Director of Operations and Manufacturing

Southeast Steel Systems; Adel (GA); Vor Ort; USD 180.000 - 240.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401(k) with company match

Zusammenfassung

Southeast Steel Systems is seeking a hands-on Director of Operations and Manufacturing to lead two steel fabrication plants in Adel, GA and Tampa, FL. The role focuses on safety, quality, throughput, and lead-time reduction while launching second shifts and driving capacity.

This position demands senior manufacturing leadership and a track record of transformational results. You will own budgets and P&L, partner with Finance, and work with Sales to ensure reliable lead-times.

Qualifikationen

• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience across multiple sites.
• Hands-on leadership in lean transformation, safety, quality, and throughput.
• Experience launching or managing second/multi-shift operations with staffing plans.
• Strong KPIs, daily management routines, and cost control experience.

Aufgaben

• Lead safety, housekeeping, and OSHA compliance across Adel and Tampa plants.
• Establish and mature quality systems (QC/QA, CAPA, ISO-style reviews).
• Drive lead-time reduction, flow improvement, and bottleneck removal actions.
• Own manufacturing budgets, P&L results, and capital expenditure decisions.
• Coordinate with engineering, detailing, and purchasing to remove delays.

Kenntnisse

Manufacturing leadership

Lean manufacturing

Multi-site operations

P&L management

Safety leadership

Ausbildung

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Operations

Jobbeschreibung

Southeast Steel Systems is a growing, private equity-backed manufacturer of steel building systems with two production facilities - one in Adel, Georgia, and one in Tampa, Florida. Our plants fabricate structural steel buildings and components using heavy plate and I-beam processing, welding (including pull-through welder), sheet metal fabrication, metal brakes, roll forming, purlin line, and cut-off saws. We are executing an ambitious growth plan and are investing in the leadership, systems, and capacity to support it.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a hands-on, results-driven Director of Operations and Manufacturing to lead production operations across both plants - a transformation role, not a maintenance role. The company is on a trajectory to double sales, double throughput, and cut manufacturing lead-time in half. This leader will own the operational side of that mission, driving step-change improvements in safety, housekeeping, quality (QC & QA), process discipline, throughput, and utilization, and will plan and launch second shifts at both locations to unlock capacity.

Key Responsibilities:

Safety & Housekeeping

• Build a zero-injury safety culture; own TRIR, DART, and near-miss reporting programs across both plants
• Implement and sustain 5S/6S housekeeping standards on the shop floor, with regular audits and visible accountability
• Ensure compliance with OSHA and applicable regulations for heavy steel fabrication environments (crane/rigging safety, hot work, machine guarding, PPE, lockout/tagout)
• Lead incident investigations, root-cause analysis, and corrective action closure

Quality (QC & QA)

• Establish and mature the quality management system across both facilities, spanning incoming material verification, in-process inspection, weld quality (AWS standards), and final inspection
• Drive first-pass yield improvement and reduce rework, scrap, and warranty/field issues
• Implement structured root-cause and corrective/preventive action (CAPA) processes
• Create and lead an ISO style monthly Management Review meeting
• Position the company for relevant certifications as appropriate (e.g., AISC, IAS AC472)

Process Improvement & Lead-Time Reduction

• Map value streams in both plants; identify and eliminate bottlenecks and non-value-added time
• Deploy lean manufacturing tools (standard work, SMED, kanban, visual management, TPM) suited to a job-shop/engineer-to-order steel environment
• Cut manufacturing lead-time by 50% through flow improvement, scheduling discipline, and constraint management
• Partner with engineering, detailing, and purchasing to remove upstream delays that constrain the shop floor
• Lead purchasing for both sites through the Procurement Manager - steel, components, consumables, expense items, and services - balancing cost, lead-time, and quality
• Own vendor quality: supplier qualification, scorecards, incoming material verification, and corrective action with underperforming suppliers
• Partner with Finance on inventory strategy, min/max levels, and cash-conscious buying that still protects production continuity

Throughput & Utilization

• Double plant throughput through a combination of process improvement, capacity planning, staffing, and equipment utilization
• Establish OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) or equivalent measurement on key equipment - roll formers, purlin line, pull-through welder, brakes, saws - and drive systematic improvement
• Develop and execute the plan to launch second shifts in both Adel and Tampa, including hiring plans, shift leadership structure, training, and cross-shift communication routines
• Build production scheduling and capacity models that align shop loading with the sales pipeline

Leadership & Talent

• Directly lead the Plant Managers at both sites plus the Procurement Manager, SHEF Specialist, and QA Specialist; develop shift supervisors and front-line leads through the plant managers
• Recruit, train, and retain skilled trades talent (welders, sheet metal workers, machine operators) in competitive labor markets
• Establish daily management routines: tiered meetings, KPI boards, Gemba walks, and escalation processes
• Foster alignment and consistent standards between the Adel and Tampa operations

Business Partnership

• Own the manufacturing operating budgets for Adel and Tampa, including annual planning, monthly forecasts, labor costs, operating expenses, and capital expenditure recommendations
• Own manufacturing P&L performance and plant-level financial results in partnership with Finance; review actual results against budget, explain variances, and lead corrective actions to improve margin and control costs
• Support ERP-driven operations (NetSuite), including production data discipline, inventory accuracy, and work order integrity
• Partner with Sales and the CRO to ensure promised lead-times are competitive and consistently achieved

Financial Accountability, Budgeting & Overtime Control

• Own overtime authorization, scheduling, monitoring, and reduction across both plants; hold plant managers accountable for overtime approvals, staffing plans, and labor efficiency without compromising safety, quality, or delivery
• Develop and manage annual plant operating budgets, labor budgets, and rolling forecasts; track actual spending against plan and address unfavorable variances
• Be accountable for manufacturing P&L results, including controllable production costs, labor, scrap, rework, purchasing impacts, and operating margins, in partnership with the CFO and Finance team
• Review weekly labor and overtime reports and monthly plant financial results; identify cost drivers and implement measurable improvements
• Evaluate capital spending and equipment investments using capacity needs, cost savings, payback, and return on investment

Key Performance Indicators

• TRIR / recordable incidents and near-miss closure rate; 5S/housekeeping audit scores
• First-pass yield, rework %, and cost of poor quality
• Manufacturing lead-time (target: 50% reduction) and throughput (tons or units per week; target: 2x)
• On-time delivery / schedule attainment; equipment utilization / OEE on constraint equipment
• Second-shift launch milestones (both sites); direct labor productivity; overtime hours, overtime cost, and overtime as a percentage of labor expense
• Manufacturing P&L performance, operating margin, and controllable cost per unit or ton
• Budget-to-actual variance, forecast accuracy, and capital expenditure performance

Qualifications:

Required

• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including multi-site or multi-shift responsibility
• Deep experience in structural steel fabrication, metal building systems, or heavy metals manufacturing (plate, I-beam, welding-intensive environments)
• Demonstrated track record of transformational results: measurable improvements in safety, quality, throughput, and lead-time
• Hands-on experience implementing lean manufacturing / continuous improvement in a job-shop or engineer-to-order environment
• Experience launching or managing second/multi-shift operations, including hiring and shift leadership development
• Strong command of manufacturing KPIs and daily management systems
• Working knowledge of OSHA requirements and weld quality standards (AWS)
• Must be based onsite in Adel, GA and able to travel extensively to Tampa, FL, maintaining a strong leadership presence at both plants
• Demonstrated experience owning manufacturing budgets, controlling overtime, and managing plant P&L performance and financial results

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Industrial Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• Lean Six Sigma certification (Black Belt or Green Belt)
• Experience in the metal building / pre-engineered building industry
• Familiarity with AISC certification and/or IAS AC472
• Experience in a private equity-backed or high-growth environment

Physical & Work Environment

• Active shop-floor presence in heavy steel fabrication environments (overhead cranes, welding, cutting, forming); ability to walk plant floors extensively, with occasional lifting and climbing
• Primary work location is onsite in Adel, GA, with significant and frequent travel to the Tampa, FL facility

What We Offer

• The opportunity to lead a high-visibility transformation with direct impact on company value
• Comprehensive benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k)) and a leadership team committed to investing in people, equipment, and systems