Director, Strategy Manufacturing

About the role

The Director, Strategy Manufacturing leads execution of key programs within Excelitas' multi‑site manufacturing transformation portfolio. Reporting to the Sr. Director, Strategy Manufacturing, this role manages project managers, drives governance, and ensures initiatives are delivered on scope, budget, and timeline.

Key responsibilities

• Lead execution of assigned manufacturing transformation programs and projects, aligning with the broader roadmap.
• Partner with plant and operations leaders to plan and sequence initiatives such as lean/continuous improvement, automation, facility consolidation, ERP rollouts, and capacity expansion.
• Track and report program‑level KPIs (cost savings, throughput, quality, on‑time delivery, safety) to senior leadership.
• Own scope, budget, timeline, and risk management for a portfolio of cross‑functional projects.
• Support change‑management efforts to drive adoption of new processes, systems, and ways of working.
• Manage program budgets and business cases, tracking realized benefits against forecasts.
• Identify risks and interdependencies, escalating and helping resolve roadblocks.
• Coach and develop project managers, building project‑management maturity across the function.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations management, business or related field; MBA or advanced degree a plus.
• 7+ years progressive experience in manufacturing operations, project/program management, or operational excellence.
• Experience with site consolidations; greenfield or brownfield start‑ups preferred.
• Proven track record delivering manufacturing transformation or PMO initiatives in a multi‑site environment.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and lead cross‑functional teams without direct authority.
• Experience in a regulated or precision manufacturing environment (optics, photonics, aerospace/defense, medical device) is a plus.

Required skills

• Lean methodology
• Six Sigma
• PMP or equivalent project‑management certification