Director, Operations

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Milford, New Hampshire (USA), Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc. is the premier supplier of complete-to-print, high-volume, complex thin-wall investment castings and fully-finished casting-based subassemblies and components to industry. The company leads the industry in volume production, reduced lead-times and just-in-time manufacturing. Hitchiner produces castings in hundreds of different alloys for a broad spectrum of global markets and customers that include the leaders in the automotive, aerospace, and other industries.
We offer an enriching environment where learning and growing become part of your career. Hitchiner is dedicated to fostering the professional growth and development of our employees. We offer upward mobility and internal promotions.

Benefits:
Hitchiner offers highly competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Onsite state of the art Gym/Fitness Center, open 24/7 for all employees
• Medical and Dental Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Basic and Accidental Life Insurance (company paid)
• Short-term and Long-term Disability Insurance (company paid)
• 401K (pre-tax and ROTH) with Excellent Company Match and Immediate Vesting
• Company Profit Sharing Plan
• 3 weeks’ Vacation to start; 4 weeks’ Vacation at 5 Years; 5 weeks’ Vacation at 10 years seniority
• We set you up for success with our “Center for Excellence” onsite training center for new hires and existing employees to improve new learning and continuous growth
• Training and Educational Assistance Programs

The Director of Operations will lead the end-to-end manufacturing process, from wax injection and shelling to casting and finishing. This leader is responsible for maximizing plant throughput, minimizing scrap rates, and ensuring a culture of safety and continuous improvement in a complex manufacturing environment.

Prime Responsibilities and Major Factors in Evaluating Performance:
1. Production Management: Oversee all phases of the investment casting lifecycle (wax, shell, foundry, finishing) to ensure on-time delivery and adherence to production schedules, with a focus on increasing plant throughput in all areas.
2. Safety & Compliance: Champion a "Safety First" culture, ensuring strict adherence to OSHA regulations, environmental standards, and handling protocols for molten metals and chemicals.
3. Asset Management: Oversee the maintenance strategy for critical capital equipment (wax presses, shell equipment, cast furnaces, autoclaves, robotic cells) to minimize downtime.
4. Supply Chain & Inventory: Coordinate and align purchasing of raw material stocks and directly manage WIP levels on the production floor to ensure best-in-class WIP turns.
5. Continuous Improvement: Lead Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma initiatives to streamline workflow and reduce cost-per-unit

Additional Responsibilities:

• Ensures production operations and facilities are in compliance with applicable local, state, and federal regulations, company policies, and the Hitchiner Code of Conduct.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Minimum Acceptable Qualifications:

• Experience: Minimum of 10 years in manufacturing leadership, with specific experience in investment casting, foundry operations, or metallurgy.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Metallurgical, Mechanical, Industrial, or similar focus), Operations Management, or Business.
• Technical Skills: Deep understanding of bottleneck identification and management, aerospace and automotive manufacturing environments, and leadership development.
• Methodologies: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Green Belt certification strongly preferred.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Experience managing compliance for aerospace and automotive manufacturing (ISO 9001, AS9100, NADCAP, IATF).

Keys to Success

• Throughput Discipline: A rigorous commitment to ensuring production flow throughout the manufacturing floor with a daily focus on bottleneck identification and management.
• Shop Floor Presence: A leader who is visible on the floor and connects office strategy with production reality.
• Data Driven Process Review: Utilize real-time feedback from engineers, operators, and process control to predict and prevent defects and bottlenecks before they occur.
• Agility: The ability to balance high-volume production needs with the technical complexities of custom or complex requirements.

We consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, the presence of a non-job-related medical condition or handicap, or any other legally protected status. EOE/Veterans/Disabled are encouraged to apply.