Senior Director, Plant Operations

Edwards Lifesciences; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Edwards Lifesciences in Salt Lake City seeks a Senior Director, Plant Operations to lead end-to-end manufacturing, engineering, and site support functions. You’ll drive safety, quality, delivery, and cost while building a high-performing culture and ensuring compliance across operations.

You’ll own daily execution, develop the workforce, execute strategic initiatives, balance short-term results with long-term capability, and partner with Quality, Supply Chain, Maintenance, and PEGs to align

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or related field.
• Progressive experience in manufacturing leadership (operations + engineering).
• Demonstrated success leading plant operations or equivalent functional scope.
• Strong financial acumen and track record of delivering operational results.

Responsibilities

• Lead overall plant operations ensuring safe, compliant manufacturing execution.
• Own delivery of core metrics: Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Inventory.
• Drive production plan execution, staffing, and schedule adherence.
• Establish daily management systems to identify and resolve issues fast.
• Oversee site readiness for audits, regulatory reviews, and growth.
• Lead both operations and engineering as an integrated system.

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

Engineering

Lean Six Sigma

Financial acumen

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Operations

MBA preferred

Tools

EPS (Enterprise Production System)

Job description

Imagine how your ideas and expertise can change a patient’s life. Our Global Operations & Quality team plays a central part in ensuring our products are delivered to patients with cardiovascular disease. You’ll partner cross‑functionally with manufacturing operations and sales teams, delivering thoughtful solutions to complex challenges all while developing your knowledge of the medical device industry. Whether your work includes strategic inventory planning, labeling, warehouse management, material handling, or any of our other supply chain opportunities, you will be making a meaningful contribution to our team and to patients all over the world.

The Senior Director, Plant Operations is accountable for end‑to‑end site performance, leading all manufacturing, engineering, and site support functions to deliver on safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives.

This role serves as the site leader with full ownership of daily execution, workforce development, operational strategy, and engineering integration. The leader ensures stable and compliant operations while building a high‑performing, engaged culture and a strong foundation for future site growth.

How you’ll make an impact:

• Lead overall plant operations, ensuring safe, compliant, and uninterrupted manufacturing execution
• Own delivery of core metrics: Safety, Quality, Delivery (MPS/PvA), Cost (absorption), Inventory, and Capacity
• Drive execution of production plans, ensuring line capacity, staffing alignment, and schedule adherence
• Establish daily management systems to identify and resolve operational issues rapidly
• Maintain full accountability for site performance, escalation, and recovery execution
• Lead both operations and engineering organizations as one integrated system
• Ensure engineering provides:
• Daily manufacturing support and issue resolution
• Process stability, capability, and compliance
• Continuous improvement through yield, cycle time, and cost optimization
• Ensure strong execution of RCA, CAPA, validation, and change control processes
• Build technical depth across teams, including operators, technicians, and engineers
• Ensure site readiness to support growth, product transfers, and operational scaling
• Balance short-term execution with long-term capability building
• Lead site-level portfolio of strategic initiatives (e.g., BEx, TOPP, Site relocation, NPI introduction, automation)
• Identify risks early and implement mitigation plans across cross‑functional teams
• Drive a Lean / Six Sigma / EPS-based culture of continuous improvement
• Implement and sustain value stream thinking and waste elimination
• Own plant financial performance, including:
• Cost management and productivity
• Capital planning and deployment
• Budget adherence and expense prioritization
• Optimize resource allocation across labor, equipment, and materials
• Ensure alignment between financial targets and operational plans
• Build and lead a high‑performing, engaged organization across operations and engineering
• Establish strong technical training programs for operators and engineers
• Drive a culture of accountability, inclusion, and continuous learning
• Provide coaching, feedback, and performance management across all levels
• Partner with Quality, Supply Chain, Maintenance, and PEGs to ensure alignment
• Align with other plants to drive standardization and best practice sharing
• Ensure full compliance with regulatory, quality, and EHS requirements
• Champion a zero‑injury, safety‑first culture
• Maintain readiness for audits, inspections, and regulatory reviews
• Ensure environmental compliance and sustainable operations
• Direct oversight of:
• Manufacturing Operations
• Manufacturing Engineering / Process Engineering
• Production Support functions (as applicable)
• Manage through managers/supervisors with selective direct reports
• Balance hands‑on leadership with strategic direction

What you’ll need (Required):

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or related field
• Progressive experience in manufacturing leadership (operations + engineering)
• Demonstrated success leading plant operations or equivalent functional scope
• Strong financial acumen and track record of delivering operational results

What else we look for (Preferred):

• MBA or Master's degree in Engineering Management
• At least 14 years of related experience
• Experience working in a regulated industry, medical device industry
• Experience working with Metals
• Proven leadership of cross‑functional manufacturing organizations
• Expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, and production systems (EPS)
• Strong financial and operational decision‑making capability
• Excellent communication and stakeholder influence at all levels
• Ability to lead in a dynamic, scaling environment

Edwards is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer including protected Veterans and individuals with disabilities.