Director of Manufacturing Operations

Summary:

The Director of Manufacturing Operations is the senior manufacturing operations leader for the Denton, Texas campus. Plant 1 performs final assembly of make-to-order precision cooling units. Plant 2 is a new, vertically integrated plant now in start-up, bringing component fabrication and finishing in-house, including an automated powder coat system.

This leader will bring both plants together as one site with one operating system, one leadership team, and one set of KPIs. The role leads Production, Planning & Materials (including Warehouse, Receiving, Material Handling, and Inventory), Maintenance, and Manufacturing Engineering, and partners closely with Quality, Supply Chain/Procurement, Engineering, Finance, HR, and PMO. We are looking for a hands-on, visible leader who turns strategy into measurable results on the shop floor and builds a team that can sustain them.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Safety, People & Culture

• Build and lead a capable site leadership team; hire, onboard, coach, and evaluate managers, and develop succession depth for key roles.
• Set clear expectations and hold people accountable fairly and consistently, applying company policy (attendance, conduct, corrective action) in partnership with HR.
• Create a respectful, engaged workplace where concerns are raised early and problems are solved at the lowest effective level.
• Own site safety performance; drive hazard and near-miss reporting, root cause analysis, and timely closure of corrective actions.

Production & Delivery

• Deliver the annual production and revenue plan for the Denton campus, meeting customer commitments for on-time delivery and quality.
• Manage capacity, staffing, and shift structure across both plants to support growth with the right headcount and overhead structure.
• Synchronize Plant 2 component output with Plant 1 assembly demand so internal supply supports, rather than constrains, final assembly.

Planning, Materials & Warehouse

• Lead site planning, scheduling, receiving, warehousing, material handling, and inventory management to secure material availability, reduce lead times, and prevent shortages and stock-outs.
• Partner with corporate Supply Planning and Procurement on SAP master data, MRP, and supplier performance; assist with procurement guidance when needed (dotted line).
• Ensure supply chain policies and procedures are followed, and drive inventory accuracy and inventory turns targets.

Maintenance & Manufacturing Engineering

• Lead preventive and predictive maintenance programs to improve equipment uptime, with a focus on automated and capital-intensive equipment at Plant 2.
• Direct Manufacturing Engineering on process design, standard work, line balancing, work instructions, and new product introduction handoffs.
• Lead installation, commissioning, and acceptance (FAT/SAT) of capital equipment, and build and justify site capital plans.

Plant 2 Start-Up & Site Integration

• Lead Plant 2 through start-up and ramp-up to stable, rate-capable production, working with PMO and cross-functional partners on schedule, readiness, and staffing.
• Merge Plant 1 and Plant 2 into a single site organization with common roles, processes, meetings, and reporting.

Operating System, Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Deploy the STULZ Manufacturing Operating Model at the site: tiered daily meetings (Tier 1-3), a weekly site staff meeting, standard KPIs, and visual management.
• Translate annual strategy deployment (Hoshin Kanri / X-matrix) into site objectives, owners, and action plans, and review progress monthly.
• Provide accurate, timely, data-based reporting on safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, and inventory, and share results with the site team in a structured way.
• Lead a continuous improvement culture using Lean tools (5S, standard work, kaizen, problem solving); share best practices with other STULZ plants and adopt theirs.
• Manage the site budget and cost performance in partnership with Finance; understand plant financials and the drivers of margin.
• Support senior leadership in long- and short-range planning, policies, and objectives for U.S. manufacturing.

What Success Looks Like (First 12 Months):

• Plant 2 reaches stable production at planned rate, and Plant 1 and Plant 2 operate as one integrated site.
• Site leadership team is fully staffed, with clear roles and accountability.
• Tiered meetings and KPI reporting run consistently and drive daily decisions.
• Measurable improvement in safety, on-time delivery, productivity, and inventory accuracy versus baseline.

Qualifications:

Required

• Proven multi-department plant leadership covering production, materials/planning, and maintenance and/or manufacturing engineering.
• Experience in high-mix, low-volume, make-to-order manufacturing of engineered equipment (for example HVAC, electrical equipment, or industrial machinery).
• Track record of measurable results using Lean manufacturing and a structured operating system (tiered meetings, KPIs, standard work).
• Advanced working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems; SAP preferred.
• Strong analytical skills, including data analysis and trending in Excel; Power BI or similar is a plus.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, bills of material, and specifications.

Preferred

• Experience leading a greenfield plant start-up, major expansion, or integration of multiple facilities.
• Exposure to fabrication and finishing processes (sheet metal, welding/brazing, powder coating) and to automated equipment.
• Experience with ISO 9001 quality systems.
• Experience in the data center, HVAC, or mission-critical equipment industry.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations/Supply Chain Management, Business, or a related field and 10+ years of manufacturing experience; Master’s degree or MBA a plus.
• 7+ years managing managers in a manufacturing environment, including multi-department or multi-shift responsibility.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt preferred.
• APICS/ASCM CPIM or CSCP preferred.
• OSHA 30 preferred.

Leadership & Communication Skills:

• Visible, hands-on leadership style with daily presence on the shop floor; leads through the team rather than doing the team’s work.
• Communicates clearly and respectfully with all levels, from operators to senior leadership, and delivers difficult information directly and diplomatically.
• Turns strategy into concrete plans, owners, and dates, and follows through to results.
• Shares data openly and in a structured, consistent format; open to feedback and committed to developing others.
• Ability to read and understand English instructions.

Physical Requirements:

This position involves a combination of office work and regular presence on the manufacturing floor. Responsibilities require moving throughout the facility, standing and walking during plant walkthroughs, using computers and other office equipment, reviewing operational information, and communicating with employees. The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Work Environment:

Work is performed in office and manufacturing environments. Plant-floor activities may involve proximity to operating machinery, moving material-handling equipment, production noise, airborne dust or fumes, and varying temperatures, depending on the area and process. The employee must follow site safety procedures, use designated access routes, and wear required personal protective equipment when entering production or other designated areas.