Dir, Plant Operations

Job Overview

TE Connectivity's Plant Directors are responsible for the safety, performance, and continuous improvement of day-to-day operations, as well as short- and long-term planning for the groups they manage. They lead manufacturing, manufacturing and process engineering, supply chain, EH&S, maintenance, and continuous improvement activities, with accountability for translating customer requirements into state-of-the-art manufacturing strategies and processes. This role is expected to drive lean manufacturing transformation through strong deployment of TE’s operating principles (TEOA), value stream thinking, standard work, KPI discipline, and systematic improvement methods that improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, inventory, productivity, and profitability.

Job Requirements

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across continuous improvement (TEOA), Supply Chain, Operations, Tooling Engineering, Process and Manufacturing Engineering, EHS, and Maintenance functions.


• Drive operational excellence, ensuring performance in safety, quality, delivery, cost, and sustainability.


• Drive the creation and deployment of continuous improvement and lean transformation initiatives that enable functional areas and the site to meet or exceed operations plans, aligned with plant priorities, annual operating plans, and business targets.


• Define, monitor, and govern operational KPIs, ensuring clear linkage between safety, quality, delivery, inventory, cost, productivity, and P&L performance; use KPI discipline to prioritize improvement plans and drive timely corrective actions.


• Lead deployment of TEOA and lean operating system standards across the plant, including plant improvement planning, leadership routines, standard work adherence, visual management, problem solving, value stream improvement, and best-practice sharing across functions.


• Cost: ensure all P&L ledger items are met to achieve desired cost targets and improve gross margin; achieve budgeted earned hours, absorption, direct labor productivity, and cost improvement requirements through disciplined labor planning, productivity action plans, and lean execution.


• Cascade strategic objectives from Segment, Business Unit and Operations functional leadership utilizing Hoshin, X-Matrix Concepts


• Establish and sustain a high-performance culture, focused on employee engagement, capability building, and leadership development.


• Build and maintain strong strategic relationships with internal stakeholders, customers, suppliers, and technology partners.


• Lead risk management, crisis response, and business continuity planning, ensuring operational resilience.


• Sponsor and govern the selection, acquisition, deployment, and lifecycle management of manufacturing, engineering, and operational technologies.


• Plan, direct, and monitor production activities and customer deliveries with the objective of optimizing Organizational resources to meet or exceed established targets for Safety, Quality / Compliance, Delivery, Inventory, and Cost.


• Improve operational flow and productivity through continuous flow, layout optimization, pull systems, line balancing, changeover reduction, reduction of line stoppages, production reliability improvement, and coaching of cross-functional teams in lean problem-solving methods.


• Ensure on-time delivery to the customer by achieving schedule attainment targets, minimizing past‑due orders, and increasing overall output.


• Partner with executive leadership and technology functions to shape the global manufacturing strategy, annual operating plans, budgets, and resource allocation.


• Act as a key interface with top-level management, contributing to enterprise-wide strategic decisions and transformation initiatives.

What your background should look like

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or related field preferred.


• Minimum 18 years of experience in a manufacturing organization, including at least 7 years of people leadership or operational management experience.

• Proven track record in leading end-to-end operations, including continuous improvement, manufacturing, supply chain, engineering, maintenance, tooling engineering and environment, health and safety.

• Demonstrated experience driving lean transformation in a manufacturing environment, including deployment of operating system standards, plant improvement plans, value stream optimization, standard work, visual management, pull systems, flow improvement, line balancing, changeover reduction, and productivity improvement.

• Demonstrated success managing multicultural, cross-functional teams in dynamic, fast-paced, and matrixed environments.


• Experience working with multiple customers and suppliers in a low volume high mix industry


• Experience operating at executive and senior leadership levels, influencing enterprise strategy and results.

Technical Skills:

• Manufacturing standards, procedures and policies


• Manufacturing and industrial operations leadership.

• Operational excellence and lean manufacturing systems, including TEOA or equivalent production system deployment.


• Value stream management, standard work, visual management, continuous flow, pull systems, line balancing, changeover reduction, and process optimization.


• KPI governance and operational performance management across safety, quality, delivery, inventory, cost, productivity, labor efficiency, earned hours, absorption, and P&L impact.


• Manufacturing regulatory environments, governance frameworks, EHS requirements, and quality/compliance standards.


• Supply chain, materials management, production planning, customer delivery, and supplier performance management.

• Digital transformation, industry 4.0, and smart manufacturing solutions


• Fluent in English

Capabilities:

• Enterprise mindset and strategic thinking.


• Operational excellence and Lean transformaion leadership.


• End-to-end value stream and enterprise operations ownership.


• Change leadership and transformation execution.


• People leadership, coaching, teaching, and capability building.


• Cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and communication.


• Financial and business acumen.


• Safety, quality, and customer-focused leadership.


• Innovation, smart manufacturing mindset, and digital transformation orientation.


• SET COMPETENCIES: Envision the future (Advanced); Drive diversity & inclusion (Expert); Create excitement for the future (Advanced); Collaborate across boundaries (Expert); Coach & develop people (Advanced).

Competencies