Director of Manufacturing
Champion Window and Home Exteriors · South Plainfield, NJ
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Certification
- Black Belt preferred
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 9 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level manufacturing role at Champion Window and Home Exteriors (industrial) in South Plainfield, NJ. You will lead daily operations and drives sustained performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and People.
- They ask for
- 10+ years · Black Belt preferred
- Tools it names
- Lean, 5S, Root cause, Time studies, Capacity planning
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in New Jersey: typical posted base $130k–$176k.
Median of the low and high ends of 4 live postings that list pay, out of 27 manufacturing engineer openings in New Jersey, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
New Jersey plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 26 other live manufacturing postings in New Jersey.
- Experience asked
- Typical (10+ years)
Similar roles usually ask 10+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Lean 85%
- ✓ Root cause 85%
- ✓ Team leadership 70%
- ✓ 5S 67%
- ✓ Time studies 67%
- ✓ Capacity planning 67%
✓ = 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 Manufacturing team at Champion Window and Home Exteriors
We found 4 people at this company and state: 3 in this kind of role, 1 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See 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.
Write to Dwayne → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- The posting mentions a Black Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
- 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: Champion Window and Home Exteriors in South Plainfield
No other open roles at this site right now · 4 people we found in manufacturing roles at Champion Window and Home Exteriors.
Full description from Champion Window and Home ExteriorsAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
- ◆Lead daily manufacturing operations to meet or exceed targets for Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Productivity, and People.
- ◆Convert forecasts, demand, and business priorities into manufacturing plans, staffing models, capacity requirements, and execution priorities.
- ◆Lead, coach, and develop manufacturing managers, supervisors, and frontline leaders with clear expectations, accountability, and performance standards.
- ◆Maintain a disciplined daily management system with shift meetings, production reviews, KPI boards, escalation routines, and corrective-action follow-up.
- ◆Monitor manufacturing KPIs including safety performance, schedule attainment, output, labor efficiency, overtime, scrap, rework, downtime, productivity, and manufacturing cost.
- ◆Ensure production issues and performance gaps are quickly identified, root causes addressed, corrective actions assigned, and results sustained.
- ◆Partner with Quality to improve first-pass yield, reduce defects and rework, resolve customer concerns, and strengthen process controls.
- ◆Partner with Maintenance to improve equipment reliability, reduce unplanned downtime, strengthen preventive maintenance, and increase asset utilization.
- ◆Collaborate with Production Planning and Supply Chain to align schedules, material availability, inventory needs, and customer commitments.
- ◆Partner with Engineering and Continuous Improvement to improve productivity, capacity, material flow, ergonomics, quality, and manufacturing cost.
- ◆Drive Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement through standard work, 5S/6S, visual management, problem solving, waste elimination, line balancing, and process optimization.
- ◆Increase output and capacity utilization while reducing labor hours, overtime, scrap, rework, downtime, and operational waste.
- ◆Establish, document, train, audit, and sustain standardized work processes and operating procedures.
- ◆Develop capacity and labor plans that support current demand, growth initiatives, new products, and changing customer requirements.
- ◆Use ERP systems and operational data to analyze performance, identify trends, set priorities, and drive factbased decisions.
- ◆Maintain daily, weekly, and monthly reporting that compares results to targets and highlights trends, gaps, and corrective actions.
- ◆Support the annual operating plan, manufacturing budget, capital requirements, productivity initiatives, and cost-reduction targets.
- ◆Manage manufacturing expenses within budget and deliver year-over-year improvements in labor productivity, conversion cost, scrap, and operational efficiency.
- ◆Champion safety by ensuring compliance with standards, participation in safety initiatives, and proactive risk identification and elimination.
- ◆Ensure manufacturing operations comply with company policies, regulatory requirements, quality systems, environmental requirements, and operating procedures.
- ◆Build succession plans and strengthen the leadership pipeline through coaching, performance management, cross-training, and talent development.
- ◆Partner with Human Resources to support hiring, onboarding, training, and retention of manufacturing employees and leaders.
- ◆Foster a culture where employees identify problems, recommend improvements, and engage in continuous improvement.
- ◆Perform other duties and lead special projects as assigned by the Sr. Director of Manufacturing Operations.
Qualifications
Key Performance Indicators
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Overview
Englert - Director of Manufacturing
As the Director of Manufacturing, you will lead daily operations and drives sustained performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and People. Reporting to the Sr. Director of Manufacturing Operations, this role partners with Quality, Maintenance, Engineering/Continuous Improvement, Supply Chain, Production Planning, and other support functions to achieve plant objectives.
This leader is accountable for production performance, labor productivity, schedule attainment, manufacturing cost, capacity utilization, talent development, and continuous improvement. The role establishes disciplined shop-floor management, develops manufacturing leaders, and builds a culture of accountability, problem solving, teamwork, and operational excellence.
Pay Range: Starting at $130,000 per year with variable comp
Success will be measured by sustained improvement in
- •Safety performance
- •First-pass yield and internal quality
- •Customer quality and manufacturing-related complaints
- •Schedule attainment and on-time completion
- •Labor productivity and efficiency
- •Overtime
- •Scrap and rework
- •Equipment downtime and capacity utilization
- •Manufacturing cost
- •Inventory and material flow
- •Continuous improvement savings
- •Employee development, engagement, and retention
Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
Manufacturing Leadership: Proven ability to lead complex manufacturing operations and deliver results through execution, accountability, and disciplined follow-through.
Operational Excellence: Strong command of manufacturing systems, production management, standard work, capacity planning, labor optimization, and performance management.
Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement: Ability to apply Lean principles and structured problem solving to eliminate waste, improve flow, increase productivity, and reduce cost.
Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of manufacturing cost, labor performance, budgeting, productivity, capital investment, and plant profitability drivers.
Data-Driven Decision Making: Ability to use ERP systems, KPIs, dashboards, and financial data to identify trends, prioritize opportunities, and drive corrective action.
People Leadership: Proven ability to coach, develop, and hold leaders accountable while building a highperformance, respectful, and collaborative culture.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Engineering, Continuous Improvement, Finance, Human Resources, Sales, and other
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