Ops Director, Precision Photonics Manufacturing

Gooch & Housego PLC

Chicago (IL)

On-site

USD 150,000 - 190,000

Full time

3 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

401(k) Retirement Plan with Company 匹

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

Life and Disability Insurance

Employee Wellness Resources

Professional Development Opportunities

Job summary

Gooch & Housego PLC in the Chicago area seeks a hands-on Director of Operations to lead a 20+ person acousto-optics site. You will own daily execution, safety, quality, delivery, and cost, while aligning production with demand.

Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Finance to drive disciplined planning and continuous improvement. The role requires senior manufacturing leadership, a strong bias for action, and experience in precision photonics or related fields.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management or related field; advanced degree preferred.
At least five years of progressive manufacturing leadership, including direct people management.
Experience in precision manufacturing, photonics or acousto-optics preferred.
Demonstrated production planning, inventory management and budgeting experience.
Working knowledge of ERP systems, Excel and manufacturing performance metrics.
Experience with Lean, 5S or continuous improvement methods.
Able to lead hands-on in a small-site environment while balancing strategic and daily priorities.
Strong coaching, communication, and cross-functional stakeholder skills.
Experience with regulated aerospace/defense manufacturing or ISO/AS systems preferred.
Able to analyze operational data and drive sustained improvements.

Responsibilities

Lead day-to-day site operations, set priorities, allocate labor and equipment, and coach a small manufacturing team to meet safety, quality, delivery, and productivity goals.
Oversee production scheduling, capacity, workflow and bottlenecks for high-precision acousto-optic manufacturing.
Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, and cross-functional teamwork aligned with G&H values.
Lead culture change initiatives and people leadership for site growth.
Guide NPI/product transfers for insourcing with leadership, team formation and risk mitigation.
Advance production methodologies and technologies to scale capabilities.