Sr Director – Head of Operations

THE COMPANY

Our client who is a Medical Device leader is seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Director of Operations to join their leadership team for its Tijuana operation. This role is pivotal in overseeing the day-to-day operations of the organization, ensuring the seamless execution of its mission to deliver innovative solutions in the life sciences industry. The Senior Director of Operations will be responsible for driving operational efficiency, optimizing processes, and leading cross-functional teams to achieve organizational goals. This individual will play a key role in shaping the future of the Tijuana, Mexico operation through strategic leadership, operational excellence, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.  This position reports to a VP of Operations.

THE POSITION

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned

• Operations Management: Oversee daily operations of the plant, ensuring efficient production processes and adherence to safety and quality standards. Direct areas of responsibility include manufacturing, assembly, packaging, manufacturing engineering, maintenance, and facilities management.
• Servant Leadership: Lead, coach, mentor, and develop a team of managers and staff. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, servant leadership, collaboration, diversity, and teamwork.
• Budget Management: Prepare and manage the plant’s operational and capital budgets, ensuring financial targets are met, required resources are acquired, and costs are controlled. Ensure financial compliance with the plant. Drive continual cost optimization efforts.
• Production Planning: Coordinate production schedules and resource allocation to meet customer demands and optimize efficiency.
• Quality Control: Implement and maintain quality assurance programs to ensure products meet regulatory and customer specifications.
• Safety Compliance: Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations and promote a safe working environment for all employees.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational performance and reduce waste. Drive smart manufacturing & automation initiatives at the plant. Mature engagement and empowerment culture within all plant operations to ensure long-term sustainability of the business. Requires deep understanding of value streams and improvement opportunities.
• Reporting: Provide regular reports on plant performance, including production metrics, safety incidents, and financial performance to senior leadership.
• Governmental Compliance: Ensure regulatory compliance with all national, state, and local government regulations. Legally represents the company, along with the juridical adviser and the accounting adviser; in financial, legal, and accounting issues.

THE CANDIDATE

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field. A Master’s degree is preferred.
• Proven experience in a manufacturing environment, with at least 15 years in managerial roles. Ideal candidate will have solid experience leading a mid-to-large size medical device manufacturing plant as a Plant Manager, Director of Operations or similar. Will also consider Operations Manager ready for a promotion into a Plant Manager role. Candidates with experience in other highly regulated manufacturing environments (i.e. automotive, aerospace, food & beverage, chemicals, etc.)  will be considered.
• Must have strong assembly background.  Plastics injection molding is a plus. 
• Knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles and other continuous improvement methodologies. Lean, and Six Sigma.
• Knowledge of supply chain, project management, launching new products and other industry certifications (ISO, FDA, GMP’s) is highly desired.
• Proficient in data analysis, strategy/policy deployment, decisive problem solving, budgets, KPI’s and performance metrics.
• Deep understanding of HR, finance, and legal compliance matters in Mexico and Baja California.
• Deep understanding of business management as it relates to a manufacturing business operating as a unit within a large multi-national corporation.
• Deep understanding of governmental compliance as it relates to doing business in Mexico and Baja California.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate and lead teams. Ability to lead and drive change within a large-scale manufacturing organization. A servant leader is ideal.
• Effective communication and negotiation skills; situational leadership and emotional intelligence required to apply skillsets in multiple environments and with diverse teams.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Fluent in Spanish and English.
• Daily work location is Tijuana, BC, Mexico.