Director of Operations: Scale Growth with Systems & Impact

KDM Engineering; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Growth and advancement opportunities

Competitive compensation

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k)

Paid time off & holidays

Flexible work schedules

Professional development

Job summary

KDM Engineering in Chicago is seeking a Director of Operations to translate growth into scalable systems and cross‑functional alignment. You will partner with the CEO and executive team, leading HR, IT, Administration, facilities, and vendor management to drive consistent execution.

The ideal candidate is both a strategic thinker and an executor who can turn plans into action, establish KPIs, and foster accountability and continuous improvement across the organization.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations management.
• Ability to translate strategic priorities into clear executable plans.
• Strong interpersonal skills with executive leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Experience building scalable processes and KPIs.
• Comfortable working with an entrepreneurial CEO in a fast-moving environment.

Responsibilities

• Partner with CEO and leadership to translate strategic priorities into actionable operational plans.
• Develop scalable processes, systems, and resources to support growth.
• Provide leadership across HR, IT, Administration, facilities, and vendor relationships.
• Evaluate performance and drive efficiency, accountability, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Lead strategic initiatives from concept to implementation with clear ownership and timelines.
• Develop and monitor KPIs and metrics to inform leadership.
• Align operations with business objectives across Engineering, Finance, HR, Recruiting, and Business Development.
• Standardize workflows through technology, automation, and continuous improvement.
• Support department leaders to remove barriers and provide necessary tools and resources.
• Coordinate high-priority cross-department initiatives supporting company-wide growth.

Skills

Strategic thinker

Execution oriented

Cross-functional collaboration

Leadership

Communication with executives

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Operations Management

Master's degree preferred

Job description

KDM Engineering in Chicago is seeking a Director of Operations to translate growth into scalable systems and cross‑functional alignment. You will partner with the CEO and executive team, leading HR, IT, Administration, facilities, and vendor management to drive consistent execution.

The ideal candidate is both a strategic thinker and an executor who can turn plans into action, establish KPIs, and foster accountability and continuous improvement across the organization.