Director of Operations

Position Summary:The Director of Operations is responsible for leading all day-to-day operational functions of the business, including Production, Inventory Control, Purchasing, and Quality. This role is accountable for ensuring the organization consistently delivers on customer commitments while optimizing safety, quality, cost, working capital, and throughput.This position plays a critical role in translating company strategy into disciplined operational execution. The Director of Operations will establish scalable systems, drive accountability across teams, and lead continuous improvement initiatives to support growth in a high‑mix, low‑volume manufacturing environment. Success in this role requires the ability to balance flexibility and responsiveness with structure, process discipline, and financial rigor. The ideal candidate brings hands-on leadership experience in a growing manufacturing organization, with a proven ability to manage operational complexity, prioritize effectively, and build teams capable of executing reliably as the business scales.Reports to: Founder & CEOLocation: Wellford, SC Areas of Responsibility:Production Management & QualityLead all manufacturing operations to ensure safety, quality, on-time delivery, and cost control in a high‑mix, low‑volume production environment.Establish and maintain production schedules aligned with demand forecasts, capacity constraints, and changing customer requirements.Drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase throughput, reduce waste, and improve flow across diverse product lines.Monitor and improve labor efficiency, OEE, scrap, rework, and lead times.Partner closely with Engineering to improve manufacturability, standardize processes where appropriate, and support new product introductions.Inventory ControlOwn inventory accuracy and optimization across raw materials, WIP, and finished goods.Implement and manage cycle count programs, reconciliation processes, and inventory controls.Improve inventory turns while maintaining high service levels in a variable-demand environment.Establish demand planning and inventory forecasting discipline appropriate for high SKU complexity.Drive reduction of obsolete and slow-moving inventory.Purchasing & Supply ChainLead sourcing strategy and vendor management to support a diverse and evolving product mix.Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and long-term supply agreements.Ensure material availability while balancing working capital objectives.Develop and track supplier performance metrics (cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness).Build contingency plans and risk mitigation strategies for critical and long-lead components.Leadership & Team DevelopmentLead and develop Production, Inventory, and Purchasing managers.Build a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.Establish clear KPIs, operating rhythms, and performance expectations.Partner with HR to recruit, develop, and retain high-performing team members.Promote a safe, disciplined, and engaged work environment.Qualifications:Bachelor’s degree required; engineering, operations, or supply chain background preferred.7+ years of progressive operations leadership experience in manufacturing.Demonstrated success leading operations in a high‑mix, low‑volume manufacturing environment.Experience managing production scheduling, inventory control, and purchasing in complex, variable-demand settings.Proven ability to scale operations in a small-to-midsize, high-growth manufacturing organization.Strong financial acumen, including cost accounting and working capital management.Experience with ERP systems (Acumatica or similar preferred).Lean / Six Sigma experience strongly preferred.