Manufacturing Director: Lean Transformation & Ops Excellence

Morgan Latif | B Corp™; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan Latif, a specialist leadership search & development consultancy, is seeking a Manufacturing Director to lead a high-mix, regulated manufacturing environment. This role focuses on transforming shop floor operations, embedding data-driven daily management, and driving Lean culture across machining and assembly.

The candidate will build leadership capability and sustain long-term performance. The position requires hands-on leadership, deep Lean expertise, and strong emotional intelligence to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing operations.
• Experience in complex, regulated manufacturing environments (medical device, aerospace/defense preferred).
• Deep expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong understanding of OEE, cycle times, throughput, and production flow optimisation.
• Experience implementing KPI-driven daily management systems.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management capability.
• Experience in machining or precision manufacturing environments is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead the transformation of manufacturing operations through standardisation, Lean methodologies, and continuous improvement
• Establish and sustain daily management systems aligned to SQDP (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Productivity)
• Drive a structured problem-solving culture, enabling teams to resolve issues quickly using data-driven approaches
• Improve operational performance across key metrics including OTD, productivity, quality, and labor/machine efficiency
• Coach teams to think in end-to-end value streams (SIPOC) and understand broader operational impact
• Partner cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Quality, and EHS to drive aligned outcomes
• Support the development and optimisation of leading KPI frameworks in collaboration with senior leadership
• Drive cultural change toward accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement
• Lead organisational design and restructuring initiatives where required to optimise performance
• Build and lead a high-performing manufacturing leadership team
• Develop Production Managers to adopt a problem-solving, people-centric leadership style
• Foster a culture of ownership, engagement, and continuous improvement across the shop floor

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Job description

Morgan Latif, a specialist leadership search & development consultancy, is seeking a Manufacturing Director to lead a high-mix, regulated manufacturing environment. This role focuses on transforming shop floor operations, embedding data-driven daily management, and driving Lean culture across machining and assembly.

The candidate will build leadership capability and sustain long-term performance. The position requires hands-on leadership, deep Lean expertise, and strong emotional intelligence to