Director of Operations

Museum Studio; Washington; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Design and Production Incorporated (D&P) in Washington seeks a Director of Operations to oversee shop, production, detailing, facilities, and field operations, ensuring projects move from design through fabrication to installation with quality, schedule, cost and safety controls.

You will lead day-to-day production, coordinate workflows from drawings to fabrication, balance staffing across multiple projects, and partner with project management to mitigate risks and resolve issues.

Qualifications

• Ten or more years in fabrication, production, or operations leadership.
• Experience in museum exhibits, themed environments, or design-build environments is a plus.
• Strong understanding of shop operations, facilities management, and fabrication workflows.
• Experience overseeing field labor and installation operations.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams across shop, office, and field.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations of the production floor and detailing teams.
• Establish and maintain efficient workflows from shop drawings through fabrication and installation support.
• Balance workload, staffing, and scheduling across multiple concurrent projects.
• Ensure adherence to project schedules, budgets, and quality standards.
• Partner closely with project management to anticipate risks and resolve operational issues.
• Oversee building and facilities maintenance, ensuring a safe, compliant, and efficient work environment
• Manage and maintain all shop equipment, coordinating preventative maintenance, repairs, and upgrades.
• Oversee company vehicle and truck fleet, including maintenance schedules, compliance, and utilization.
• Develop capital improvement plans for equipment, tools, and facilities.
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and lead continuous improvement in shop safety practices.
• Oversee detailing team and shop drawing standards.
• Ensure drawings are fabrication-ready, coordinated, and aligned with design intent.
• Improve documentation consistency, review processes, and revision controls.
• Foster strong collaboration between detailing, fabrication, and project management.
• Oversee field labor and installation crews across active job sites.
• Directly manage or support site supervisors and field leads.
• Ensure proper coordination between shop production and field installation sequencing.
• Maintain high standards for on-site safety, quality, and client representation.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Operations management

Communication

Problem-solving

Job description

Design and Production Inc. is a renowned builder of museum experiences, offering a comprehensive range of specialty services for museums and high-profile institutions. D&P’s expertise lies in prefabrication consulting, project management, exhibit engineering, detailing, prototyping, installation, media, and lighting systems. Projects are custom, large scale, complex, multi-year experiences. Based in Washington.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

The Director of Operations oversees all shop, production, detailing, facilities, and field operations. This role serves as the operational backbone of D&P, ensuring projects move efficiently from design intent through fabrication, installation, and closeout while maintaining quality, schedule, cost, and safety controls.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

Operations & Production

• Oversee day-to-day operations of the production floor and detailing teams.
• Establish and maintain efficient workflows from shop drawings through fabrication and installation support.
• Balance workload, staffing, and scheduling across multiple concurrent projects.
• Ensure adherence to project schedules, budgets, and quality standards.
• Partner closely with project management to anticipate risks and resolve operational issues.

Shop, Facilities & Equipment Management

• Oversee building and facilities maintenance, ensuring a safe, compliant, and efficient work environment
• Manage and maintain all shop equipment, coordinating preventative maintenance, repairs, and upgrades.
• Oversee company vehicle and truck fleet, including maintenance schedules, compliance, and utilization.
• Develop capital improvement plans for equipment, tools, and facilities.
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and lead continuous improvement in shop safety practices.

Detailing & Technical Coordination

• Oversee detailing team and shop drawing standards.
• Ensure drawings are fabrication-ready, coordinated, and aligned with design intent.
• Improve documentation consistency, review processes, and revision controls.
• Foster strong collaboration between detailing, fabrication, and project management.

Field Operations & Installation Oversight

• Oversee field labor and installation crews across active job sites.
• Directly manage or support site supervisors and field leads.
• Ensure proper coordination between shop production and field installation sequencing.
• Maintain high standards for on-site safety, quality, and client representation.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR IN YOUR RESUME

• 10+ years of experience in fabrication, production, or operations leadership.
• Experience in museum exhibits, themed environments, custom fabrication, or design-build environments a plus.
• Strong understanding of shop operations, facilities management, and fabrication workflows.
• Experience overseeing field labor and installation operations.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams across shop, office, and field.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Design and Production Incorporated (D&P) is an Equal Opportunity Employer - All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. Design

and Production Incorporated (D&P) is an E-Verify Employer.