Director of Operations

Waseyabek Development Company • Muskegon, MI • 1d ago

Manufacturing Center of Excellence (MCOE) Baker Engineering -- Muskegon, Michigan

About Baker Engineering

Baker Engineering is a West Michigan-based engineering and manufacturing company with more than 60 years of heritage in power and propulsion development. The company serves customers in defense, mobility, and advanced manufacturing by developing and producing mission-critical hardware and technologies.

Baker recently established a Manufacturing Center of Excellence (MCOE) in Muskegon, Michigan to scale precision CNC machining and hardware production in support of aerospace, defense, and advanced mobility programs.

The Director of Operations will play a critical leadership role in scaling the MCOE into a high-performance scalable manufacturing organization capable of supporting advanced engineering programs and high-reliability hardware production.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Operations is responsible for the overall operational performance of Baker Engineering's Manufacturing Center of Excellence. This role leads daily manufacturing operations, production planning, quality execution, supply chain coordination, and workforce development to ensure on-time delivery, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement.

This leader will drive the transformation of the facility into a high-performing aerospace and defense manufacturing operation capable of supporting complex development programs and scaling into production.

The Director of Operations will report directly to the President and work closely with engineering, program management, and business development leadership.

** ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Operational Leadership**

Lead all day-to-day operations of the Manufacturing Center of Excellence including machining, assembly, quality, and materials.

Ensure reliable execution of production schedules while maintaining high standards of quality and safety.

Establish clear accountability and performance expectations across operations leadership.

Production Execution

Oversee production planning and scheduling to ensure on-time delivery to customers.

Manage capacity planning, equipment utilization, and workforce deployment.

Coordinate closely with engineering and program teams to support proto@type and production builds.

Quality & Compliance

Maintain compliance with AS9100 and ISO9001 quality systems.

Partner with the quality organization to ensure process discipline and product conformity.

Drive root cause corrective action and continuous improvement initiatives.

Continuous Improvement

Implement lean manufacturing principles to improve throughput, reduce waste, and optimize processes.

Establish operational KPIs and performance dashboards for production, quality, and delivery.

Lead initiatives to improve cycle time, reduce scrap, and increase machine utilization.

Team Development

Lead and develop operations managers, supervisors, and production personnel.

Build a culture of accountability, ownership, and operational excellence.

Support workforce development and training initiatives.

Strategic Growth Support

Support scaling of the MCOE as Baker grows in defense and advanced manufacturing programs.

Collaborate with engineering leadership on manufacturability and new product introductions.

Support capital equipment planning and facility growth.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience

Experi

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