Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Director of Manufacturing

🎯 Role Definition

The Director of Manufacturing is the senior operational leader accountable for delivering safe, compliant, on-time, high-quality manufacturing output while optimizing cost and capacity. This role sets and executes manufacturing strategy, drives continuous improvement (Lean, Six Sigma), leads multi-functional plant teams, manages capital projects, and connects manufacturing performance to commercial and supply chain objectives. The Director of Manufacturing reports to senior leadership (VP/COO) and partners closely with R&D, Supply Chain, Quality, EHS, Finance, and Sales to achieve company targets.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Plant Manager / Operations Manager with multi-shift plant leadership
Senior Manufacturing Manager or Continuous Improvement Leader
Functional Director (Quality, Supply Chain) with strong production exposure

Advancement To:

Vice President of Manufacturing / Operations
Senior VP, Global Operations
Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Lateral Moves:

Director of Global Supply Chain
Director of Quality / Regulatory Affairs
Head of Manufacturing Strategy or Plant Network Optimization

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Provide strategic leadership and operational direction for one or multiple manufacturing sites, translating corporate strategy into plant-level objectives, priorities, and metrics that drive throughput, quality, and cost performance.
Own P&L accountability for manufacturing operations, lead annual budgeting and forecasting, monitor variances, and implement corrective actions to meet margin and cost-reduction targets.
Develop, implement, and sustain Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies to reduce waste, improve cycle times, increase OEE, and deliver continuous productivity improvements across production lines.
Lead operational excellence programs including Kaizen, SMED, 5S, TPM, and value-stream mapping; coach teams to identify, prioritize, and deliver measurable process improvements.
Oversee production planning, demand fulfillment, capacity planning, and scheduling to ensure on-time delivery and customer satisfaction while optimizing inventory and working capital.
Direct quality management systems (QMS) and compliance activities (ISO 9001/ISO 13485 where applicable), ensuring product quality, traceability, complaint handling, CAPA, and continuous improvement of quality KPIs.
Ensure EHS leadership and regulatory compliance (OSHA, EPA, FDA/21 CFR where applicable), drive a zero-harm safety culture, lead incident investigations, and implement preventive controls.
Manage capital expenditure programs: define business cases, lead design and installation of production equipment, oversee commissioning, and ensure projects deliver expected ROI and capacity gains.
Lead new product introductions (NPI) and product transfers from R&D/engineering into volume production, ensuring successful scale-up, process validation, and launch readiness.
Drive supplier development and vendor management for outsourced manufacturing, subcontractors, and critical suppliers; set performance expectations and lead corrective actions for supply issues.
Implement and continuously improve digital manufacturing initiatives (MES/SCADA, Industry 4.0, automation), leveraging data to improve uptime, yield, and decision-making.
Establish and monitor key operational KPIs (OEE, yield, scrap, on-time delivery, cost per unit), build dashboards and cadence for daily/weekly/monthly performance reviews with site leadership.
Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing, cross-functional manufacturing leaders and front-line supervisors; build succession plans and deliver structured training programs.
Drive workforce planning, labor modeling, and shift design to meet production targets while managing labor cost and overtime exposure.
Manage maintenance strategy and reliability programs (preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance) to maximize equipment availability and reduce downtime.
Lead product quality escalations and cross-functional corrective actions, using root cause analysis tools (8D, Fishbone, 5 Whys, RCA) to prevent recurrence.
Partner with Supply Chain and Procurement to resolve capacity constraints, expedite critical parts, and align manufacturing plans with inbound material availability.
Champion cost reduction initiatives including BOM optimization, process redesign, changeover reduction, and yield improvement to meet annual savings targets.
Ensure data integrity and ERP/MRP process ownership—drive accurate master data, production orders, shop-floor transactions, and inventory reconciliation.
Represent manufacturing in executive leadership meetings, provide clear operational forecasts, risk assessments, and mitigation plans for capacity, quality, and supply continuity.
Lead cross-site standardization programs to scale best practices and harmonize processes, standards, and metrics across multiple facilities or regions.
Manage external audits, customer audits, and regulatory inspections; prepare evidence, lead responses, and close audit findings in a timely manner.
Oversee environmental and sustainability initiatives related to manufacturing operations—energy efficiency, waste reduction, and regulatory reporting.
Define and manage contingency and business continuity plans for manufacturing to address supply disruptions, equipment failures, or labor events.
Drive cultural change and employee engagement programs focused on accountability, continuous improvement, and high-performance execution.

Secondary Functions

Partner with Product Development and Engineering to influence design for manufacturability (DFM) and cost-effective production during early-stage product definition.
Support corporate M&A activities through due diligence, site integration planning, and rapid operational onboarding of acquired facilities.
Lead or contribute to cross-functional strategic projects: capacity expansion, global footprint optimization, or reshoring initiatives.
Build and maintain strong relationships with major customers and commercial teams to align manufacturing capability with market demand and service expectations.
Develop metrics and documentation to support sustainability reporting, Scope 1/2 targets, and corporate ESG manufacturing commitments.
Mentor and develop high-potential operations leaders through structured programs and on-the-job development experiences.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Lean Manufacturing — practical deployment and coaching of Kaizen, VSM, 5S, TPM.
Six Sigma — Green Belt or Black Belt certification and experience leading DMAIC projects.
Manufacturing Operations Management — multi-shift plant leadership, OEE improvement, throughput optimization.
P&L and Budget Management — financial acumen to control costs, variance analysis, and capital ROI.
ERP/MES Systems — SAP, Oracle, or equivalent MRP/ERP experience plus shop-floor MES familiarity.
Quality Systems & Compliance — ISO standards, QMS ownership, CAPA, and regulatory experience (FDA/21 CFR if applicable).
Project & Capital Program Management — CAPEX planning, vendor selection, and installation oversight.
Root Cause Analysis & Problem Solving — 8D, 5 Whys, FMEA expertise.
Supply Chain Coordination — production planning, MRP, supplier performance management, and vendor development.
Automation & Digital Manufacturing — MES, SCADA, IIoT, data analytics to drive continuous improvement.
Maintenance & Reliability Engineering — preventive/predictive maintenance strategies and spare parts optimization.
Health, Safety & Environmental Management — OSHA/EHS program leadership and incident investigation.

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership with ability to translate corporate vision into actionable plant initiatives.
Strong communication and influencing skills to align cross-functional stakeholders and executive teams.
People development and coaching mindset—build talent pipelines and empower front-line leaders.
Change management and resilience—lead cultural transformation and continuous improvement.
Data-driven decision making—use metrics and analytics to prioritize actions and measure impact.
Collaborative, cross-functional teamwork—work effectively with R&D, Supply Chain, Finance, Sales, and Quality.
Customer-focused orientation—understand commercial priorities and deliver on-time quality commitments.
Problem-solving under pressure—decisive during production disruptions and operational crises.
Results-oriented with accountability to meet commitments and drive measurable outcomes.
Ethical leadership and integrity—promote compliance, transparency, and a safe working environment.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, Chemical Engineering, Operations Management, or related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree (MS, MEng) or MBA, or equivalent advanced leadership education; additional certifications (Lean, Six Sigma Black Belt, PMP) are strongly preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Mechanical Engineering
Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering
Chemical/Process Engineering
Operations Management
Business Administration / MBA

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

10–20+ years of progressive manufacturing experience with 5–8+ years in senior leadership or director-level roles overseeing multi-shift production, ideally including cross-site or regional responsibility.

Preferred:

Experience managing multiple plants or global manufacturing teams, leading large-scale continuous improvement programs, and delivering measurable cost, quality, and capacity improvements. Prior exposure to regulated industries (medical devices, pharma, aerospace, food) is a strong plus.
Demonstrated success implementing digital manufacturing tools, leading CAPEX projects, and driving cultural change programs with sustained performance gains.