Director of Manufacturing & Operational Excellence

Job Description – Director of Manufacturing & Operational Excellence

United CoolAir, LLC. is an original equipment manufacturer of HVAC products. We have been serving our customers for over 35 years.We are looking for the right person to join our legacy and grow with us with continued success for years to come.We are currently looking for a Director of Manufacturing & Operational Excellence to join our team at our York, PA facility. This position will this individual will be responsible for driving productivity, improving assembly processes, reducing waste, enhancing quality, and developing a culture of continuous improvement across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturing Leadership

• Lead all manufacturing and sub-assembly operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives.
• Develop and implement strategies to increase productivity, improve throughput, and reduce manufacturing costs.
• Ensure production schedules are met while maintaining quality and safety standards.
• Drive accountability for operational performance through the use of KPIs and visual management systems.
• Partner with Engineering, Supply Chain, and Sales to align production capabilities with business objectives.

Operational Excellence & Lean Manufacturing

• Lead the organization's continuous improvement strategy and Lean transformation efforts.
• Identify and eliminate waste across manufacturing, assembly, material flow, inventory management, and administrative processes.
• Champion Lean methodologies including:
• Value Stream Mapping
• 5S
• Kaizen Events
• Standard Work
• Root Cause Analysis
• Visual Management
• SMED
• Problem Solving and A3 Thinking
• Establish a culture of continuous improvement where employees actively participate in identifying and implementing solutions.
• Develop business cases and ensure improvement initiatives produce measurable financial returns.

Process Improvement & Engineering

• Apply mechanical engineering principles to optimize assembly processes, tooling, workflow, ergonomics, and material handling.
• Assess current manufacturing methods and implement improvements that reduce labor content, improve quality, and increase capacity.
• Support new product introductions and ensure designs are manufacturable and scalable.
• Improve factory layout and material flow to maximize efficiency.

Quality Management Systems (To take over OpEx / Quality)

• Lead and support quality initiatives in alignment with ISO 9001 and other applicable Quality Management Systems.
• Partner with Quality personnel to ensure robust corrective and preventive action systems.
• Drive continuous improvement in first-pass yield, customer satisfaction, warranty performance, and defect reduction.
• Promote process discipline, documentation, and compliance throughout operations.
• Ensure manufacturing processes support quality objectives and customer requirements.

Leadership & People Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop supervisors, team leads, and production personnel.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Build trust and credibility across all levels of the organization.
• Effectively communicate operational goals and organizational priorities.
• Lead change initiatives in a manner that gains employee buy-in and sustainable adoption.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline.
• 7+ years of manufacturing leadership experience in an assembly-based manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated success leading manufacturing operations and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles and operational excellence methodologies.
• Experience managing manufacturing teams, supervisors, and production personnel.
• Experience working in ISO 9001-certified environments or similar Quality Management Systems.
• Proven track record of delivering measurable cost savings, productivity improvements, and operational efficiencies.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent certification.
• Experience with engineered products, electromechanical assemblies, industrial equipment, or HVAC systems.
• ERP/MRP system experience.
• Knowledge of capacity planning, factory layout optimization, and manufacturing metrics.
• Experience leading multi-department operational improvement programs.

Success Measures

Within the first 12-24 months, the successful candidate will:

• Reduce assembly labor hours and manufacturing waste.
• Improve throughput and production capacity.
• Increase first-pass yield and overall product quality.
• Improve on-time delivery performance.
• Strengthen ISO 9001 compliance and quality discipline.
• Develop a culture of continuous improvement throughout manufacturing and sub-assembly operations.
• Deliver annual cost savings and productivity gains that significantly exceed the cost of the position.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate combines a strong foundation in Mechanical Engineering with proven manufacturing leadership experience and a passion for Lean principles. This leader will have a demonstrated ability to identify inefficiencies, implement sustainable process improvements, and deliver measurable financial returns through operational excellence initiatives. Success in this position will be measured by improvements in throughput, quality, labor productivity, employee engagement, and profitability.

HVAC industry experience is preferred but not required.