Director or VP of Operations

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Location: Dearborn, Michigan
Reports To: Executive Leadership

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Company is an innovative technology company providing next-generation Solid-State Transformer (SST)-based power conversion solutions for the exponentially growing power demands of AI infrastructure and grid modernization.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Company is seeking a Director of Operations to build and scale the company's operations and manufacturing capabilities as the business moves into its next stage of growth.

This is a hands-on startup leadership role responsible for establishing the processes, suppliers, manufacturing capabilities, testing infrastructure, quality systems, and organizational structure needed to support the production and delivery of Company's existing products while preparing the company to efficiently manufacture and scale its next generation of products.

The successful candidate will work closely with executive leadership and Engineering to determine how Company's products should be built, tested, sourced, and scaled. This individual will play a critical role in creating the operational foundation necessary to support both current production and future product development.

We are looking for someone who has successfully operated in an entrepreneurial or high-growth environment and is comfortable building systems, processes, and teams where they don't yet exist.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Build & Scale the Operations Function

· Develop Company's overall operations and manufacturing strategy as the company scales.

· Establish scalable processes and infrastructure to support current production and the introduction of new products.

· Determine what should be built internally versus outsourced to strategic manufacturing partners.

· Develop manufacturing processes, work instructions, tooling, equipment, and production capabilities.

· Establish operational KPIs, planning processes, and reporting.

· Identify opportunities to improve production efficiency, quality, cost, and scalability.

Current Products & New Product Introduction

· Support the ongoing manufacturing and delivery of Company's existing products.

· Work closely with Engineering to ensure new products are designed for manufacturability and scalability.

· Establish Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) practices.

· Develop and implement Company's New Product Introduction (NPI) process.

· Establish processes for transitioning new products from engineering development and prototypes into pilot and commercial production.

· Identify manufacturing, testing, cost, quality, and supply-chain challenges early in the product-development process.

· Develop repeatable manufacturing processes that can evolve as product designs and production volumes change.

Supply Chain & Suppliers

· Build and manage Company's supply-chain strategy and supplier network.

· Identify, qualify and manage suppliers for critical components including transformers, power electronics, SiC devices, electrical components, cooling systems, enclosures, and other specialized equipment.

· Develop strategies for long-lead-time, high-value, and single-source components.

· Work closely with Engineering and Procurement to qualify alternative suppliers and components.

· Establish supplier quality, cost, delivery, and performance expectations.

· Develop supplier relationships capable of supporting increasing production volumes.

Quality, Testing & Safety

· Establish and continuously improve Company's manufacturing quality system.

· Develop incoming inspection, in-process quality, and final testing processes.

· Work with Engineering to develop production testing capabilities for complex, high-power electrical systems.

· Establish safe manufacturing and testing procedures for medium-voltage equipment.

· Support UL, CSA, IEC and other certification activities from a manufacturing perspective.

· Establish processes for identifying, investigating, and resolving production quality issues.

Build the Team

· Determine the operations, manufacturing, supply-chain, quality, and production resources Company will need as it grows.

· Recruit, develop, and lead key operations personnel.

· Establish clear roles, responsibilities, processes, and accountability within the Operations organization.

· Establish a culture centered around safety, quality, accountability, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.

IDEAL BACKGROUND

· 10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing, operations, engineering operations, or production leadership.

· Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or a related discipline.

· Experience with complex electrical, electronic, power-electronics, energy, industrial, or other highly engineered products.

· Demonstrated experience supporting products through development, production launch, and subsequent scale-up.

· Experience building manufacturing processes and operations within a startup, scale-up, or rapidly growing company is highly desirable.

· Strong understanding of manufacturing, supply chain, quality, NPI, DFM/DFA, and supplier management.

· Experience working closely with engineering organizations to translate complex product designs into practical, repeatable manufacturing processes.

PARTICULARLY VALUABLE EXPERIENCE

· Experience with:

· Power electronics

· Medium-voltage electrical equipment

· Transformers

· Power converters/inverters

· Solid-state transformers

· Data-center power infrastructure

· EV charging

· Battery energy storage

· UPS systems

· Grid-connected power systems

· SiC power electronics

· High-voltage electrical equipment

· Other complex, highly engineered electrical products

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

This is not a traditional corporate operations position. We're looking for a builder—someone who enjoys creating processes, solving problems, developing suppliers, working alongside engineers, and figuring out what needs to happen next. The ideal candidate can move comfortably between strategic planning and hands-on problem solving and doesn't need an established organization or playbook to be effective. This person will have the opportunity to help define how Company's products are manufactured, build and lead the company's Operations organization, and establish the foundation needed to support the development and commercialization of future products. For the right individual, this is an opportunity to have a significant impact on a growing technology company working at the intersection of advanced power electronics, AI data centers, and grid modernization.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

•Annual salary between $180,000 to $215,000 DoE, paid in semi-monthly payroll runs.

•Annual bonus

•Health/medical insurance benefit for you and your family

•Vision insurance benefit for you and your family

•Dental insurance benefit for you and your family

•12 paid holidays per year

•Three weeks of paid vacation per year

•Two weeks of paid sick time per year

•Education/training reimbursement plan

•Monthly, optional professional, wellness chair massage

•Relocation assistance plan

Applied Staffing Group, LLC is a boutique staffing firm.