Daniel Defense, LLC · 1 day ago
SR DIRECTOR OPERATIONS
Black Creek, GA
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
15+ years expDaniel Defense is a company that engineers and manufactures premium weapon systems and accessories. They are seeking a Sr. Director of Operations to lead production, assembly, shipping, and receiving operations while driving on-time delivery and optimizing manufacturing processes.
Law EnforcementManufacturingMilitary
Responsibilities
Responsible for demonstrating commitment to and leadership of environmental health and safety principles, policies and procedures
Lead all Production, Assembly, Shipping, and Receiving operations
Drive on-time delivery (OTD) performance to achieve and exceed customer expectations
Lead enterprise efforts to improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) across manufacturing assets
Optimize value streams through Lean principles, flow optimization, and DDX deployment
Strategically manage insourcing and outsourcing decisions to continually build, strengthen, and refine Daniel Defense’s core manufacturing competencies
Hire, develop, and retain top operations talent; build a culture of engagement, continuous improvement, and operational accountability
Engage all employees in continuous improvement, driving grassroots participation in Lean and Business Excellence activities
Work seamlessly across all levels — hands-on on the shop floor to drive results, and equally comfortable preparing and presenting strategic updates to the C-suite
Report to the COO and partner closely with Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance, and Commercial leadership
Provide strategic and tactical leadership for: Production & Machining, Assembly, Shipping & Receiving, Production Planning and Scheduling
Set clear performance expectations and drive execution to achieve on-time delivery (OTD) targets
Lead operational teams to achieve or exceed safety, quality, delivery, cost (SQDC) objectives
Drive daily, weekly, and monthly performance through Lean Daily Management (LDM) systems
Be highly visible on the shop floor — engaging directly with teams and driving execution where the work happens
Lead enterprise focus on improving Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) across production operations
Optimize material flow, process flow, and information flow through value stream mapping and Lean-based process improvements
Partner with Manufacturing Engineering to drive asset utilization, capability expansion, and cost competitiveness
Develop and execute capacity planning to support current and future product and volume requirements
Define and execute insourcing vs. outsourcing strategies to build and sustain Daniel Defense’s core manufacturing competencies
Partner with Engineering, Supply Chain, and Quality to select and manage strategic partners where outsourcing is appropriate
Drive continuous evaluation of make vs. buy decisions to ensure strategic alignment with: Brand integrity, IP protection, Core competencies, Operational agility, Cost leadership
Hire, develop, and retain the best operations talent at all levels
Build high-performing teams through leadership, coaching, clear goal setting, and development pathways
Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, and operational excellence
Engage all employees in continuous improvement, ensuring broad participation in Lean, Kaizen, problem-solving, and DDX initiatives
Recognize and reward employee contributions to improvement and operational excellence
Serve as a Business Excellence leader and key contributor to the Daniel Defense Business Excellence System (DDX)
Drive cultural adoption of Lean, Continuous Improvement, and Operational Excellence principles across Operations
Leverage visual management, tiered accountability, and standard work to drive sustainable performance gains
Partner with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, and Commercial leadership to align Operations with enterprise goals
Ensure operational readiness for new product launches in collaboration with New Product Development (NPD) and Manufacturing Integration
Provide clear, data-driven updates to the COO and C-suite — capable of building and delivering executive-level presentations on Operations performance and strategy
Support Business Excellence, Operational Excellence, and Commercial Excellence initiatives enterprise-wide
Participates in the company’s efforts to continuously improve in Safety, 6S, Quality, Delivery and Productivity
Expected to be a contributor to the company standards on high integrity, safety, fair and equitable treatment, and a positive work environment
Other responsibilities as deemed appropriate or necessary by management
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred
15+ years of progressive leadership experience in Operations or Manufacturing roles, with significant experience leading Production, Assembly, and Logistics functions
Proven track record of improving on-time delivery (OTD) and OEE in a high-mix, high-precision manufacturing environment
Expertise in leading value stream optimization, Lean manufacturing, and flow improvements
Experience leading insourcing vs. outsourcing strategy development and execution
Demonstrated ability to build, sustain, and evolve core manufacturing competencies
Proven success in hiring, developing, and retaining top talent, and engaging employees in continuous improvement
Experience working effectively at all organizational levels — hands-on at the shop floor, and equally adept at building executive presentations and communicating with the C-suite
Familiarity with DDX or similar Business/Operational Excellence systems
Strong financial acumen — understanding of P&L, working capital, and cost management
Exceptional Operations leadership and people development skills
Ability to translate strategic objectives into executable operational plans
Deep understanding of OEE improvement, flow dynamics, capacity planning, and Lean tools
Proven success leading cross-functional collaboration and enterprise alignment
Highly effective change agent who can drive cultural adoption of Business Excellence principles
Strong executive presence — comfortable and credible presenting to C-suite leaders
Excellent communication and collaboration skills — from shop floor to executive level
Passion for Operational Excellence and building the best firearms in the world
High degree of initiative, urgency, and accountability
Hands-on, visible, shop floor-oriented leader who leads by example
Strong communicator and collaborative leader
Committed to Daniel Defense's mission and core values
Energized by building high-performance teams in a fast-scaling premium brand
Demonstrated ability to recognize and work in accordance with our Permission to Play Values
Must be able to lift and carry awkward items weighing 50 pounds
Requires intermittent standing, walking, sitting and bending throughout the work day
Must be able to work in a manufacturing environment, to include working in and around machinery, exposure to noise and chemicals, lights/lasers, etc
Must be able to wear appropriate Personal Protection Equipment as required by your position and/or Company policy
Company
Daniel Defense, LLC
Daniel Defense is a family-owned and privately held firearms manufacturer located in Black Creek, Georgia.
201-500 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Marsha Grovenstein
Assistant to the President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Recent News
2025-11-08
2025-08-25
Maryland Daily Record
2025-08-22
Company data provided by crunchbase