Director of Manufacturing Operations
Coherent · Newark, DE
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Production
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level production role at Coherent (industrial) in Newark, DE. Maintain a constructive day-to-day relationship with the Teamsters workforce and support Human Resources in contract administration, grievances, and future negotiations.
- They ask for
- 10+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Automation, EHS / safety
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Production Engineer roles in the US: typical posted base $115k–$164k.
Median of the low and high ends of 384 live postings that list pay, out of 1249 production engineer openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Delaware plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 1248 other live production postings in the US.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 7+)
Typical $107k–$153k, from 323 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 7+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Team leadership 44%
- ✓ Lean 38%
- ✓ EHS / safety 26%
- Root cause 24%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Union environment, 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 Coherent
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: Coherent in Newark
6 other open roles at this site.
- Staff Engineer, Quality · Quality · Senior
- R&D Engineering Technician · Manufacturing
- Production Supervisor · Production · Supervisor
- Senior Process Engineer · Process · Senior
- Quality Technician · Quality · Technician
- Process Engineering Lead · Process · Manager
Full description from CoherentAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Job Summary
The Director of Manufacturing Operations provides hands-on operational leadership for the Delaware manufacturing site. The role is accountable for safe, reliable, and cost-effective execution of the production plan; disciplined planning and scheduling; WIP flow; productivity and yield improvement; operational quality; maintenance and facilities coordination; and development of a high-performing Operations organization. The Director works across the business to translate customer and strategic
requirements
into executable operating plans and measurable results.
The Director is expected to build strong working relationships with Engineering, Quality, EHS, Purchasing, Finance, Supply Chain, Human Resources, Sales, and Product Management and lead through influence where
responsibilities
cross functional boundaries.
Education & Experience
- ✓Bachelor’s degree in Engineering required; Mechanical or Chemical Engineering preferred.
- ✓At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in manufacturing or operations leadership.
- ✓Required: demonstrated Lean leadership and continuous-improvement results in productivity, yield, quality, cost, delivery, or flow.
- ✓Required: experience establishing or improving production planning, scheduling, WIP control, and shop-floor flow.
- ✓Preferred: experience managing a unionized workforce.
- ✓Preferred: experience in advanced materials, ceramics, semiconductor components, precision fabrication, or other complex industrial manufacturing.
- ✓Preferred: experience implementing or significantly improving an ERP or manufacturing execution system.
- ✓Demonstrated ability to lead through others, develop teams, resolve problems, and sustain accountability in a changing environment.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Operational Leadership
- •Lead daily manufacturing execution across the Delaware site, maintaining a visible and hands-on presence with employees and leaders at all levels.
- •Direct and develop the Production Manager, Planner/Scheduler, Maintenance Manager, and Special Projects Manager. The Production Manager leads three Shift Supervisors.
- •Set clear operating expectations, establish performance routines, remove barriers, and hold leaders accountable for results and behaviors.
- •Maintain focus on the highest-value priorities while resisting a crisis-driven operating model.
- •Coordinate with Engineering, Quality, EHS, Purchasing, Finance, Supply Chain, Human Resources, Sales, and Product Management to resolve issues and execute site priorities.
Planning Scheduling and Flow
- •Establish and maintain a reliable planning and scheduling process aligned with customer commitments, available capacity, material availability, staffing, and equipment constraints.
- •Improve visibility and control of WIP, production flow, supermarkets, constraints, and recovery plans through the Planner/Scheduler and operating reviews.
- •Use data to identify bottlenecks, improve throughput, reduce lead time, and support fact-based decisions on priorities and resources.
- •Partner with Purchasing and Supply Chain to ensure material availability supports the production plan without creating unnecessary inventory or disruption.
Quality Safety and Continuous Improvement
- •Own operational quality performance by building quality into processes, reinforcing standards, and ensuring timely containment and effective corrective action.
- •Partner with Quality to maintain applicable certifications and management systems, prepare for audits, and strengthen process discipline and change control.
- •Lead a culture in which employees identify problems, escalate concerns early, follow standard work, and take ownership of the process and outcome.
- •Lead Lean and continuous-improvement activity that produces measurable gains in productivity, yield, quality, cost, delivery, and flow.
- •Partner with EHS to establish safe work practices, address hazards, reinforce accountability, and achieve strong site safety performance.
People Labor and Culture
- •Build a high-performing Operations team through selection, onboarding, coaching, development, recognition, and fair, consistent performance management.
- •Develop and coach supervisors and other leaders to manage through facts, engage employees, and sustain improvements across shifts.
- •Maintain a constructive day-to-day relationship with the Teamsters workforce and support Human Resources in contract administration, grievances, and future negotiations.
- •Promote the company values of Integrity, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, and Enthusiasm through personal example and consistent leadership.
Financial Capital and Customer Support
- •Manage Operations performance and cost control within the budget established by the GM, using data to identify savings opportunities and improve labor, material, equipment, and operating effectiveness.
- •Develop the initial site capital plan and business cases for automation and other investments. Drive approved projects to completion on schedule and within budget.
- •Support Sales as the primary operational partner for customer escalations, visits, delivery discussions, and technical or manufacturing topics. Sales remains the primary customer interface.
- •Provide concise, timely, and fact-based operating updates to the Sr. Director of Global Operations and leadership team.
Skills
- •Hands-on, visible, and self-motivated leadership style with a strong sense of urgency and ownership.
- •Strong analytical, problem-solving, and fact-based decision-making skills.
- •Ability to establish priorities, execute with discipline, and convert strategy into practical operating routines.
- •Ability to influence across functions and the organization and work effectively with technical, commercial, and corporate partners.
- •Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
- •Ability to work effectively with employees and leaders across shifts and levels of the organization.
- •Due