Operations Director

Job Description

About Us:

Since 1924, Rainville-Carlson has upheld a culture centered on service, hard work, and innovation. With almost a century of experience serving the Twin Cities and beyond, we provide cutting-edge sheet metal around the USA and roofing services in Minnesota. Utilizing 100-year-old craftsmanship as well as state-of-the-art techniques and premium materials, we ensure that partnering with us means receiving the latest advancements in custom metal fabrication and roofing systems. Rainville-Carlson offers an ideal environment for career growth and development, specializing in tailored sheet metal fabrication. Our comprehensive support for commercial projects, from fabrication to maintenance, ensures exceptional results regardless of project scope or complexity. This role requires a hands-on approach in a manufacturing shop environment, actively engaging with fabrication processes, production teams, and equipment. Working here provides employees with opportunities to enhance their skills, tackle diverse challenges, and contribute to impactful projects, making it a rewarding place to build a career. Rainville-Carlson develops long-term employee growth, with extensive training, mentorship, and advancement opportunities. We prioritize employee well-being through competitive compensation, benefits, 401K profit sharing, and a supportive environment valuing our employees’ contributions. Investing in our employees' success strengthens our company, promoting a culture of loyalty and dedication across generations.

Overview:

The Operations Director is responsible for overseeing all aspects of sheet metal fabrication and commercial roofing operations, ensuring efficiency, profitability, and alignment with company goals. This individual will manage production, drive revenue growth through manufacturing, and collaborate closely with sales to establish and maintain a strong manufacturing backlog. They must have ERP experience, strong leadership skills, and detail-oriented, proactive, highly organized, results-driven, meticulous, high-achieving, structured, disciplined, precision-focused, goal-oriented to manage multiple moving parts effectively. This is a hands-on leadership role that requires actively working in the manufacturing shop environment—engaging with production teams, monitoring workflow, and ensuring smooth operations on the shop floor. This role is critical to ensuring manufacturing operations are profitable, efficient, and aligned with business growth. The ideal candidate will be a proactive leader who can balance strategy and execution while keeping the team focused and accountable. Key

Responsibilities:

Production & Manufacturing Oversight:

- Lead daily/weekly production meetings to ensure alignment on schedules, priorities, and challenges.

- Work hands-on in the manufacturing shop environment to oversee fabrication processes, troubleshoot issues, and maintain quality standards.

- Manage sheet metal fabrication machine workers, ensuring productivity, quality control, and adherence to safety standards.

- Develop and oversee production schedules to maximize efficiency and meet delivery deadlines.

- Optimize workflow and resource allocation to maintain smooth manufacturing operations.

- Implement and monitor Lean Manufacturing principles to drive continuous improvement.

Revenue & Backlog Management:

- Work closely with sales and estimating teams to build and maintain a healthy manufacturing backlog.

- Ensure production capacity aligns with sales forecasts and customer demand.

- Identify new revenue opportunities within manufacturing to enhance profitability.

- Track and manage cost efficiencies, material usage, and waste reduction strategies.

Collaboration with Sales & Field Supervisors:

- Act as the liaison between manufacturing, sales, and field supervisors to ensure project timelines and goals are met.

- Work with field supervisors to ensure roofing and sheet metal jobs are completed on time and within budget.

- Address bottlenecks and provide real-time solutions to keep projects on track.

- Drive alignment between production output and on-site installation schedules.

ERP & KPI Management:

- Utilize ERP software to track materials, production progress, labor hours, and job costing.

- Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for manufacturing, including:

- Production efficiency (% of completed jobs on time)

- Material yield/waste reduction

- Labor utilization and productivity rates

- Gross profit margins on manufactured goods

- Lead times and customer satisfaction metrics

- Regularly review operational metrics and adjust processes for continuous improvement.

Leadership & Team Development:

- Provide clear leadership, structure, and accountability to the manufacturing team.

- Train and mentor shop personnel and supervisors, ensuring they are aligned with company goals.

- Enforce safety protocols, quality control, and compliance with industry regulations.

- Encourage a high-performance culture, holding teams accountable for results.

Qualifications & Skills:

- 5 plus years of proven experience as an Operations Director or equivalent role in sheet metal fabrication and/or commercial roofing.

- Hands-on experience in a manufacturing shop environment—must be willing to work on the shop floor as needed.

- Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, production scheduling, and backlog management.

- Hands-on ERP system experience (e.g., OptiProERP, Epicor, NetSuite, or similar).

- Leadership skills – ability to drive a team, hold employees accountable, and build a productive work environment.

- Strong personality – Detail-oriented, proactive, highly organized, results-driven, meticulous, high achieving, structured, disciplined, precision-focused, goal-oriented and thrives in a fast-paced setting.

- Experience managing KPIs, budgeting, and P&L oversight for manufacturing operations.

- Strong collaboration skills to work across sales, field teams, and executive leadership.

- Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement initiatives.

Why Join Rainville-Carlson?

- Work with a legacy company that’s been delivering excellence for over 100 years.

- Competitive salary $80K-$110K + benefits (401k, healthcare, PTO, and more).

- Growth-focused environment with the autonomy to make a real impact.

- Be hands-on in a fast-paced, dynamic manufacturing environment.Company Description

Since 1924, Rainville-Carlson has upheld a culture centered on service, hard work, and innovation. With almost a century of experience serving the Twin Cities and beyond, we provide cutting-edge sheet metal around the USA and roofing services in Minnesota. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques and premium materials, we ensure that partnering with us means receiving the latest advancements in custom metal fabrication and roofing systems.

Rainville-Carlson offers an ideal environment for career growth and development, specializing in tailored sheet metal fabrication. Our comprehensive support for commercial projects, from fabrication to maintenance, ensures exceptional results regardless of project scope or complexity. Working here provides employees with opportunities to enhance their skills, tackle diverse challenges, and contribute to impactful projects, making it a rewarding place to build a career.

Rainville-Carlson develops long-term employee growth since 1924, with extensive training, mentorship, and advancement opportunities. We prioritize employee well-being through competitive compensation, benefits, and a supportive environment valuing our employee contributions. Investing in our employees' success strengthens our company, promoting a culture of loyalty and dedication across generations

Full-time