Director of Manufacturing

I. Overview

• Job Title: Director of Manufacturing
• Location: Minneapolis, MN.
• Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the President.
• Company: Mill City Roasters is a Minneapolis-based manufacturer of state-of-the-art commercial coffee roasting equipment and a provider of professional coffee education.
• The Opportunity: Seeking a cornerstone leader to take ownership of the recently on-shored, 100% vertically integrated machine building operation.
• Impact: This Senior Management Position is a key role on the core leadership team, influencing the company’s scaling strategy, technological investment, and long-term operational excellence.

II. Core Leadership and Strategic Responsibilities

The primary focus is on strategic advancement, though a presence on the shop floor is required.

• Capacity Scaling: Develop and execute a multi-year roadmap aimed at doubling the capacity of fabrication, CNC, and assembly lines within the next 3–5 years.
• Organizational Development: Mentor department leads to build accountability and develop the next generation of shop-floor leadership.
• Optimization: Synchronize processes between laser cutting, welding, machining, and assembly to eliminate lead-time friction and maximize internal margins.
• Capital Investment: Identify and justify the acquisition of next-generation technology (CapEx) to maintain a competitive advantage.
• Executive Alignment: Collaborate with Engineering and Sales teams to ensure production capabilities align with future product launches and market demands.

III. Technical and Operational Oversight

• Full-Cycle Management: Direct oversight of Laser/Fab, Welding (ASME standards), CNC Turning/Milling, and complex Electro-Mechanical Assembly.
• Inventory Control: Mastermind the inventory flow for thousands of components to ensure 100% "just-in-time" availability for the final assembly line.
• Compliance: Define and enforce industry gold-standard quality, OSHA safety, and NRTL standards.

IV. Required Qualifications

• Leadership Experience: Minimum of 10 years in manufacturing, with at least 5 years in a senior management role overseeing multi-disciplinary teams.
• Technical Fluency: Non-negotiable, deep technical expertise in metal fabrication and CNC machining, necessary to communicate effectively with all operators.
• Software Proficiency: Expert-level proficiency in Autodesk Inventor and Fusion 360 for machine design and documentation.
• Financial Acumen: Experience managing departmental P&L, labor budgets, and high-value CapEx projects.
• Process Improvement: Demonstrated success implementing structured frameworks such as Lean, Six Sigma, or ISO 9001 in a growth-stage environment.
• Education: A Degree in Engineering or Operations Management, or equivalent "Mastery" acquired through professional experience.

V. Compensation and Application

• Salary and Benefits: Salary begins at $100k+, including company-paid medical and dental insurance, paid vacation, and sick time.
• Career Trajectory: The role offers a direct pipeline to the VP of Operations position as the company grows.

Application: Submit your resume and a brief summary of your leadership philosophy to steve@millcityroasters.com.