Senior Director, Operations Management (Site Leader)
Applied Materials · Kalispell, MT
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Production
- Base pay
- $180k–$248k
- Experience asked
- 15+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level production role at Applied Materials (industrial) in Kalispell, MT.
- They ask for
- 15+ years
- Tools it names
- Machining, Capacity planning
- Base pay
- $180k–$248k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Production Engineer roles in the US: typical posted base $116k–$158k. This one lists $180k–$248k.
Median of the low and high ends of 241 live postings that list pay, out of 787 production engineer openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Montana plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 786 other live production postings in the US.
- Base pay
- About 64% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (15+ vs 7+)
Typical $109k–$152k, from 207 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 7+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Team leadership 44%
- Lean 39%
- EHS / safety 26%
- Root cause 25%
- ✓ New product launch 22%
- Six Sigma 21%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Machining, Capacity planning, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Production team at Applied Materials
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Applied Materials in Kalispell
7 other open roles at this site.
- Operations and Customer Quality Engineer · Quality
- Manufacturing Engineer - 2nd Shift · Manufacturing
- Process Engineer III - New College Grad (Kalispell, MT) · Process · Senior
- Manufacturing Engineer · Manufacturing
- Manufacturing Engineer II - (E2) · Manufacturing
- Industrial Engineer · Industrial
Full description from Applied MaterialsAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Key Responsibilities
- ◆Leads the combined Montana site — MPO and MMS — as the senior manufacturing leader accountable for integrated site performance, resource allocation, and strategic direction across both operations.
- ◆Provides executive leadership in the strategic planning, preparation, execution, and continuous improvement of all manufacturing operations across MPO (semiconductor equipment product build) and MMS (quick-turn machining, assembly, and test).
- ◆Serves as the critical interface with business unit executives to ensure the site meets and supports their strategic roadmaps and achieves key operational performance metrics, including: delivery of commitments toward customer orders, attainment of financial revenue and gross margin targets (Material Cost of Sales, Period/Burden/Variance costs), and predictable shipped product quality across both operations.
- ◆Accountable to drive improvements in cost, cash, responsiveness/agility, and consistency across both MPO and MMS in support of a growing, cyclical semiconductor equipment business.
- ◆Responsible for building organizational capability across MPO and MMS to execute in a distributed manufacturing / contract manufacturing environment, leveraging MMS's quick-turn capability to support MPO's build schedules and broader supply chain responsiveness.
- ◆Responsible for ensuring site preparedness and support of business unit new product and enhanced product commercialization plans, positioning MMS's machining/assembly/test capability as a key enabler of R&D support and New Product Introduction (NPI) for the growing equipment portfolio built at MPO.
- ◆Responsible for developing and leading a continuous improvement culture through systemic tools and methodologies across both operations to improve quality and EH&S, enhance lead time responsiveness, strengthen cash management (inventory), and drive agility initiatives to anticipate cyclical industry inflection points in the semiconductor capital equipment market.
- ◆Provides team leadership and strategies across a ~300-person, two-operation site to enhance productivity, employee development, and morale, including development of site managers and functional leaders within both MPO and MMS.
- ◆Manages the interdependency between MPO and MMS — capacity planning, workforce flexibility, and shared services/infrastructure — to ensure the two operations function as a cohesive, mutually reinforcing site rather than as silos.
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Who We Are
Applied Materials is the global leader in materials science and engineering solutions that are at the foundation of virtually every new semiconductor chip and advanced display in the world. The equipment that we create and service is essential to advancing AI and accelerating the commercialization of next-generation semiconductor chips. Join us and push the boundaries of materials science and engineering in a company at the foundation of the electronics industry. The work we do together advances the world’s technology.
What We Offer
Salary
$180,000.00 - $247,500.00
Location
Kalispell,MT
You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more.
At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits .
Provides leadership and direction through site managers and functional leads across two co-located manufacturing operations: Montana Production Operations (MPO) and Montana Manufacturing Solutions (MMS), totaling ~300 personnel. Is accountable for the performance and results of both operations, which serve distinct but complementary missions — MPO as the product build operation supporting a growing semiconductor product equipment business, and MMS as a quick-turn machining and assembly/test operation. Develops and executes site strategy to achieve business unit objectives across both operations, balancing the discipline of scaled, quality-critical equipment build with the speed and flexibility demanded by quick-turn machining and test. Decisions are guided by company and segment/functional strategy and objectives. Directs and controls the activities of both operations as an integrated site.
Functional Knowledge
- •Demonstrates broad and comprehensive understanding of different manufacturing systems, theories, and practices spanning both discrete product build (MPO) and precision machining/assembly/test (MMS), as well as the changing business environment in semiconductor capital equipment.
Business Expertise
- •Applies in-depth knowledge of semiconductor equipment manufacturing and quick-turn machining/test operations, along with business and commercial expertise, to differentiate the site's contribution to the business unit's competitiveness.
Leadership
- •Leads a ~300-person, two-operation site through managers of diverse activities (production, machining, assembly, test, quality, supply chain); develops and executes site strategy to achieve key business objectives across both MPO and MMS.
Problem Solving
- •Evaluates key business and operational challenges spanning two distinct manufacturing disciplines; directs the development of new or innovative solutions that account for both operations' differing cadences and requirements.
Impact
- •Guided by company strategy and business objectives, impacts the results of the semiconductor equipment product group through integrated performance of both MPO and MMS.
Interpersonal Skills
- •Influences and negotiates at senior executive levels, with great latitude on outcomes; presents and defends complicated or delic