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Director of Operations - Assembly

Job Description

Dexter is the premier manufacturer and supplier of axles, suspension, brakes, doors, venting products, trailer parts, accessories, and towing components serving the commercial trailer, RV, heavy-duty, marine, agriculture, and manufactured housing markets has an opportunity for a Director of Operations - Assembly at our manufacturing facility located in Elkhart, Indiana.

Headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana, Dexter has manufacturing and distribution locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Employing state-of-the-art robotics, precision welding equipment, and automated machining processes, Dexter has achieved many years of success through a commitment to the principles of superior quality, continuous improvement, and unparalleled customer service.

For more information about our company, access Dexter's web site at www.dextergroup.com.

Role Purpose

The Director of Operations Assembly BU provides leadership and strategic oversight of Dexter’s Assembly business units, ensuring operational excellence, safety, and customer responsiveness. This role partners with the Vice President of Operations, Axle, to align plant operations with Dexter’s mission: to manufacture and distribute quality engineered products and differentiated services with the highest level of safety and customer satisfaction.  

This leader is accountable for driving continuous improvement and innovation through Lean Six Sigma practices, optimizing supply and demand alignment via SIOP, and embedding Dexter’s “Courage to Care” safety culture at every level.

This role is critical in developing the business unit’s leadership capability, ensuring that current and future leaders are prepared to sustain Dexter’s position as the industry leader while delivering world-class quality, delivery, and cost performance.

Scope & Scale

·         Oversees multiple axle assembly plants across Dexter’s U.S. manufacturing footprint.

·         Lead axle manufacturing operations across assigned plants/business units, aligning objectives with the VP of Assembly BU.

·         Responsible for operations including automation strategy, material handling, logistics, and customization processes.

·         Full accountability for P&L, cost structure, operational performance, and SIOP integration within the area of responsibility.

·         Partners with corporate Safety, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Sales to align operations with customer requirements and corporate strategy.

Key Accountabilities

·         Safety – Courage to Care: Champion a safety-first culture where every employee takes ownership for their own and others’ wellbeing. Ensure the highest standards of environmental, health, and safety performance.

·         Operational Leadership: Deliver excellence in safety, quality, delivery, and cost across assembly operations.

·         Lean Six Sigma: Drive continuous improvement and waste reduction through the disciplined use of Lean tools, Six Sigma methodologies, and automation.

·         SIOP (Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning): Lead SIOP execution to ensure alignment of demand, supply, and capacity planning across the business unit.

·         Strategic Execution: Develop and implement operational strategies to expand capacity, improve throughput, and enhance customer responsiveness.

·         Talent: Build critical leadership capability across Span of control, building high-potential leaders and individual contributors and ensuring a sustainable pipeline of talent.

·         Customer Alignment: Ensure assembly operations deliver customized, on-time, high-quality solutions with short lead times.

·         Financial Performance: Optimize cost structure and asset utilization while making informed make-versus-buy and outsourcing decisions.

·         Innovation & Growth: Support capacity expansion, automation, and new product integration within span of control.

Leadership Expectations

·         Embody Dexter’s Core Values: Execute with Determination, Connect with People, Do the Right Thing

·         Champion the Courage to Care safety philosophy as a personal and organizational priority.

·         Lead by example in deploying Lean Six Sigma principles to drive a culture of problem solving, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement.

·         Serve as a visible leader and key member of Senior Staff, aligning Assembly operations with enterprise strategy.

·         Develop and empower the next generation of leaders across the business unit to ensure long-term success and organizational resilience.

Measures of Success

·         Zero harm achieved through sustained safety performance and employee engagement in Courage to Care.

·         Safety: Drive continuous improvement through the DuPont Model and Courage to Care philosophy; lead consequence thinking sessions; expand ergonomic risk mitigation; increase employee participation in incident and near-miss reporting

·         Year-over-year improvements in operational KPIs (safety, quality, delivery, cost, and inventory).

·         Effective execution of Lean Six Sigma initiatives, resulting in measurable productivity and efficiency gains.

·         Continuous improvement initiatives delivering measurable cost savings and productivity gains.

·         A strengthened leadership pipeline with demonstrable improvements in employee engagement and retention.

·         Contribution to Dexter’s growth, profitability, and reputation as the premier manufacturer.

·         Lead cultural evolution to empower employees and build high performance teams.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or Business required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Certifications:

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or related experience (Black Belt preferred).

OSHA safety certification preferred.

 

Dexter is driven by our core values committed to Safety, Quality and Integrity:

• Execute with Determination - Be curious, work together, break new ground, find solutions, fulfill our commitments, surpass expectations!
• Connect with People – Empower employees to grow, engage and collaborate; build lasting customer partnerships; care for our communities.
• Do the Right Thing – For our people, for our customers, and for the business. 

We care for our people.  Here are some of our great, comprehensive Benefits:

• Dexter offers a competitive wage
• Full benefits package including Health, Dental, Vision, Life, STD, LTD, FSA, HSA
• 3% profit sharing in our Safe Harbor program
• 401(k) Plan with company contributions
• Opportunities for internal career development and growth

Apply now to join an industry leader and make a difference in what we do for the customers we serve!

Equal Opportunity Employer

Offers of employment are contingent upon successfully passing a background check and drug screen. Dexter Axle Company is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for positions without discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, veteran status, citizenship status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.