Operations Manager

Our client is seeking a mid-career Operations Director to lead and own a major operational transformation across our manufacturing sites in Latin America. This role reports directly to senior leadership and has full accountability for Continuous Improvement (CI), Health & Safety (H&S), and Quality functions, with additional operations-related responsibilities to be incorporated over time. The successful candidate will pivot the organization from reactive firefighting to a data-driven, lean manufacturing culture, managing by objective numbers while driving sustainable excellence.

Key Responsibilities

*Own and drive the ongoing transformation to lean manufacturing methods, shifting from firefighting reactive demand fulfillment to proactive, efficient processes.

*Lead Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives, implementing lean tools, methodologies, and best practices to eliminate waste, optimize workflows, and deliver measurable productivity gains.

*Direct Health & Safety (H&S) and Quality functions, ensuring compliance, world-class standards, and a culture of zero incidents and consistent high performance.

*Manage by objective metrics/numbers: Establish KPIs, performance dashboards, and accountability systems for throughput, cost reduction, quality metrics, safety performance, and overall operational results.

*Break down silos in support functions (e.g., engineering, maintenance, supply chain) to align with business scaling needs and foster cross-functional collaboration.

*Oversee direct plant reporting lines and coordinate multi-site operations across existing locations in Mexico initially, expanding to Brazil, Chile, and other LATAM countries.

*Champion stakeholder management with objective, data-backed decision-making to align teams, leadership, and external partners.

*Travel extensively across Latin America (primary focus Mexico to start), supporting on-site leadership and transformation execution.

Candidate Profile & Requirements

*Mid-career professional with proven experience driving transformations in manufacturing/operations environments (previous success in lean implementation & management essential).

*National-level experience working for multi-national companies, including international exposure (inside and/or outside Mexico), with recent return to LATAM.

*Strong background in lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and managing by numbers; packaging industry experience is negligible/not required.

*Ambitious, industrious leader who knows what "good" looks like, with exceptional ownership, communication skills, and humility.

*Demonstrated stakeholder management expertise, building high-performing teams through objective leadership.

*Direct plant reporting responsibility in CI, H&S, and Quality (or equivalent senior ops roles).

Competitive Compensation + performance bonus

*Extensive regional travel required (Latin America, starting with multiple sites in Mexico).