Director - Operations
3M · Wausau, WI
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Production
- Base pay
- $287k–$351k
- Travel
- 60%
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 12+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level production role at 3M (industrial) in Wausau, WI. And root cause and action plan attainment.
- They ask for
- 12+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Value stream mapping, Root cause, EHS / safety
- Base pay
- $287k–$351k
- Day to day
- about 60% travel · relocation help
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Production Engineer roles in Wisconsin: typical posted base $109k–$174k. This one lists $287k–$351k.
Median of the low and high ends of 10 live postings that list pay, out of 35 production engineer openings in Wisconsin, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Wisconsin plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 34 other live production postings in Wisconsin.
- Base pay
- About 143% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (12+ vs 7+)
Typical $103k–$159k, from 8 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 7+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Team leadership 51%
- ✓ Lean 49%
- ✓ Root cause 26%
- ✓ EHS / safety 26%
- ✓ Six Sigma 23%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention 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 3M
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?
- The posting says about 60% travel. Between which sites?
- 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.
Full description from 3MAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Key Responsibilities
EHS stewardship and compliance to ensure operational Environmental, Health, and Safety compliance and accountability. EHS active visible leadership, ownership, and involvement within all operations. Providing leadership by ensuring appropriate resources are deployed to facilitate technology advancement and a vision to factory of the future in impacted sites.
Driving strategic planning and budgeting to drive sustainable improvements in factory cost through application of Lean Six Sigma, entitlement thinking, yield improvement, and plant productivity. Deployment of lean manufacturing principles and methodology to drive employee engagement and continuous improvement through principle-based leadership.
Managing supply chain execution and inventory management to ensure appropriate customer value stream performance through responsiveness, delivery performance, capacity management, supplier management, and appropriate inventory management including working and non‐working inventory. Implementing/ensuring industry leading quality products through design for manufacturability, error proofing, and a culture of zero defects, creating value for our customers.
Accelerating value creation for customers through alignment, improved information flow, systematic thinking to increase our overall value stream efficiency through delivery performance and strengthening our focus on continuous improvement. Developing manufacturing strategies for Lean Six Sigma, a high-performance workforce, capital equipment planning, technology advancement, and employee and leadership development. Supporting facility Strategic and Operational planning activities.
Developing strong leaders through accountability and a commitment to the leadership behaviors and the EPR process via principle-based leadership and a strong HOO process. Your Skills and Expertise To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M is looking for candidates who must have the following
qualifications
Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution.
Ten (10) years of experience in a private, public, government, or military environment in one or more of the following areas: EHS, quality, new product introduction, manufacturing engineering, manufacturing technology, process engineering, manufacturing operations and/or supply chain management. Five (5) years Plant Manager or Large Value Stream Manager experience.
Five (5) years of combined experience in a senior management/supervisory position in a manufacturing environment. Five (5) years' experience managing and/or supervising direct reports and large organizations. Additional
qualifications
that could help you succeed even further in this role include: Demonstrated strong leadership ability and history of leading high-performance teams. Bachelor's degree or higher in engineering or supply chain discipline. Experience and certification with Lean Six Sigma/Lean Manufacturing methodologies.
Experience in leading strategic and organizational development, operational excellence, lean implementation, financial accounting. Experience in Mining or heavy industrial applications. Effective communication skills. Work Location Work location: On‐Site. Wausau, WI. Travel May include up to 60% Domestic travel. Relocation Assistance May be authorized.
Legal
Requirements
Must be legally authorized to work in the country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status). Compensation & Benefits The expected compensation range for this position is $28
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Job Description
Are you a seasoned leader with a passion for driving operational excellence and leading high-performing teams? We are seeking dynamic individuals like you to join our organization. As a Director you will be responsible for driving systemic change in plant performance metrics through the appropriate application of continuous improvement methodologies, and root cause and action plan attainment. You will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of multi-plant operations, including production, quality control, safety, and employee development.
Your leadership skills will be put to the test as you inspire and motivate teams to achieve operational goals and exceed customer expectations. If you thrive in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment and have a proven track record of successfully managing plant operations, we invite you to apply.
Impact You'll Make in this Role As a Director of Plant Operations, you will provide direct leadership for the Wausau Mine and Plant as well as the other 3 IMPD plants within SIBG USAC operations. Direct reports will be Wausau Operational Leader and 3 plant managers. This position will be accountable to deliver improved results in EHS, Quality, Value Stream Performance, Cost, Cash, and Employee Relations for the plant teams under their leadership.
The Director of Operations' pro‐active involvement with division personnel, R & D, and business teams will ensure strong alignment of operational goals, metrics, and targets with the business/division objectives. Environmental, Health, and Safety, Security compliance and accountability, with active visible leadership / involvement across the sites will be required. This position will set expectations for employee safety, compliance, and environmental stewardship.
The Director of IMPD Operations will provide leadership and set expectations to drive systemic changes in all plant performance metrics through appropriate application of Continuous Improvement and Tier process methodologies. The position will be accountable to Root Cause and Action Plan attainment.
The ideal candidate must drive customer focus through excellent first‐time quality, prompt complaint resolution and corrective actions and ensure appropriate value stream performance through responsiveness, delivery performance, capacity management, and appropriate inventory management including working and non‐working inventory, as well as financial deliverables.