timely business updates and recommendations to senior leaders and key stakeholders.

Operational Excellence, Strategy, and Capital Leadership

• Champion EHS excellence by ensuring regulatory compliance, audit readiness, effective risk assessments, timely incident and near‑miss investigation, corrective‑action closure, and consistent use of leading and lagging safety indicators.
• Serve as executive sponsor for the Premium Targets Lean manufacturing transformation.
• Advance daily management, structured problem solving, kaizen, standard work, process improvement, and cost‑reduction practices across sites.
• Partner with Lean resources and site leaders to implement improvements and sustain measurable gains.
• Lead major capital programs, equipment installations, expansions, and facility transitions in partnership with Engineering, corporate, business‑unit, and capital teams.
• Ensure capital initiatives meet approved cost, schedule, quality, and performance objectives while integrating safety into design, installation, commissioning, and startup.
• Develop manufacturing and supply chain strategies that support production, maintenance, planning, EHS, technical capability, and customer requirements.
• Partner with Commercial teams to deliver an exceptional customer experience.
• Enable best‑practice sharing and process standardization across manufacturing locations.
• Lead financial performance improvement, with a focus on gross margin, inventory turns, and cost management.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, business, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience in a manufacturing environment, including significant manufacturing operations people leadership responsibility with a demonstrated ability to develop leaders and build high‑performing teams.
• Demonstrated success leading safety and EHS performance, manufacturing operations, continuous improvement, engineering, and capital projects.
• Ability to lead end‑to‑end processes and deliver results through cross‑functional and matrixed teams.
• Ability to travel up to 50%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering, business administration, or a related field.
• Leadership experience in a multi‑site or international manufacturing organization.
• Experience leading a Lean transformation or enterprise‑wide operating system.
• Experience managing major capital programs, facility expansions, installations, or transitions.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic and systems‑oriented thinking, with the ability to translate business priorities into executable operating plans.
• Strong influence, collaboration, and negotiation skills, including the ability to secure alignment and resources across functions.
• Clear, concise written and verbal communication with team members, peers, customers, and senior leaders.
• Sound judgment and the ability to navigate ambiguity, reconcile differing viewpoints, and make timely decisions.
• Visible, values‑based leadership grounded in safety, integrity, accountability, disciplined execution, and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated commitment to coaching, succession planning, and the growth of talent across all levels.

Pay Range

$148,500.00 - $237,100.00

Actual base salary offered varies based on factors, including but not limited to, relevant skill, prior experience, education, base salary of internal peers, demonstrated performance, and geographic location.

The selection of the person to be hired for this position is contingent on the candidate having export compliance eligibility for access to U.S. controlled technology which comes under the licensing jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of State, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

The candidate selected will have to qualify as either a U.S. citizen, a U.S. National, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., a Person Admitted into the U.S. as an Asylee or Refugee., a National of a country that is not prohibited from having access to U.S. controlled technology (via a letter of assurance), or a Person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on Materion’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with Materion’s business requirements.

Materion Corporation and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) is an equal employment opportunity employer. It is the Company’s policy to not unlawfully discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. The Company also prohibits harassment of applicants and employees based on any of these protected categories. It is also the Company’s policy to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions. The information collected by this application is solely to determine suitability for employment, verify identity and maintain employment statistics on applicants.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on the Company. Please inform the Company’s personnel representative if you need assistance completing any forms or to otherwise participate in the application process.

Materion’s Veteran Employee Resource group supports veterans and promotes the benefits of hiring veterans in the workplace. We honor all those who have served and are a military friendly company. Veterans are encouraged to apply and military experience and skills are transferrable to Materion careers.

Please provide complete information. An incomplete application may affect your consideration for employment.