Director of Operations — Growth & Lean Manufacturing

Waterstone Human Capital; New York (NY); On-site; USD 153,000 - 187,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Waterstone Human Capital represents a rapidly growing manufacturer in Central New York seeking an experienced Director of Operations to build and lead manufacturing, planning, quality and supply chain functions. The role sits on the Senior Leadership Team and reports to the President, shaping strategy and culture across the plant floor.

You will lead a hands-on team, drive continuous improvement, own KPIs for safety and quality, and champion Lean and 5S across operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, or related field.
• 5+ years of process manufacturing or operations leadership experience.
• Strong background in production planning, scheduling, inventory management, and supply chain.
• ERP systems experience and familiarity with 5S/continuous improvement methodologies.
• A player-coach mentality in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing, quality, maintenance, production planning, supply chain, and logistics across the operation.
• Build organizational capability and develop a manufacturing leadership team to support continued growth.
• Own KPIs for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and inventory.
• Drive Lean, 5S, Kaizen, and other continuous improvement initiatives.
• Standardize processes while maintaining flexibility for custom project execution.
• Improve production scheduling, purchasing, and inventory management processes.
• Champion a proactive, prevention-first approach to safety and quality.

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

Production planning

Scheduling

Inventory management

Continuous improvement

Problem-solving

Communication

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering / Operations / Supply Chain

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Waterstone Human Capital represents a rapidly growing manufacturer in Central New York seeking an experienced Director of Operations to build and lead manufacturing, planning, quality and supply chain functions. The role sits on the Senior Leadership Team and reports to the President, shaping strategy and culture across the plant floor.

You will lead a hands-on team, drive continuous improvement, own KPIs for safety and quality, and champion Lean and 5S across operations.