Director, Suspension Manufacturing Operations
Reports To:
SVP, Suspension
Direct Reports:
Welding Operations Manager, Fabrication Operations Manager, Warehouse Operations Manager, Shock Production Line Manager, and others
Business Unit:
Suspension Business Unit
Location:
Riverside, CA | Travel up to 15%
FLSA Status:
Exempt | Full-Time
Purpose of the Role
The Director, Suspension Manufacturing Operations is a senior operations leader responsible for the day-to-day performance of the Suspension Business Unit's Riverside manufacturing site, including welding operations, fabrication operations, shock production line manufacturing, and site-specific warehouse operations. This role owns the site-level safety, quality, throughput, and cost outcomes that drive the business unit's P&L, ensuring the site produces and ships the right product, at the right time, at the right cost.
This role reports to the SVP, Suspension Business Unit and is accountable for translating brand and product strategy into reliable, efficient manufacturing execution. The Director partners closely with Engineering, Product Management, and the centralized Operations and Distribution organization to align site capabilities with company-wide standards, while building a strong, accountable team culture across the campus.
Key Responsibilities
Manufacturing Operations Leadership
- Full accountability for safety, quality, throughput, and cost performance across welding, fabrication, and shock production line manufacturing operations at the Riverside site.
- Support the development and execution of the annual operating plan for the site, including production targets, cost budgets, and capital expenditure priorities.
- Drive continuous improvement and Lean initiatives across all manufacturing lines to improve efficiency, reduce scrap, and lower unit cost.
- Ensure manufacturing processes and equipment are maintained to support consistent quality and on-time delivery.
Welding and Fabrication Operations
- Oversee all welding operations, ensuring compliance with quality standards, certifications, and safety protocols.
- Oversee fabrication operations, including tooling, equipment uptime, and process standardization.
- Partner with Engineering on new product introduction (NPI) to ensure welding and fabrication processes support new designs from concept to production.
Shock Production Line Manufacturing
- Own the performance of the shock production line, including output, first-pass yield, and cycle time.
- Ensure production scheduling aligns with demand forecasts provided by the Suspension Business Unit.
- Drive capacity planning to meet current and future volume requirements for shock production.
Warehouse and Site Operations
- Oversee site-specific warehouse operations, including inbound/outbound logistics, inventory accuracy, and storage optimization.
- Ensure warehouse operations support on-time shipment of finished goods and timely receipt of raw materials and components.
- Partner with the centralized Operations and Distribution organization to align site-level warehouse practices with company-wide standards.
Safety, Quality, and Compliance
- Champion a safety-first culture, ensuring compliance with OSHA and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
- Lead root cause analysis and corrective action processes for safety incidents and quality escapes.
Team Leadership and Talent Development
- Recruit, develop, and retain manufacturing, warehouse, and production leaders across all shifts.
- Build a performance culture with clear KPIs, regular operational reviews, and talent development plans.
- Drive succession planning and cross-training to mitigate key-person risk across shifts and functions.
Collaboration and Cross-Functional Partnership
- Partner with the SVP, Suspension to align site operations with brand and product strategy.
- Provide the Suspension Business with production capacity, cost, and delivery data to support business planning.
- Collaborate with the centralized Operations, Distribution, and Product Management organizations to ensure a "one team" approach to fulfilling customer demand.
Qualifications
Required
- Be a Leader. Leadership is the most important requirement, trumping experience. We hire leaders and expect you to have the training, experience, and acumen to be a strong, servant leader focused on your team's success.
- 8+ years of progressive manufacturing operations leadership experience, including welding and/or fabrication environments.
- Proven track record managing multi-shift manufacturing operations, including production, quality, and safety performance.
- Experience with warehouse or distribution operations, including inventory management and logistics.
- Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing or other continuous improvement methodologies.
- Strong understanding of welding and fabrication processes, equipment, and quality standards.
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Preferred
- Experience in suspension, drivetrain, chassis, off-road/performance vehicle aftermarket, or broader automotive manufacturing.
- Experience in high-mix, high-volume production environments.
- Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems for production planning and scheduling.
- Experience scaling manufacturing operations to support company growth
