Director of Production Operations

About Re:Build 

At Re:Build, our mission is to ensure the next generation of important products are made, at scale, in America. We are laying the foundation for a better future for our customers, employees, and communities by revitalizing America's manufacturing base and creating meaningful jobs across the country, including in historically deindustrialized regions. 

We operate an advanced, end-to-end manufacturing platform that partners with industrial companies and innovators to take products from first concept to full-scale production in critical verticals including aerospace and defense, electrification, medical, energy and environment, and robotics and automation. 

The way we operate is as important as the work we do. It's guided by The Re:Build Way, 16 principles that shape how we collaborate with each other, partner with our customers and vendors, and contribute to the communities where we operate. (link to The Re:Build Way principles) 

Cutting Dynamics (CDI) has been one of the Re:Build member companies since 2021.  CDI was originally founded in 1985 with three employees and two wire EDM machines on Cleveland’s west side.  Since then, we have grown to over 220 employees working in four facilities in Avon and Avon Lake, OH.  We are a premier supplier to the aerospace, defense, commercial, and medical industries, providing high quality components, assemblies, and kitting solutions.  Our manufacturing operations utilize 165,000 square feet of production floor space to produce aluminum, steel, titanium, and thermoplastic composite products with a variety of manufacturing processes, and our AS9100 Quality Management System ensures they meet customer requirements and demands.  We partner with our customers by providing manufacturing feedback and program management support to help ensure successful outcomes that foster continued growth opportunities and build lasting business relationships.

The Role and who we are looking for

The Director of Production Operations role is new to CDI and is necessary to support our continued growth.  This role will serve as a transformational leader for CDI's production operations across multiple buildings, with a mandate to drive breakthrough improvements in throughput, quality, and cost by applying Lean principles, advanced analytics, and AI-enabled tools. This role holds full accountability for the performance of the production value stream and is expected to fundamentally reimagine how production is driven — not simply optimize existing processes.

We're looking for a bold, unconventional problem-solver who is comfortable challenging established norms in pursuit of better outcomes, and a systems thinker who connects the big picture to daily execution. Reporting to the General Manager, the Director will serve as a key architect of CDI's growth strategy.

About the role

• Translate enterprise strategy into manufacturing capability, partnering directly with the General Manager and Re:Build Leadership on long-range strategy and capital planning.
• Establish objective, data-driven performance metrics and use them to exceed operational and business objectives and relentlessly drive down cost of poor quality (COPQ).
• Champion the deployment of Lean methodology together with AI, automation, and advanced analytics to fundamentally change and improve how production operates.
• Build a flexible, resilient production operations organization capable of adapting quickly as business needs evolve. 
• Own full accountability for safety, quality, cost, delivery, and responsiveness across all production operations, driving transformational rather than incremental improvement.
• Build a bench of future leadership talent by coaching and developing direct reports and plant personnel into strategic, forward-thinking leaders.
• Model and instill a culture of creative problem-solving and intellectual curiosity, while personally demonstrating the confidence to act decisively amid uncertainty. 
• Act with the highest ethical standards, integrity, and sound (yet appropriately aggressive) risk-based judgment in all strategic and operational decisions.
• Direct reports for this role currently include all three facility Plant Managers.  Additional direct reports may be added in the future. 

What you bring to the team

• A Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field, or equivalent experience, is required; an MBA or advanced degree is preferred.  
• 15+ years of plant management or operations leadership experience in manufacturing, including experience leading multiple manufacturing plants or facilities at scale.
• Demonstrated track record of leading transformational, not just incremental, operational change — including the deployment of AI, automation, or advanced digital tools to materially change throughput, quality, or cost outcomes.
• Experience translating business strategy into scalable, organic business growth, with additional experience in facilities expansion and/or acquisition integration preferred.
• Deep Lean Manufacturing expertise, with evidence of having driven Lean transformation as a strategic lever rather than a tactical program.
• Proven skill in motivating, coaching and developing team members to higher levels of performance and capability.
• Confirmed P&L ownership and capital allocation experience, including evaluating and driving major ROI-driving investments.

Location Requirements

The job will be on site at CDI’s facilities in Avon and Avon Lake, Ohio.  Periodic travel to other Re:Build Manufacturing sites may be required. 

The BIG payoff

We are a company who is going to make a difference in the industries and the communities in which we choose to operate.  Every employee of Re:Build will share ownership in the company and will share in the financial rewards of the success we achieve together, at all levels of the company.

We want to work with people that reflect the communities in which we operate

Re:Build Manufacturing is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, organizational level, work styles, tenure and life experiences. Or for any other reason.  Re:Build is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [email protected] or you may call us at 617.909.6275.