Director, Operational Readiness & Site Programs

Job description

The Director, Operational Readiness and Site Programs leads end to end operational readiness across the Mission Critical Group manufacturing portfolio. This role owns facility start up, commissioning, and ramp for greenfield and brownfield sites, and leads the portfolio of smaller standardization projects that bring every location to a common operating standard. The Director is a hands-on project leader who takes a site from empty building or acquired asset to fully productive operation, then sustains that readiness as the business scales. This role partners across all Mission Critical Group Centers of Excellence and works shoulder to shoulder with manufacturing leadership to sequence readiness against production demand. Success is measured by sites that come online safely, on schedule, and to standard, and by the consistency of the physical operating environment across the enterprise. This role leads by influence across a matrixed organization and reflects The MCG Way in how work gets done. Operational and Site Readiness Own end to end operational readiness for all manufacturing and support locations, defining what ready means and holding sites to it. Build and maintain the enterprise readiness roadmap, sequencing site activity against production demand, capacity plans, and business growth objectives. Ensure utilities, infrastructure, layout, material flow, and support systems are in place and validated ahead of production need dates. Establish readiness gates, checklists, and acceptance criteria that must be met before a site or line is released to operations. Drive rapid resolution of readiness gaps and infrastructure issues that put production schedules at risk. Facility Start Up, Commissioning, and Ramp Lead greenfield facility startups from site selection support and building fit out through commissioning, qualification, and first article production. Lead brownfield startups, expansions, relocations, and reconfigurations within occupied plants while enabling existing production. Own commissioning of buildings, utilities, and equipment infrastructure in partnership with operational leaders, supply chain, safety, quality, CI, and external partners, including construction contractors and equipment manufacturers. Build and execute ramp plans that take new sites from initial output to full rate production on schedule. Capture lessons learned from every start up and convert them into a repeatable Mission Critical Group start up playbook. Site Standardization and Enterprise Programs Own enterprise wide site standardization, deploying common standards for facility layout, signage, wayfinding, visual management, zoning, and workplace organization. Lead the portfolio of smaller standardization projects across the enterprise, prioritizing by impact, cost, and readiness need. Establish design and infrastructure standards for new and existing sites so each location is built and maintained to a scalable, repeatable model. Drive consistency of the physical operating environment so that any site is immediately recognizable and navigable as a Mission Critical Group facility. Track adoption of standards across locations and close gaps through structured project work Project Leadership and Execution Lead cross functional project teams spanning multiple sites, functions, and external partners, including contractors, vendors, and design firms. Own scope, schedule, budget, and risk for readiness and standardization projects, and report status and escalations to senior leadership. Partner with Finance and manufacturing leadership on capital planning, justification, and execution for readiness and infrastructure investments. Apply structured project management discipline, including stage gates, milestone tracking, and closeout, across the project portfolio. Manage competing site priorities and allocate internal and contract resources to protect critical path. Safety, Compliance, and Environmental Stewardship Champion a strong safety culture in every readiness and start up activity, including construction, commissioning, and move phases. Ensure new and modified facilities comply with federal, state, and local regulations, including OSHA, environmental, and building codes. Partner with Safety and Environmental leadership on audits, risk assessments, permitting, and incident investigations. Ensure site designs support safe workflows, proper material handling, and ergonomic standards from day one. Partner with Safety on emergency preparedness and business continuity planning for new and existing sites. Cross Functional Partnership Partner with manufacturing leaders across all business units to align readiness plans with production commitments and ramp expectations. Partner with all Mission Critical Group Centers of Excellence, including Operational Excellence, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Safety, Human Resources, Finance, and Information Technology, to bring each function into site readiness planning. Serve as the single point of accountability for readiness status on behalf of the enterprise, translating site level detail into clear leadership reporting. Support Operational Excellence initiatives by embedding continuous improvement standards into new site design rather than retrofitting later. Coordinate with external stakeholders including landlords, municipalities, utility providers, and general contractors. Team Leadership and Development Build, lead, and develop a team of site readiness and project professionals working across multiple locations. Establish clear roles, expectations, and accountability for project leads and onsite site support resources. Foster a culture of ownership, urgency, and continuous improvement within the readiness organization. Partner with Human Resources to recruit, develop, and retain talent in site readiness and project leadership roles. Provide coaching and development that strengthens bench strength for future site leadership needs. Core Attributes Have Humanity : Recognizes that a startup or a site change is disruptive for the people living through it. Brings site teams into readiness planning early, communicates what is changing and why, and protects crews working long hours through commissioning and ramp. Be Transparent: Gives an honest readiness status. Surfaces schedule slip, cost exposure, and gaps against readiness gates as soon as they are known and does not declare a site ready before it is. Drive Innovation: Refuses to rebuild the same site twice. Turns every start up into a better playbook, a tighter layout, and a clearer standard for the next location. Be Resilient: Keeps the production date intact when permits stall, equipment arrives late, or scope shifts mid project. Reworks the plan rather than defending the original one. Always Reliable: Delivers sites that are ready when promised and built to the agreed standard. Operations can plan production around the commitments this role makes. Grit: Lives on the floor and in the field during start up. Does the unglamorous work of walking the building, chasing punch list items, and staying with the site until it is running at rate. Required Knowledge / Experience Bachelor degree in Engineering, Operations, or a related field, or equivalent experience. Fifteen or more years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations, manufacturing engineering, or site engineering, including five or more years leading teams, programs, or major capital projects. Direct facility readiness and production startup experience in a manufacturing environment. Demonstrated track record leading greenfield manufacturing facility startups end to end, from building fit out and utility installation through commissioning, qualification, and first article production. Demonstrated track record leading brownfield startups, expansions, relocations, and line moves inside occupied plants without disrupting existing production. Proven experience taking a new site through ramp from initial output to full rate production against a committed schedule. Experience defining and deploying site standards across multiple locations, including layout, signage and wayfinding, visual management, zoning, and workplace organization. Experience owning a portfolio of concurrent projects across multiple enterprise centers of excellence, with accountability for scope, schedule, budget, and risk. Working knowledge of building codes, OSHA requirements, environmental regulations, permitting, and inspection processes as they apply to manufacturing sites. Experience managing general contractors, design firms, equipment vendors, and utility providers through the full project lifecycle. Required Skills and Abilities Able to define what operational readiness means for a given site and hold the organization to it through structured gates and acceptance criteria. Able to build a readiness and ramp plan backed by production demand dates, sequencing layout planning, site construction, utilities, equipment procurement and installation, staffing, and material flow to support required demand milestones Strong project leadership discipline across stage gates, milestone tracking, critical path management, risk mitigation, and closeout. Able to read and challenge site layouts, utility drawings, and equipment specifications, and to translate them into operational impact. Able to influence and align manufacturing leaders and Center of Excellence partners across business units without direct authority over them. Comfortable operating in ambiguity at a new site, making decisions with incomplete information and adjusting as conditions change. Able to move between senior leadership reporting and hands on problem solving on the floor within the same day. Strong written and verbal communication, including clear status reporting, escalation, and capital justification to executive audiences. Financial acumen sufficient to build, defend, and manage capital and project budgets. Willing and able to travel up to 50%, including extended consecutive periods onsite during active start ups and ramp phases. Preferred Knowledge and Experience Experience in a complex matrix organization. Experience in a high growth manufacturing environment scaling capacity across multiple sites. Experience with electrical infrastructure, power generation, modular construction, or heavy fabrication manufacturing preferred Experience integrating acquired sites onto a common operating and facility standard. Experience building a startup playbook or readiness gate model that was adopted across an organization. Experience deploying visual management, 5S, and workplace organization standards at enterprise scale. Formal project management or continuous improvement credentials, such as PMP, Lean, or Six Sigma certification. Supervisory Requirements Position will have direct influence over team members across enterprise Role currently has no direct reports, but as a Director level position may have future direct reports as required to support business needs. Work Environment and Physical Demands FLSA executive and professional positions paid on a salary basis, where project requirements and tight client deadlines may require workweeks over forty (40) hours (including weekends or holidays) This role will work in an office setting, however, frequent visits to the production floor are required to oversee operations, ensure compliance and safety standards, and engage staff. Mobility : Ability to move around the manufacturing plant, including walking, standing, and climbing stairs. Manual Dexterity : Occasional use of hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. Lifting : Ability to lift and carry items up to twenty-five (25) pounds. All lifting should be done following OSHA standards. Visual and Auditory Requirements : Must be able to see and hear well enough to navigate the plant safely and communicate effectively with team members. A Note to our Recruitment Partners: We really appreciate the interest, but MCG currently manages hiring through our internal team. We love getting to know our candidates directly! Because of this, we don’t accept unsolicited resumes from agencies at this time. If we ever need an extra hand, we’ll be sure to reach out to the community. Thanks for understanding! MCG is an equal opportunity employer prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, marital status, physical or mental disability, and any other protected classes stated by applicable federal and state laws. MCG is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities and to act in accordance with regulations and guidance issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Mission Critical Group (MCG ) is an end-to-end power solutions and services provider that accelerates time-to-power and delivers scalable, resilient infrastructure for mission critical environments. By integrating engineering, manufacturing, modular deployment, and lifecycle services under one platform, we streamline execution and bring complex projects online faster - without compromising performance. With a robust U.S. manufacturing network, MCG supports data centers, power generation, healthcare, oil & gas, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and industrial facilities where uptime is non-negotiable. Mission Critical Group designs, manufactures and provides value-added services for customers requiring critical power solutions. Powering a new electric world for a brighter, more secure future.