Director of Operations – Easton

COHERENT; Easton (Northampton County); On-site; USD 167,000 - 199,000; Full time

Job summary

Coherent Corp. in Easton, PA seeks a Senior Director of Operations to lead the Easton Garnet manufacturing expansion, ensure readiness, and build a scalable, high-performing organization.

The role reports to the Senior Director of Garnet Operations and collaborates with Engineering, R&D, Quality, Supply Chain and Finance. This leader will drive safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity while guiding staffing, equipment, process qualification, and manufacturing execution for current and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline is required.
• 10+ years of leadership in manufacturing/operations; 7+ years in diversified leadership, planning, and people management.
• Progressive leadership in manufacturing, operations, or related technical organization.
• Experience leading expansions, ramps, equipment installation, tech transfer, or facility startup.
• Experience leading multi-site manufacturing or transitioning technologies to volume production.
• Strong understanding of operations, capacity planning, quality systems, cost management, capital execution, and continuous improvement.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing operating budgets and capital investments.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, decision-making, and executive communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and accountability for manufacturing operations at Easton.
• Own operational performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, yield, capacity, and schedule attainment.
• Establish clear priorities, operating metrics, management systems, and accountability throughout the organization.
• Ensure the operation has the people, equipment, materials, processes, infrastructure, and technical support required to meet production objectives.
• Provide senior operations leadership for the Easton Garnet expansion and manufacturing ramp.
• Ensure facility, equipment, staffing, training, qualification, and production-readiness activities remain aligned with business requirements.
• Identify and elevate significant operational, schedule, resource, or technical risks and drive timely resolution.
• Build and develop the Easton manufacturing organization required for current production and future growth.
• Establish clear leadership accountability across managers, supervisors, leads, technicians, and operators.
• Drive improvements in throughput, yield, cycle time, equipment utilization, labor productivity, and manufacturing cost.
• Lead corrective actions and recovery plans when performance does not meet business expectations.
• Establish disciplined daily management and structured problem solving to improve operational stability and performance.
• Maintain strong manufacturing discipline and partnership with Quality and Engineering to improve process capability and product consistency.
• Maintain senior leadership accountability for EHS performance and ensure operations comply with Coherent requirements.
• Provide senior operations input to equipment, infrastructure, facility, and manufacturing-layout decisions.
• Partner with Engineering and Facilities to ensure investments support manufacturing requirements, maintainability, safety, and future capacity.
• Serve as the senior operations interface for key cross-functional partners and align with Garnet priorities.
• Provide clear executive-level communication on performance, risks, capacity, resource requirements, and major decisions.
• Execute the manufacturing strategy, capacity objectives, and operational priorities established by the Senior Director, Garnet Operations.

Skills

Operational leadership

Strategic planning

Executive communication

Problem solving

Financial acumen

Continuous improvement

Capacity planning

Safety & EHS awareness

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Materials Science, or related technical discipline

Advanced degree in Engineering, Operations, Business Administration, or related field

Job description

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Operations – Easton, PA provides senior leadership for the Easton Garnet manufacturing operation, with primary accountability for the successful execution of the Easton expansion, operational readiness, and production ramp. The role is responsible for building a safe, stable, scalable, and high-performing manufacturing organization that can meet current and future business requirements.

The position reports to the Senior Director, Garnet Operations and works closely with Engineering, R&D, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, Human Resources, Facilities, EHS, and other functions to align expansion, staffing, equipment, process qualification, and manufacturing execution.

Key Responsibilities Easton Operations Leadership

• Provide overall leadership and accountability for manufacturing operations at Easton.
• Own operational performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, yield, capacity, and schedule attainment.
• Establish clear priorities, operating metrics, management systems, and accountability throughout the organization.
• Ensure the operation has the people, equipment, materials, processes, infrastructure, and technical support required to meet production objectives.

Expansion & Manufacturing Ramp

• Provide senior operations leadership for the Easton Garnet expansion and manufacturing ramp.
• Ensure facility, equipment, staffing, training, qualification, and production-readiness activities remain aligned with business requirements.
• Identify and elevate significant operational, schedule, resource, or technical risks and drive timely resolution.

Organizational Development

• Build and develop the Easton manufacturing organization required for current production and future growth.
• Establish clear leadership accountability across managers, supervisors, leads, technicians, and operators.

Manufacturing Performance & Improvement

• Drive improvements in throughput, yield, cycle time, equipment utilization, labor productivity, and manufacturing cost.
• Lead corrective actions and recovery plans when performance does not meet business expectations.
• Establish disciplined daily management and structured problem solving to improve operational stability and performance.

Quality, Customer & EHS

• Maintain strong manufacturing discipline and partnership with Quality and Engineering to improve process capability and product consistency.
• Maintain senior leadership accountability for EHS performance and ensure operations comply with Coherent requirements and applicable regulations.

Capital, Equipment & Facility Readiness

• Provide senior operations input to equipment, infrastructure, facility, and manufacturing-layout decisions.
• Partner with Engineering and Facilities to ensure investments support manufacturing requirements, maintainability, safety, and future capacity.

Cross-Functional & Executive Leadership

• Serve as the senior operations interface for key cross-functional partners and maintain alignment with Garnet business priorities.
• Provide clear executive-level communication on performance, risks, capacity, resource requirements, and major decisions.
• Execute the manufacturing strategy, capacity objectives, and operational priorities established by the Senior Director, Garnet Operations.

Qualifications Required

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline.
• Typically 10+ years of relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and work experience Typicaly requires 7+ years diversified leadership, planning, communication, organization and people motivation skill (or equivalent experience
• Significant progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, operations, engineering, or a related technical organization.
• Experience leading manufacturing expansions, production ramps, equipment installation, technology transfer, or facility startup.
• Experience leading multi-site manufacturing organizations or transitioning new technologies into volume production.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, capacity planning, quality systems, cost management, capital execution, and continuous improvement.
• Strong financial and business acumen with experience managing operating budgets and capital investments.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, decision-making, and executive communication skills.

Preferred

• Advanced degree in Engineering, Operations, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience in crystal growth, optical materials, semiconductor materials, photonics, epitaxy, or advanced-material manufacturing.

Measures of Success

• Successful execution of Easton expansion milestones and manufacturing-readiness objectives.
• Achievement of planned production, capacity, quality, safety, delivery, cost, and productivity objectives.
• Development of a strong Easton leadership organization with the capability to manage routine operations effectively.
• Successful installation, qualification, and production release of manufacturing equipment.
• Effective development, training, and retention of the manufacturing workforce.
• Visible improvement in operational stability, yield, productivity, and manufacturing cost.

Working Conditions

• Office Environment

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work at computer

ITAR/EAR and Other Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR (U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident, or protected individual).
• Compliance with all applicable export control regulations.

Safety Requirements

All employees are required to attend scheduled training, follow the site EHS procedures and Coherent Corporate EHS standards. This includes the use of proper protective equipment (PPE) as required by the job responsibilities.

Managers will ensure that all safety and environmental procedures are followed consistently. They will ensure that risk assessments are performed, proper training, work instructions, required PPE is available, and will monitor compliance.

Quality and Environmental Responsibilities

Depending on location, this position may be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001 and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and responsibilities within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System.

Culture Commitment

Ensure adherence to company’s values (ICARE) in all aspects of your position at Coherent Corp.:

Integrity – Create an Environment of Trust

Collaboration – Innovate Through the Sharing of Ideas

Accountability – Own the Process and the Outcome

Respect – Recognize the Value in Everyone

Enthusiasm – Find a Sense of Purpose in Work

Coherent Corp. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [e-mail].

ABOUT US

Coherent is a global leader in lasers, engineered materials and networking components. We are a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in the industrial, optical communications, military, life sciences, semiconductor equipment, and consumer markets. Coherent provides a comprehensive career development platform within an environment that challenges employees to perform at their best, while rewarding excellence and hard-work through a competitive compensation program. It's an exciting opportunity to work for a company that offers stability, longevity and growth. Come Join Us!

Job Schedule: Full time

Pay Scale: $167,150 - $199,200 per year.