Director, Infrared Sensor Fabrication / Manufacturing

General Description :  HRL is investing in a new site to take its technical innovations directly to market through the building and delivery of disruptive products for aerospace and defense. This role is to lead a multidisciplinary team in successfully standing up and transferring manufacturing capacity from a laboratory environment into a new facility capable of performing R&D alongside medium rate manufacturing. Responsibilities begin with the stand-up and qualification of this new facility. The role also requires strong execution and planning skills, with internal and external customers and establishing cost, build and yield metrics. Organizational Development functions include change management, developing strategies that support growth, continuous improvement, new capabilities, and maturing and inserting new technologies. Supervisory Responsibilities :   A key responsibility entails ensuring an adequate base of talent and skill and hone best practices that lead industry capability. Lead and manage the operations team, including hiring, training, and performance evaluation.  Essential Duties : As Director of Manufacturing Operations for HRL’s Vision Systems Laboratory, you will lead and direct the core operational processes for a high-growth, strategic business and enable efficient growth and execution at scale. Create, monitor and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess operational performance and make data-driven decisions. Identify areas for improvement in operational processes and implement changes to increase efficiency and productivity. Manage budgets, control costs, and ensure financial efficiency within the operations department. Oversee relationships with suppliers and vendors to ensure quality and cost-effectiveness. Ensure all operations comply with relevant laws, regulations, and company policies. Ensure that operational activities align with customer satisfaction goals and address any issues that arise. Prepare and present reports on operational performance to senior management. This role provides single-threaded leadership for the operational aspects of growing and scaling a semiconductor products business, including the following :

• Oversee and optimize materials planning and execution, including forecasting and product mix management for both pre-production and production-released products.
• Identify and import the best-known methods for customer configuration management for a high-complexity product family
• Work with supply chain, product engineering, and manufacturing operations to streamline and optimize production supply chain flows and drive cycle time reduction.
• Represent and champion operations management in new product development, strategic planning and product portfolio decisions
• Organize and facilitate monthly, quarterly, and annual operational reviews and strategic planning activities  Required Skills :    A background in semiconductor product engineering with an emphasis on packaging camera sensors / image sensors with full lifecycle responsibility (from NPI launch to EOL) will be ideal. This role requires an innovative, resourceful leader that can prioritize, invent and simplify, and deliver results in a high-velocity business. Strong understanding of operational processes and best practices. Proficiency in using operational management software and tools. The ability to collaborate with peers and independently multitask, prioritize, make high-level decisions, meet aggressive deadlines, and communicate results, trade-offs, and decisions to all stakeholders is necessary to be effective in this role. Required Education : Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related fields and 15+ years of relevant semiconductor experience. Master’s degree in engineering, or MBA is a plus.  Special Requirements :   citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Security Clearance. Active security clearance is a plus.  Compensation : The base salary range for this full-time position is $216,900 - $278,000 + bonus + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed reflect the base salary only, and do not include potential bonus or benefits.We are proud to be an EEO / AA employer M / F / D / V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.