Operations Manager

FitzDrake Search; South Boston (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Equity grant

Medical premium coverage

Job summary

FitzDrake Search is assisting a Virginia-based manufacturing client to recruit an Operations Manager for a 24/7 plant currently at about 40 employees with plans to double in size next year.

The role requires building the operating system for scheduling, performance measurement, supervisor leadership, and problem solving. You will lead operators on the floor, earn trust, and drive safety, quality, and business results.

Qualifications

• Industrial/operations leadership with 5+ years in manufacturing environments.
• Experience scaling 24/7 production lines is highly preferred.
• Strong focus on safety, quality, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Scale a 24/7 operation from 40 to a larger team while maintaining discipline.
• Design and implement the operating system for production scheduling, metrics, and issue resolution.
• Build, coach, and develop a high-performing operations team with clear accountability.
• Collaborate with leadership on safety, quality, and business performance.

Job description

This is an opportunity to help take a proven technical manufacturing process from commissioning and early production into disciplined, full-scale 24/7 operations. The company has a functioning operating model today, but the real opportunity is to build the production system, leadership structure, data discipline, and accountability cadence the plant needs to scale.

The strongest candidate will be a highly driven, technically degreed Operations Manager to help scale a 24/7 operation with 40 employees that will double in size by next year. This person can be the successor to the current Plant Manager in two years. We need a leader who can build, coach, and develop a high-performing operations team while fostering a culture of safety, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will be a proven manufacturing people leader who has seen effective production systems work elsewhere and can bring that experience into a growing operation.

The right person will not simply manage yesterday’s plant. They will help create the operating system for a fast-growing manufacturing business: how production is scheduled, how performance is measured, how supervisors lead, how problems are solved, and how the organization moves from reacting to issues toward predictable execution.

We are searching for someone comfortable leading operators and supervisors, earning trust on the floor, holding people accountable, and communicating clearly enough that the team understands not only what needs to happen, but why it matters to production, safety, quality, and business performance

Base salary is highly competitive and is flexible enough to hire the right person. Also included are an annual bonus and an annual equity grant. The company pays 95% of medical premiums. The company also provides financial support for anyone who needs to relocate.