Director of Manufacturing Operations
Prevail Recruiting, Lafayette, IN, United States
Overview
Our client is a
multi-generational, family-owned metal plating and finishing company with over 50 years of operating history . Known for reliability, technical capability, and long-standing customer partnerships, this organization serves electrical and industrial manufacturing clients in a complex, 24/7 production environment.
The business has built a reputation on trust, quality, and consistency. Now, it is entering its next phase of evolution.
The Role The Director of Manufacturing Operations will serve as the senior operational leader of the facility, overseeing production, workforce management, financial performance, and customer execution.
This leader will bring structure, accountability, and commercial discipline while earning the trust of a tenured, close-knit team.
Success in this role means:
Improving throughput and lead times
Strengthening operational reliability
Building a healthy, accountable culture
Enhancing customer confidence and experience
Key Responsibilities:
Operational & Production Leadership
Improve throughput, reduce lead times, and increase scheduling clarity
Drive equipment uptime through preventative maintenance and ownership clarity
Improve coordination between quoting, scheduling, production, and customer communication
Maintain strict quality, safety, and compliance standards
Own plant-level P&L performance
Diagnose job-level profitability by customer, line, and job type
Implement pricing discipline and surcharge mechanisms aligned with raw material volatility
Evaluate labor efficiency, overtime usage, and workforce strategy
Introduce clear financial dashboards connecting production metrics to margin performance
Partner with ownership on working capital and capital allocation decisions
Clarify roles, decision rights, and accountability across teams
Build trust while setting firm expectations
Create visible operational wins and improve morale
Address performance issues respectfully but decisively
Stabilize and retain key technical and leadership personnel
Lead through influence — earning buy-in before driving change
What We’re Looking For: Required Experience
Senior operations leadership experience in manufacturing or process-driven environments
Experience in metal-based, industrial, chemical, or production-heavy settings
Proven success stabilizing or turning around underperforming operations
Experience managing hourly, multi-shift workforces
Strong P&L ownership and cost management background
Demonstrated ability to balance people leadership with operational accountability
Preferred Background
Metal finishing, plating, or surface treatment
Metal stamping, machining, fabrication, or industrial coatings
Privately held or family-owned manufacturing businesses
Environments with cost volatility and high customer responsiveness demands
Core Traits
Strong listener who processes complexity before acting
Systems thinker who simplifies chaos into priorities
Builder of trust and culture
Commercially intuitive and customer-centric
Comfortable making tough decisions with empathy
Why This Role Is Compelling
Join a
stable, 50+ year-old, family-owned manufacturer
Lead a respected operation with deep customer loyalty
High visibility and influence with ownership
Opportunity to shape the next chapter of the business
True operational ownership — not just maintenance leadership
Strong long-term growth potential
Competitive base salary
$100-$135k
(commensurate with experience)
Performance-based incentive structure
Paid time off
Long-term leadership opportunity within a stable organization
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multi-generational, family-owned metal plating and finishing company with over 50 years of operating history . Known for reliability, technical capability, and long-standing customer partnerships, this organization serves electrical and industrial manufacturing clients in a complex, 24/7 production environment.
The business has built a reputation on trust, quality, and consistency. Now, it is entering its next phase of evolution.
The Role The Director of Manufacturing Operations will serve as the senior operational leader of the facility, overseeing production, workforce management, financial performance, and customer execution.
This leader will bring structure, accountability, and commercial discipline while earning the trust of a tenured, close-knit team.
Success in this role means:
Improving throughput and lead times
Strengthening operational reliability
Building a healthy, accountable culture
Enhancing customer confidence and experience
Key Responsibilities:
Operational & Production Leadership
Improve throughput, reduce lead times, and increase scheduling clarity
Drive equipment uptime through preventative maintenance and ownership clarity
Improve coordination between quoting, scheduling, production, and customer communication
Maintain strict quality, safety, and compliance standards
Own plant-level P&L performance
Diagnose job-level profitability by customer, line, and job type
Implement pricing discipline and surcharge mechanisms aligned with raw material volatility
Evaluate labor efficiency, overtime usage, and workforce strategy
Introduce clear financial dashboards connecting production metrics to margin performance
Partner with ownership on working capital and capital allocation decisions
Clarify roles, decision rights, and accountability across teams
Build trust while setting firm expectations
Create visible operational wins and improve morale
Address performance issues respectfully but decisively
Stabilize and retain key technical and leadership personnel
Lead through influence — earning buy-in before driving change
What We’re Looking For: Required Experience
Senior operations leadership experience in manufacturing or process-driven environments
Experience in metal-based, industrial, chemical, or production-heavy settings
Proven success stabilizing or turning around underperforming operations
Experience managing hourly, multi-shift workforces
Strong P&L ownership and cost management background
Demonstrated ability to balance people leadership with operational accountability
Preferred Background
Metal finishing, plating, or surface treatment
Metal stamping, machining, fabrication, or industrial coatings
Privately held or family-owned manufacturing businesses
Environments with cost volatility and high customer responsiveness demands
Core Traits
Strong listener who processes complexity before acting
Systems thinker who simplifies chaos into priorities
Builder of trust and culture
Commercially intuitive and customer-centric
Comfortable making tough decisions with empathy
Why This Role Is Compelling
Join a
stable, 50+ year-old, family-owned manufacturer
Lead a respected operation with deep customer loyalty
High visibility and influence with ownership
Opportunity to shape the next chapter of the business
True operational ownership — not just maintenance leadership
Strong long-term growth potential
Competitive base salary
$100-$135k
(commensurate with experience)
Performance-based incentive structure
Paid time off
Long-term leadership opportunity within a stable organization
#J-18808-Ljbffr