How To Become A Director Of Manufacturing Operations: What It Is and Career Path

What is a director of manufacturing operations and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Dr. Ben Littlepage

Working in a manufacturing firm may be tricky at times. You need to wear the proper protective gear mandated by the management. You need to ensure that your station has clean equipment. You should also always remember the health and safety guidelines. These considerations are only for those who are actually working on the production floor. Can you imagine being the director of manufacturing operations?

Directors of Manufacturing Operations handle everything related to the operations of the manufacturing plant, specifically the production area. They ensure that there is enough manpower to cover the needs. They also check whether the equipment is updated at all times. They manage the maintenance of the equipment and ensure that it is properly diagnosed. In addition, they also ensure that the quality of the products made is in line with the guidelines and meets the standards.

If you are looking for leadership roles in a high work volume environment, this could be a perfect fit. You need to have leadership skills as well as knowledge of processes and production in order to succeed.

What general advice would you give to a Director Of Manufacturing Operations?

Dr. Ben Littlepage

Professor, Murray State University

I believe skills associated with organizational systems (e.g. procedures, processes) and hybridized management are essential for the field. Organizations (e.g. schools, institutions) will continue to be lean for a variety of reasons. The ability to achieve results by refining systems and maximizing resources cannot be understated. Hybrid work schedules and communication are not leaving education. Leaders that embrace hybridized technologies for assessment, employee satisfaction and development, and content delivery will remain competitive in the face of a private market looking to capitalize on laggard leaders.

ScoreDirector Of Manufacturing OperationsUS Average

Salary

8.7

Avg. Salary $143,280

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.6

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.44%

Black or African American 6.27%

Hispanic or Latino 15.47%

Unknown 4.35%

White 67.01%

Gender

female 5.85%

male 94.15%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress Level

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.2

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

3.6

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a director of manufacturing operations

Explore director of manufacturing operations education requirements

Most common director of manufacturing operations degrees

Bachelor's

70.2 %

Master's

17.3 %

Associate

8.8 %

Start to develop specific director of manufacturing operations skills

Skills	Percentages
Continuous Improvement	12.90%
Supply Chain	9.50%
Lean Six Sigma	5.18%
Lean Manufacturing	5.16%
FDA	3.60%

Complete relevant director of manufacturing operations training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of manufacturing operations learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a director of manufacturing operations based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of manufacturing operations resumes.

Research director of manufacturing operations duties and responsibilities

Manage production schedules and supervise a group of highly skil CNC machinists.
Manage all aspects of CNC machining, training, and machine and facilities maintenance.
Manage city and OSHA compliance through efficient facilities setups including power, water, and gas.
Manage contract manufacturing projects, inventory control and logistics process.

Get director of manufacturing operations experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a director of manufacturing operations. The most common roles before becoming a director of manufacturing operations include plant manager, manufacturing manager team lead and operations manager.

Prepare your director of manufacturing operations resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of manufacturing operations resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a director of manufacturing operations resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Director Of Manufacturing Operations Resume templates

Build a professional Director Of Manufacturing Operations resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Director Of Manufacturing Operations resume.

Apply for director of manufacturing operations jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a director of manufacturing operations job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average director of manufacturing operations salary

The average Director Of Manufacturing Operations salary in the United States is $143,280 per year or $69 per hour. Director of manufacturing operations salaries range between $103,000 and $197,000 per year.

Average Director Of Manufacturing Operations Salary

$143,280 Yearly

$68.88 hourly

How do directors of manufacturing operations rate their job?

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Director Of Manufacturing Operations reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020

Pros

its a challenging work. you need lot of potential to be materials manager.

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Cons

Operations never stops, its always up and running and you have to be available at any time