Full-Time

Director of Operations

Posted on 9/17/2025

Badger Meter

Badger Meter

501-1,000 employees

Flow measurement and control solutions

No salary listed

Milwaukee, WI, USA

In Person

Category
Operations & Logistics (3)
, ,
Required Skills
Supply Chain Management
Word/Pages/Docs
Excel/Numbers/Sheets
Requirements
  • Bachelor's degree in Operations, Business, Engineering required; Masters degree strongly preferred
  • 10+ years of related experience in a Manufacturing environment desired
  • Ability to create, implement, communicate, cascade and execute Strategic Process creation required
  • Experience managing facilities within a unionized environment required
  • Knowledge and experience of lean manufacturing processes, products, and customer base required
  • Advanced proficiency in all areas of operations/manufacturing management (OpEx, Supply Chain Management (SCM), Business and Quality Systems, and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)) required
  • Ability to lead a cross-functional team and influence those employees that are not solid line direct reports required
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint required
Responsibilities
  • Delivers on the company’s business strategy through successful operation of the production facilities, driving a customer focus in the delivery of on time quality product.
  • Using the Badger Meter values as a guide, champions a collaborative, team environment where all employees can thrive and contribute to the best of their ability.
  • Responsible for developing and mentoring a diverse and capable management team that fosters engagement, continuous improvement, accountability and a focus on quality.
  • Develop and deploy improvement actions related to key imperatives in the areas of Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Culture, and Environment (SQDCCE), and overall manufacturing effectiveness.
  • Develop and deploy manufacturing improvement that is focused on customer-centric initiatives, standardized and repeatable process control, and sustainability to the Quality Management System (QMS).
  • Participate in the development of strategic sourcing model that evaluates the need for capital investment, versus outsource (make-buy analysis).
  • Achieve business objectives that support the manufacturing expense plan, as well as improvements for margin expansion.
  • Support New Product Development (NPD) / Product Launches.
  • Develop, implement, and manage business processes for capital expenditure, cost reduction, and manpower plans.
  • Support Manufacturing Strategy that focuses on continued footprint evaluation and rationalization, continuous improvement, and overall quality improvement.
  • Contribute to overall Badger Meter goals that include business improvements that support growth, profitability, and New Product Development.
  • Responsible for employee performance of direct reports through the use of SMART goals, active performance management and solid metrics based on SQDCCE.
  • Lead, manage, and develop of the Operational Excellence (OpEx) function and culture throughout the operation (this includes all departments/functional groups).
Desired Qualifications
  • Certification of Continuous Improvement preferred
  • Six Sigma Green Belt preferred
  • Multi-site experience strongly desired
  • Experience global operations and manufacturing preferred
  • Experience with Workday preferred

Badger Meter measures flow with electromagnetic and ultrasonic meters for liquids and gases in industries like water utilities, oil and gas, chemical, and HVAC. Its devices, together with software and services, monitor and control flow to optimize operations. The products work by using electromagnetic principles to measure conductive liquids and ultrasonic techniques to determine flow velocity; data is used to calculate volume and rate. Compared to competitors, Badger Meter combines a wide product range with global reach (serving over 100 countries) and offers integrated software and long-term service agreements, enabling customers to both measure accurately and manage operations cost-effectively. Its goal is to provide reliable, data-driven flow measurement solutions that help customers improve efficiency, manage resources, and reduce costs across utilities and industrial processes.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Founded

1905

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Awarded AMI deployments could drive second-half 2026 revenue recovery.
  • Software and SaaS penetration support higher-margin, more resilient earnings.
  • Expanded buybacks and dividend growth signal strong cash generation.

What critics are saying

  • Class action litigation creates defense costs, settlement risk, and disclosure pressure.
  • Q1 2026 revenue fell 9%, exposing dependence on lumpy project timing.
  • UDlive integration could distract management and delay expected accretion.

What makes Badger Meter unique

  • BlueEdge bundles metering, monitoring, and analytics into utility deals.
  • UDlive expands sewer monitoring and strengthens Badger Meter's wastewater suite.
  • Gross margin stayed 41.7% despite lower volumes, showing pricing discipline.

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Benefits

Healthcare, disability and life insurance,

PTO

Leave programs

Retirement savings plans

Flexible, remote work and part-time arrangements,

Company News

Yahoo Finance
Apr 5th, 2026
Badger Meter rises 7.5% after Baird upgrade and $150M buyback expansion

Badger Meter shares rose 7.5% following a Baird upgrade to Outperform and an expanded share repurchase authorisation of $150 million through 2028. The moves come ahead of the company's first-quarter earnings release on 17 April 2026. The combination of analyst upgrade, strong SmartCover momentum, insider buying and larger buyback signals confidence from both management and external analysts. The board's decision to increase the repurchase authorisation reinforces Badger Meter's capital return framework as expectations build around SmartCover's contribution and software revenue growth. Badger Meter's narrative projects $1.1 billion revenue and $182.2 million earnings by 2028, requiring 8.5% annual revenue growth. Some analysts forecast earnings could reach approximately $193 million, though risks remain from rising costs and uneven municipal demand.

Yahoo Finance
Feb 19th, 2026
Badger Meter's $4.7B valuation questioned despite 8% sales growth to $221M

Badger Meter, a manufacturer of flow measurement and smart metering solutions for municipal water utilities, was highlighted by Conestoga Capital Advisors in its fourth-quarter 2025 investor letter as a high-quality investment opportunity. The company operates in an oligopolistic water-metering market with replacement-driven recurring revenue and strong free cash flow generation. Conestoga noted that Badger Meter's consistent execution and capital structure support its ability to compound value through economic cycles. Badger Meter reported $221 million in total sales for Q4 2025, an 8% year-over-year increase. The company has a market capitalisation of $4.66 billion. However, shares have declined 27.49% over the past year, closing at $158.20 on 18 February 2026. Twenty-eight hedge funds held positions in the company at the end of Q3 2025.

Yahoo Finance
Feb 7th, 2026
Argus Research downgrades Badger Meter to hold as Q4 sales rise 8% to $221M

Badger Meter has faced mixed analyst action, with Argus Research downgrading the stock to Hold from Buy on 2 February, whilst Seaport Research trimmed its price target to $220 from $255 but maintained a Buy rating. Seaport analyst Scott Graham noted softer sales growth in the first half but improved visibility for a second-half pickup. The company reported fourth-quarter sales of $221 million, up 8% year-over-year, with operating profit margins improving to 19.5% from 19.1%. Gross margins expanded 180 basis points to 42.1%. Management highlighted strong demand for its cellular AMI solution and said winning the PRASA AMI project in Puerto Rico strengthened its long-term growth outlook. Badger Meter designs and manufactures flow measurement and control solutions.

Yahoo Finance
Feb 4th, 2026
Badger Meter misses Q4 revenue by 4.9% amid project timing issues

Badger Meter reported fourth-quarter revenue of $220.7 million, missing analyst estimates of $232 million, whilst adjusted EPS of $1.14 fell slightly short of expectations. The company's shares declined following the results. CEO Ken Bockhorst attributed the shortfall to the timing of large advanced metering infrastructure project completions and fewer operating days in the quarter, rather than weakening demand. Management noted that growth rates will be lower in the first half of 2026 and higher in the second half due to project timing. During the earnings call, analysts focused on the PRASA project, a 1.6 million connection deployment spanning multiple years. Management also discussed SmartCover's 20%-plus historical growth rate and reaffirmed high single-digit growth targets based on the project pipeline.

Yahoo Finance
Feb 3rd, 2026
Badger Meter shares drop 33% despite strong fundamentals in smart water infrastructure

Badger Meter, a US smart water infrastructure provider, serves over 50,000 utilities through its BlueEdge platform, which includes advanced metering infrastructure systems offering real-time monitoring and leak detection. The company addresses critical infrastructure challenges, as ageing water networks currently lose nearly 20% of treated water. Approximately 88% of revenue comes from its Utility Water segment, with recurring software and service revenue growing faster than hardware sales. Over the past decade, Badger Meter achieved roughly 9% revenue growth and 17% earnings growth, supported by network modernisation investments and strategic acquisitions. The company maintains competitive advantages through integrated hardware-software systems and high switching costs, whilst operating with a net cash position. However, analysts suggest the current share price of $174 exceeds a conservative entry level of $120, limiting near-term upside despite strong long-term fundamentals.

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