Operations Leader

Advantest America; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Advantest America is seeking an Operations Leader to drive Mechanical Assembly and Service Center Operations, ensuring efficient manufacturing execution, depot repair, refurbishment, and logistics coordination. You will partner with Engineering, Supply Chain, Product Management, and Sales to meet quality, cost, and delivery goals while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.

The role emphasizes scalable, safe operations with a focus on customer satisfaction, performance

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in engineering or related field required.
• Significant experience leading operations in manufacturing or service centers.
• Strong knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methods.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations of Mechanical Assembly and Service Center functions to meet production, quality, and delivery targets.
• Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with growth objectives and customer requirements.
• Establish metrics and management systems to monitor performance and drive accountability.
• Manage staffing, training, and succession planning to support business needs.
• Drive safety, quality, and continuous improvement culture across the organization.

Skills

Leadership

Operations Management

Lean Manufacturing

Quality Systems

Cross-functional Collaboration

Depot Repair

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

MBA or equivalent leadership coursework

Tools

ERP systems

Kaizen tools

Statistical analysis tools

Job description

Operations Leader, Mechanical Assembly & Service Center Operations:

Position Summary

The Operations Leader is responsible for leading Mechanical Assembly and Service Center Operations supporting Advantest Interface products. This role oversees manufacturing execution, depot repair, refurbishment, logistics coordination, quality, and customer delivery performance while driving operational excellence across the organization.

The leader will ensure safe, efficient, and scalable operations that meet business objectives for quality, cost, delivery, inventory management, and customer satisfaction. Working closely with Engineering, Supply Chain, Customer Engineering, Product Management, and Sales teams, this individual will establish a high-performance culture focused on continuous improvement, accountability, and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Operations Leadership

• Lead daily operations of Mechanical Assembly and Service Center functions, ensuring achievement of production, quality, and delivery targets.
• Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with company growth objectives and customer requirements.
• Establish operational metrics and management systems to monitor performance and drive accountability.
• Manage staffing, workforce planning, training, and succession planning to support business needs.
• Foster a culture of safety, quality, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Mechanical Assembly Operations

• Direct mechanical assembly activities for Advantest Interface products and related subsystems.
• Ensure production schedules are achieved while maintaining product quality and cost objectives.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing Engineering to optimize workflows, tooling, and assembly processes.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives to improve productivity, reduce waste, and increase operational efficiency.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) and engineering change implementations.

Service Center Operations

• Oversee repair, refurbishment, calibration coordination, and service activities for customer-returned equipment.
• Drive turnaround time improvements and maximize asset utilization.
• Establish service center processes that deliver predictable and high-quality outcomes.
• Ensure customer commitments and service level agreements are consistently achieved.
• Support root cause investigations and corrective actions for recurring field issues.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Champion quality systems and ensure compliance with company and industry standards.
• Lead corrective and preventive action (CAPA) initiatives.
• Analyze operational performance data and implement improvement plans.
• Drive Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Partner with Quality and Engineering teams to improve product reliability and manufacturability.

Supply Chain & Inventory Management

• Work closely with Supply Chain and Procurement to ensure material availability.
• Optimize inventory levels while maintaining customer delivery commitments.
• Manage service inventory, spare parts availability, and repair asset tracking.
• Support forecasting and capacity planning activities.

Customer Focus

• Act as a key operational partner to Customer Engineering and customer-facing teams.
• Ensure rapid response to customer escalations and critical delivery requirements.
• Monitor operational performance impacting customer satisfaction and implement corrective actions.
• Participate in customer reviews, audits, and business discussions as required.

Financial & Business Management

• Develop and manage departmental budgets and operating plans.
• Drive cost reduction initiatives while maintaining quality and service levels.
• Monitor operational KPIs and ensure achievement of business objectives.
• Support strategic planning and growth initiatives for the Interface business.