Director of Operations (Manufacturing)

Location: Melrose Park, Illinois, United States; requires travel between multiple local manufacturing facilities.

Company

DRC Heat Transfer designs and manufactures custom heat transfer and cooling solutions for industrial, transit, energy, and data-center power-generation markets; it is a subsidiary of Smiths Group PLC.

What you will do

• Lead manufacturing, continuous improvement, operational excellence, and team performance across a multi-site ETO/MTO environment.
• Own manufacturing P&L performance and deliver financial and operational objectives.
• Develop manufacturing strategies covering facility expansion, equipment investment, capacity, and workforce planning.
• Oversee master production scheduling, labor utilization, productivity, delivery, quality, and resource efficiency.
• Implement Lean Manufacturing, 6S, change management, and data-driven responses to downtime and production disruptions.
• Coach and develop leaders, build succession pipelines, and collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Customer Service.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Operations Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, or a related field is required.
• 7–10 years of progressive manufacturing operations leadership experience, including strategic oversight of multi-site ETO and/or MTO operations.
• Experience in a high-growth manufacturing environment supporting sustained annual growth of 25%–40% or greater across multiple facilities and production shifts.
• Experience leading rapid growth, operational scaling, process optimization, organizational development, and continuous improvement.
• Experience managing multiple production facilities, diverse product portfolios, and complex manufacturing schedules.
• Strong background in Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, operational excellence, and change management.
• Experience with P&L management, capital planning, capacity expansion, workforce planning, and strategic execution.
• Demonstrated leadership, coaching, employee development, analytical problem-solving, communication, prioritization, and stakeholder influence skills.
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record; ability to work safely in a manufacturing environment and comply with PPE requirements.

Nice to have

• Advanced degree.
• Experience leading teams through organizational growth, operational change, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Bilingual English and Spanish proficiency.

Culture & Benefits

• Permanent full-time leadership position with a focus on safety, accountability, collaboration, ethical conduct, and continuous learning.
• 401(k), medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Employee assistance program, flexible spending account, and health savings account.
• Paid time off, parental leave, and tuition reimbursement.
• Work must comply with company policies, regulatory requirements, safety procedures, and industry standards.

Hiring process

• Apply through the Smiths Group careers website; no payment is requested during recruitment.