Director of Operations

First Quality was founded in 1989 and has grown to be a global privately held company with over 4,000 employees. Its corporate offices are located in Great Neck, New York, with manufacturing facilities and offices in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Georgia, and Canada. First Quality is a diversified family of companies manufacturing consumer products ranging from Absorbent Hygiene (adult incontinence, feminine care, and baby care), Tissue (bath and towel), and Industrial (print and packaging materials), serving institutional and retail markets throughout the world. First Quality focuses on private label and branded product lines.

We are seeking a for Director of Operations our First Quality Baby Products located in Macon, Georgia.  This key leadership position is responsible for day-to-day operations and long-term strategies for growth.  Maintain a safe work environment, improve safety systems and eliminate root causes of accidents and hold team members accountable for their role in safety.  Directs and implements performance goals such as high efficiencies, high quality, low customer and consumer complaints, on-time deliveries, cost control, gross margin management, and recruiting, training and retention initiatives.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Observes all safety rules and uses the proper safety equipment at all times
• Maintain a safe work environment, improve safety systems and eliminate the causes of accidents, and hold everyone accountable for their role in safety
• Serve as a key contributor to the Business Units for the respective businesses
• Ensure engagement of all functional areas to develop a strategic plan, drive business performance and results
• Sustain, maintain and build on company culture that engages all team members that deliver results that delivers outstanding products and services that delight the end consumers
• Enhance standards, processes and procedures to ensure consistent, high quality products and build a continuous improvement mindset
• Follow necessary requirements and ensures compliance with state and federal regulations regarding all business components
• Manages the operations in line with business growth by ensuring the introduction of new equipment and systems meet safety, quality, cost, consumer, customer, and security requirements
• Lead, direct and coordinate all manufacturing functions including production, planning, logistics, engineering, quality, safety, human resources and customer service
• Achieve budget commitments; controlling efficiencies, yields, and overhead expenses
• Drive recruiting, training and retention efforts in collaborations with Human Resources to ensure training, employee development, and work systems enabling all employees to maximize their contribution to business success and contribute to productivity efforts
• Implement quality improvement and cost reduction programs ensuring continuous improvement in key metrics
• Consults with sales and product development resources, particularly on new or improved products, to ensure customer and consumer requirements are met or exceeded
• Keeps senior management apprised of new product, business, and/or industry developments and trends

The ideal candidate should possess the following:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or related field preferred, MBA desired
• 10+ years minimum experience in an Operations Management role within a manufacturing environment
• Proficient with quality and process improvement tools and techniques such as SPC/SQC, Lean Manufacturing, TPM, and Six Sigma
• High speed consumer product manufacturing a must
• Technical aptitude
• Proven ability to lead and develop high performance work teams
• Ability to set up a structure in Operations to handle the needs of the company current state and future state
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills
• Advanced technical, business, and managerial skills
• Advanced human relations and interpersonal skills