Director of Manufacturing

Director of Manufacturing

Who We Are:

Marketlab is a market leading healthcare solutions organization specializing in the design, manufacturing, and sourcing of private label products. It's our mission to provide our healthcare partners timely solutions with a straightforward approach based on knowing them and their work. Every day we strive to positively impact the lives of the people who in turn impact the health and wellness of our communities.

Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Marketlab's success is built upon a foundation of collaboration, innovation, and the belief that every team member plays a vital role in creating an exceptional customer service experience.

Job Summary:

The Director of Manufacturing is responsible for leading all aspects of the manufacturing facility. This role requires a strategic and hands-on leader who is passionate about lean manufacturing, process improvement, and team development. The Director will drive operational excellence through a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement while ensuring customer delivery commitments are met. The Director will also assist with the evaluation of acquisition targets and integration of operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Excellence:

• Implement Visual Factory and Lean Manufacturing principles, using data-driven metrics to measure and improve manufacturing output, costs, and delivery performance.
• Establish a master scheduling function that aligns with supply chain goals and ensures on-time delivery.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement.

Safety & Quality:

• Establish a safety-first culture. Create a Safety Committee that develops, implements, and monitors safety practices at all Marketlab facilities.
• Lead manufacturing operations with a strong commitment to quality and adherence to GMP and industry regulations.

Leadership & Team Development:

• Inspire a high-performance culture by setting clear expectations, ensuring accountability, and motivating employees to achieve more than they believe possible.
• Foster a mindset of continuous growth and excellence, encouraging bold experimentation and learning from failure.
• Create an environment where employees feel valued, engaged, and supported in their professional growth. Provide coaching and development opportunities that prepare team members for advancement, ensuring the organization builds promotable talent while allowing leadership to focus on strategic initiatives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with Supply Chain to align lead time and delivery expectations.
• Collaborate with Quality to develop and monitor manufacturing practices that ensure we meet quality standards and commitments to our customers.
• Partner with Finance, IT, and HR to ensure manufacturing has the tools, data, and resources to be successful.
• Maintain transparency with leadership and stakeholders, ensuring clear communication even in challenging situations.

Strategic, M&A & Capacity Planning:

• Assess the manufacturing feasibility of potential acquisition targets, evaluating integration requirements and timeline.
• Understand and optimize facility capacity, balancing flexibility and cost efficiency.
• Identify and implement practical solutions to improve operations, even when ideal data and systems are unavailable.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field (MBA preferred).
• 10+ years of leadership experience in manufacturing operations, including production scheduling, planning, and process improvement.
• Strong expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Visual Factory, and KPI-driven performance development and tracking.
• Experience in M&A operational due diligence and integrating new products/facilities into existing operations.
• Hands-on experience with facility capacity measurement and optimization.

Key Competencies:

• Ability to think and act strategically, tactically, and practically, selecting the right approach based on business needs and situational demands.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate across all levels of the organization, including executives, peers, and direct reports.
• Strong problem-solving mindset, embracing experimentation, learning from failures, and applying insights to drive continuous improvement.
• Results-driven mindset with a strong sense of urgency in decision-making, execution, and problem resolution.
• Provides and responds to feedback with purpose, directness, and honesty.
• Synthesizes complex ideas into clear, actionable insights for leadership and other stakeholders.
• Brings structure and clarity to complex, fast-moving, or ambiguous situations, ensuring effective decision-making and execution.
• Provides forward-thinking leadership by anticipating future challenges, identifying opportunities for innovation, and shaping a strategic vision that drives long-term success.
• Actively demonstrates hands-on leadership, working alongside the team to drive results while empowering others to lead.

Work Environment:

The role is primarily office-based, with occasional travel
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)