Director of Operations

Description

ABOUT US 

Join a Global Photonics Leader Engineering Solutions from the Deep Ocean to Outer Space!

G&H (Gooch & Housego) designs and manufactures advanced optical components and systems for demanding applications. Our Chicago-area acousto-optics operation employs approximately 20+ people and supports high-precision photonics manufacturing.  

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking a hands-on Director of Operations to lead a Chicago-area acousto-optics manufacturing site of approximately 20+ employees. This leader will own daily operational execution, workforce performance, safety, quality, delivery and cost, while aligning production capacity, materials and customer demand. Working closely with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Commercial and Finance, the Director will drive disciplined planning and practical continuous improvement.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

Site Leadership & Manufacturing Execution

• Lead day-to-day site operations, establish priorities, allocate labor and equipment, and coach a small manufacturing team to achieve safety, quality, delivery and productivity objectives.
• Oversee production scheduling, capacity, workflow and bottlenecks for high-precision acousto-optic manufacturing, including high-mix or low-volume requirements where applicable.
• Build a culture of accountability, engagement and cross-functional teamwork consistent with G&H values.
• Change Manage/Leadership of culture
• Fluent in NPI/product transfer for insourcing – Leadership, team formation and oversight, risk identification & mitigation. 
• Maturing and scaling production methodologies and technologies.

Planning, Inventory & Financial Performance  

• Lead site inputs to SIOP, aligning customer demand, backlog, materials and production plans with Commercial and Supply Chain partners.
• Monitor raw materials, work-in-progress, finished goods and safety stock to balance delivery performance, inventory turns and working capital.
• Manage site operating plans and budgets within delegated authority; weekly report out of plan vs actual and financial forecasts using ERP data and operating trends.

Quality, Safety & Customer Commitments

• Partner with Quality and Engineering to resolve nonconformances, strengthen root-cause and corrective-action practices, and maintain applicable ISO/AS requirements.
• Champion health and safety, manufacturing process discipline and customer requirements, including aerospace and defense obligations where applicable.
• Coordinate customer delivery risks, new-product introductions, manufacturing readiness and escalation resolution across functions.

Operational Excellence & Performance

• Drive practical Lean, 5S and process improvement initiatives to reduce scrap, increase yield and improve throughput and cost.
• Establish an operating cadence and report actionable KPIs including on-time delivery, schedule attainment, scrap/yield, productivity, inventory and safety.
• Use ERP, Excel and business data to identify constraints, prioritize actions and sustain measurable improvements.

WHAT YOU BRING

Qualifications & Skills

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

G&H BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• Paid Time Off and Company Holidays 
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match 
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance 
• Life and Disability Insurance 
• Enhanced Employee Assistance Program 
• Employee Wellness Resources
• Professional Development Opportunities

If you’re ready to make a real impact in a world-class photonics environment, we’d love to hear from you.

Notes: This job description is not intended to be exhaustive in every respect, but rather to clearly define the fundamental purpose, responsibilities and dimensions for the role. Therefore, this job description does not describe any individual role holder. In addition to the contents of this job description, employees are expected to undertake all other reasonable and related tasks allocated by their line manager.

The Company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the grounds of gender, race, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by national laws under which the Company operates.

**US Applicants: In the instance that the position will involve having access to items and technical data that may be controlled under U.S. export laws and regulations ("U.S. Export Control Laws"), including but not limited to the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR") and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations ("ITAR"). To comply with the U.S. Export Control Laws, and in conjunction with the review of candidates for those positions within G&H that may present access to export-controlled technical data, G&H must assess whether candidates are "U.S. persons" as defined under the EAR (15 C.F.R. Part 772) and the ITAR (22 C.F.R. § 120.15). Certain questions asked during the application process are intended to assess this and will be used for evaluation purposes only. Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this position.