Senior Director, North American Operations
Position Summary
Osborn is seeking a highly accomplished and transformational Senior Director, North American Operations to provide executive leadership for a multi-site manufacturing network consisting of one facility in the United States and two facilities in Mexico. This role is responsible for defining and executing the operational vision, manufacturing strategy, and supply chain performance agenda across the North American region while ensuring alignment with corporate objectives, customer requirements, and long-term growth strategies.
The Senior Director serves as a key member of the global manufacturing leadership team and is accountable for delivering exceptional operational performance through world-class safety, quality, service, productivity, and cost management. This leader will drive enterprise-wide operational excellence initiatives, accelerate digital manufacturing capabilities, champion continuous improvement, and develop a high-performing leadership culture capable of supporting future business growth.
Reporting directly to the Vice President of Global Manufacturing, the Senior Director provides strategic direction and leadership to site Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, and Continuous Improvement teams while partnering closely with Finance, Human Resources, Procurement, Information Technology, Commercial Leadership, and Product Management. This role requires balancing short-term operational execution with long-term strategic transformation to ensure the manufacturing network remains competitive, agile, scalable, and customer focused.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership and Operational Excellence
- Develop and execute a comprehensive North American manufacturing and supply chain strategy that aligns with enterprise goals, growth initiatives, customer expectations, and profitability objectives.
- Lead a geographically dispersed manufacturing network while ensuring consistent standards, operational discipline, and best-practice sharing across sites.
- Translate strategic business objectives into actionable operational plans, performance targets, capital investment priorities, and measurable outcomes.
- Create and maintain a culture of operational excellence that prioritizes safety, quality, customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, and accountability.
- Establish a multi-year roadmap for operational transformation, manufacturing modernization, and network optimization.
Financial and Business Performance
- Own and deliver annual operational performance commitments related to revenue support, operating income, productivity, inventory, working capital, and cash flow.
- Drive year-over-year cost reduction initiatives through process improvements, capacity optimization, automation, supply chain efficiency, and waste elimination.
- Lead annual budgeting, forecasting, capital planning, and resource allocation processes for assigned operations.
- Evaluate and prioritize capital expenditure opportunities to support growth, productivity improvements, risk reduction, and operational efficiency.
- Ensure financial performance is managed using disciplined operating reviews, KPIs, and data-driven decision-making processes.
Manufacturing Operations Leadership
- Provide executive oversight for all manufacturing activities across North America, ensuring safe, efficient, and reliable operations.
- Establish and maintain performance management systems that drive measurable improvements in productivity, throughput, customer service, equipment effectiveness, and operational reliability.
- Ensure operational resources, capacity plans, and production strategies are aligned with business demand and long-term growth requirements.
- Drive manufacturing standardization and the implementation of best practices across all facilities.
- Lead efforts to optimize manufacturing footprints, workflows, material movement, and production planning processes.
Supply Chain Leadership
- Direct end-to-end supply chain performance across the region, including planning, inventory management, logistics, warehousing, and distribution.
- Improve service levels and customer responsiveness while balancing inventory investment and cost objectives.
- Partner with Procurement and suppliers to strengthen supply continuity, mitigate risk, and improve overall supply chain resilience.
- Develop strategies to navigate material shortages, transportation challenges, geopolitical risks, and changing market conditions.
- Utilize analytics and planning tools to improve forecast accuracy, inventory optimization, and operational agility.
Safety, Quality, and Compliance
- Champion a safety-first culture and ensure all facilities operate in full compliance with applicable health, safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
- Establish safety as a core value through leadership engagement, risk identification, employee participation, and continuous improvement activities.
- Ensure robust quality systems are maintained and continually improved to meet customer requirements and industry standards.
- Lead corrective and preventive action processes that address root causes and drive sustainable quality improvements.
- Promote environmental stewardship and sustainability initiatives that support corporate objectives and regulatory compliance.
Continuous Improvement and Transformation
- Lead enterprise transformation efforts focused on productivity, waste reduction, flow optimization, operational discipline, and customer value creation.
- Establish a data-driven culture focused on measurable outcomes, problem-solving rigor, and accountability.
- Identify and implement breakthrough opportunities for process redesign, automation, and operational innovation.
- Drive the deployment and sustainability of standardized operating systems and management routines.
Digital Manufacturing and Technology Advancement
- Partner with Information Technology and Engineering teams to define and execute manufacturing digitalization strategies.
- Leverage operational data, predictive analytics, and business intelligence tools to improve decision making, productivity, quality, and asset utilization.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend investments that enhance competitiveness and operational performance.
- Foster organizational capability to effectively utilize digital tools and advanced manufacturing technologies.
Leadership and Talent Development
- Build, develop, and mentor a high-performing team of operational leaders across multiple functions and locations.
- Partner with Human Resources to drive employee engagement, workforce planning, retention, and talent acquisition initiatives.
- Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and performance-oriented culture that attracts, develops, and retains top talent.
- Ensure leaders at all levels possess the skills, tools, and support necessary to successfully lead teams and execute business objectives.
Cross-Functional and Executive Collaboration
- Collaborate with executive leadership to align manufacturing priorities with corporate growth strategies and customer needs.
- Partner with commercial, engineering, product development, and procurement teams to support innovation, product launches, and market expansion initiatives.
- Influence enterprise decisions regarding manufacturing strategy, network investments, organizational capability, and operational priorities.
- Communicate business performance, strategic initiatives, risks, and opportunities to senior leadership with clarity and confidence.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related discipline; Master’s degree preferred.
- Minimum of 12 years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, operations, supply chain, or distribution environments.
- Significant experience leading complex, multi-site manufacturing operations, including international operations management.
- Proven track record of delivering measurable improvements in safety, quality, productivity, customer service, and profitability.
- Experience managing significant operating budgets, capital investments, and profit-and-loss accountability.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing systems, supply chain processes, automation technologies, and digital manufacturing solutions.
- Experience leading organizational change and workforce development initiatives in evolving business environments.
- Strong analytical, financial, and strategic planning capabilities.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Supply Chain, or related field.
- Experience working within global manufacturing organizations and matrixed leadership environments.
Leadership Competencies
The successful candidate will consistently demonstrate:
- Offers Solutions
- Results Orientation
- Positive Attitude
- Accountability
- Decision Making
- Problem Solving
- Strategic Thinking
- Communication Skills
Travel Requirements
- Approximately 30% to 40% domestic and international travel.
- Regular presence at manufacturing and distribution facilities throughout North America.
- Travel required to support operational reviews, strategic initiatives, customer engagements, talent development, and cross-functional leadership activities.
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