Director of Operations Optical Connectivity

Flint Hills Resources; Fremont, Lisle (CA, IL); On-site; USD 190,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Molex in Fremont, CA seeks a Director of Operations for its Optical Connectivity manufacturing footprint. You will lead strategy, scale operations, and partner with engineering, quality, and business leaders across regions to accelerate readiness and deliver on growth initiatives.

This role combines strategic planning with hands-on execution, building capable teams and scalable operating systems, driving safety, quality, delivery, productivity and cost improvements while fostering a culture of

Qualifications

• Lead manufacturing operations strategy and execution across multiple sites.
• Drive capacity expansion, ramp-ups, and readiness activities.
• Partner with engineering, quality, and business leaders to improve performance.
• Transfer knowledge and technology across global locations.
• Establish operating mechanisms for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost.
• Coach and develop operational and technical leaders; build leadership depth.
• Lead cross-functional problem solving and escalation to meet priorities.
• Foster collaboration and continuous improvement across global teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing operations strategy and execution to support growth across sites.
• Drive capacity expansion and ramp-ups, ensuring production readiness.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve performance.
• Transfer manufacturing know-how across locations to strengthen capability.
• Establish and improve systems for safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost.
• Coach leaders and develop teams to close capability gaps.
• Lead cross-functional problem solving and escalation.

Skills

Manufacturing operations leadership

Production ramp-ups & capacity growth

Cross-functional collaboration

Coaching & leadership development

Operational excellence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering / Manufacturing / Operations Management / Business

Job description

Director of Operations Optical Connectivity

Molex is seeking a Director of Operations to lead and scale manufacturing operations for our Optical Connectivity business. This role will serve as a key operations leader responsible for building organizational capability, driving manufacturing performance, and supporting the growth of a global manufacturing footprint.

The successful candidate will partner closely with manufacturing, engineering, quality, and business leaders across multiple regions to accelerate operational readiness, support production transfers, improve manufacturing performance, and ensure successful execution of business growth initiatives. This role requires a leader who can balance strategic planning with hands‑on operational execution while developing strong teams and scalable operating systems.

Our Team

The Optical Connectivity business is experiencing significant growth and expansion across multiple manufacturing locations. This team is focused on developing manufacturing capability, supporting production ramp‑ups, strengthening operational performance, and enabling collaboration across global operations. The Director of Operations will play a critical role in aligning resources, sharing best practices, and supporting long‑term operational excellence across the organization.

What You Will Do

• Lead manufacturing operations strategy and execution to support business growth, operational readiness, and customer commitments across multiple sites.
• Drive capacity expansion, factory ramp‑ups, production readiness activities, and operational scaling initiatives.
• Partner with manufacturing, engineering, quality, and business leaders to identify risks, remove barriers, and improve operational performance.
• Support the transfer of manufacturing knowledge, processes, equipment, and technology across global locations to strengthen capability and execution.
• Establish and improve operating mechanisms that drive performance in safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost.
• Coach and develop operational and technical leaders by identifying capability gaps, providing constructive feedback, and building leadership depth across the organization.
• Lead cross‑functional problem solving and escalation management to ensure timely execution of business priorities and customer requirements.
• Foster collaboration across global teams and manufacturing locations while promoting a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• Experience leading manufacturing operations within a complex production environment.
• Experience launching, scaling, or expanding manufacturing operations, including production ramp‑ups, capacity expansion, or new production line implementation.
• Experience leading operations across multiple manufacturing sites or regions.
• Experience working effectively with global teams across different cultures and geographic locations.
• Experience developing, coaching, and leading operational, engineering, and technical teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business, or a related field; or equivalent operations leadership experience.

What Will Put You Ahead

• Experience within optical connectivity, fiber optics, telecommunications, electronics, precision manufacturing, or related industries.
• Experience transferring production, technology, equipment, or manufacturing processes between global regions.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Operational Excellence certification and application experience.
• Experience leading engineering, manufacturing engineering, process engineering, or other technical organizations.
• Experience supporting high‑growth manufacturing environments and large‑scale operational transformations.
• Experience driving measurable improvements in productivity, quality, yield, cost, and delivery performance.

For this role, we anticipate paying $190,000 - $240,000 per year. This role is eligible for variable pay, issued as a monetary bonus or in another form.

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.

Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here .

Who We Are

As a Koch company, Molex is a leading supplier of connectors and interconnect components, driving innovation in electronics and supporting industries from automotive to health care and consumer to data communications. The thousands of innovators who work for Molex have made us a global electronics leader. Our experienced people, groundbreaking products and leading‑edge technologies help us deliver a wider array of solutions to more markets than ever before.

At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.

Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please click here for additional information. (For Illinois E-Verify information click here , aquí , or tu ).