Senior Director of Operations, Optical Systems (US)
Gooch & Housego Florida · Trinity, FL
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Production
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 15+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 13 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level production role at Gooch & Housego Florida (industrial) in Trinity, FL. This individual will have accountability for manufacturing execution, operational performance, resource optimization, and continuous improvement.
- They ask for
- 15+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Capacity planning
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 9, 2026
Production Engineer roles in Florida: typical posted base $118k–$174k.
Median of the low and high ends of 10 live postings that list pay, out of 39 production engineer openings in Florida, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Florida plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 38 other live production postings in Florida.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (15+ vs 5+)
Typical $98k–$135k, from 7 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Lean 41%
- Root cause 41%
- Team leadership 38%
- ✓ New product launch 33%
- EHS / safety 26%
- ✓ Six Sigma 23%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for 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 Gooch & Housego Florida
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.
Full description from Gooch & Housego FloridaAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
requirements
while reinforcing operational discipline and continuous improvement.
- ✓Foster effective collaboration across sites and functions, driving employee engagement, organizational effectiveness, and G&H's core values of Customer Focus, Integrity, Action, Unity, and Precision.
Qualifications
& SKILLS
- ✓Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or a related discipline required; MBA or advanced technical degree preferred.
- ✓15+ years progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including significant responsibility for multisite operations within complex, highly engineered manufacturing environments.
- ✓Demonstrated success leading operations within aerospace, defense, photonics, precision optics, or similarly sophisticated manufacturing industries.
- ✓Proven ability to develop and execute operational strategies that deliver measurable improvements in profitability, productivity, quality, delivery, and manufacturing efficiency.
- ✓Strong expertise in Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, operational excellence, and continuous improvement methodologies, with a track record of leading transformational initiatives.
- ✓Strong financial and commercial acumen, including experience managing manufacturing budgets, capital investments, cost structures, and operational performance against financial targets.
- ✓Demonstrated experience developing and implementing operational KPIs, performance
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Description
About us
Join a Global Photonics Leader Engineering Solutions from the Deep Ocean to Outer Space!
G&H is a world leader in photonics technology, delivering advanced optical systems, components, and solutions that support mission-critical applications across aerospace, defense, life sciences, industrial manufacturing, medical technology, and research markets.
Through a commitment to technical excellence, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction, G&H provides employees with the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies while collaborating with highly skilled engineering and manufacturing professionals in a dynamic, growth-oriented environment.
The opportunity
We are seeking an accomplished Senior Director of Operations, Optical Systems (US) to provide strategic and operational leadership across our Tampa, Florida, and Keene, New Hampshire manufacturing facilities within the Optical Systems US Business Unit. This leader will be responsible for driving operational excellence, strengthening manufacturing capabilities, and delivering consistent performance across both locations in support of our business growth objectives.
As a senior member of the operations leadership team, this individual will have accountability for manufacturing execution, operational performance, resource optimization, and continuous improvement. Working closely with Business Unit leadership and cross-functional partners, the Senior Director will establish disciplined operating processes, strengthen performance management, and ensure alignment between manufacturing capabilities, customer requirements, and financial objectives. The successful candidate will bring extensive experience leading complex, highly engineered manufacturing operations, strong financial and commercial acumen, and a demonstrated ability to build high-performing teams, lead operational transformation, and deliver sustainable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
This role will require extensive travel to our Keene, New Hampshire and Tampa, FL locations. This is a fully onsite position in our Tampa, FL location.
Strategic Operations Leadership & Execution
- •Provide strategic and operational leadership across the Tampa and Keene manufacturing facilities, ensuring alignment with Business Unit priorities, customer commitments, and long-term growth objectives.
- •Develop and execute operational strategies that strengthen manufacturing capabilities, optimize capacity and resources, and improve efficiency, scalability, and overall business performance.
- •Establish clear operating priorities, performance expectations, and accountability across both sites, ensuring consistent execution against safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity objectives.
Manufacturing Excellence & Operational Transformation
- •Lead operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives, leveraging Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and other methodologies to improve throughput, reduce waste, and enhance manufacturing performance.
- •Establish standardized operating processes, performance management routines, and operational KPIs that drive consistency, transparency, and disciplined execution across both facilities.
- •Partner with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and commercial leadership to strengthen manufacturing readiness, support new product introductions, resolve operational challenges, and improve customer delivery performance.
Financial Performance & Business Growth
- •Drive operational financial performance, including manufacturing costs, labor efficiency, productivity, inventory, capital expenditures, and execution against approved budgets and business targets.
- •Lead capacity planning, resource optimization, and capital investment recommendations, developing robust business cases that support profitable growth and operational scalability.
- •Partner with Finance and Business Unit leadership to evaluate operational performance, identify risks and improvement opportunities, and implement corrective actions that strengthen margins, cost competitiveness, and financial predictability.
People Leadership, Safety & Organizational Capability
- •Lead, coach, and develop site operations leadership teams, building organizational capability, succession readiness, and a culture of ownership, accountability, and high performance.
- •Champion a proactive safety and quality culture, ensuring compliance with applicable environmental, health, safety, and regulatory