Sr Operations Manager

About This Role

Commercial HVAC Operations is seeking an experienced Sr. Operations Manager to lead the Air-Cooled Chiller Value Stream at our Charlotte manufacturing facility. The Operations Manager is responsible for the overall performance and strategic direction of a complex manufacturing value stream consisting of multiple production lines, 6-8 front-line supervisors, and 200 hourly employees.

This leader owns end-to-end manufacturing execution and is accountable for delivering exceptional performance across safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and employee engagement.

As a senior member of the site leadership team, this role partners closely with Quality, Materials, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, Human Resources, and Product Engineering to develop and execute operational strategy, drive transformation initiatives, improve customer satisfaction, and build organizational capability.

This position requires a highly visible leader capable of developing future leaders, leading through influence, and driving sustainable operational excellence in a fast-paced, high-mix manufacturing environment.

About the role

• Develop and execute the operational strategy for the Air-Cooled Value Stream in alignment with business objectives.
• Own the value stream P&L performance through effective management of labor, productivity, quality, inventory, and operational costs.
• Lead annual operating plans, capacity planning, headcount planning, and capital investment initiatives.
• Translate business priorities into measurable operational objectives and ensure execution through disciplined daily management.
• Lead multiple manufacturing lines to consistently achieve world-class safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance.
• Establish a culture of accountability, operational discipline, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.
• Drive breakthrough improvements in labor productivity, throughput, first-pass yield, on-time delivery, 5S, and inventory performance.
• Lead recovery plans during operational disruptions while maintaining customer commitments and business continuity.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Operations Supervisors while creating a robust leadership pipeline.
• Build a high-performance culture focused on engagement, accountability, inclusion, and continuous learning.
• Conduct talent reviews, succession planning, performance management, and leadership development for the operations organization.
• Champion employee engagement initiatives and foster an environment where employees feel empowered to solve problems and improve processes.
• Partner with Materials, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Planning, Supply Chain, and Product Engineering to optimize end-to-end value stream performance.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to improve manufacturing capability, supplier performance, inventory flow, and customer satisfaction.
• Influence decisions beyond direct authority through collaboration and data-driven leadership.
• Represent manufacturing during executive reviews, customer visits, operational reviews, and strategic planning sessions.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing principles across the value stream utilizing Daily Management, Leader Standard Work, Visual Management, 5S, Kaizen, Standard Work, and structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Sponsor major operational improvement projects focused on automation, digital manufacturing, capacity expansion, quality improvement, and cost reduction.
• Ensure sustainable implementation of corrective actions through robust management systems and operational governance.
• Champion a zero-incident safety culture through visible leadership and proactive risk management.
• Ensure compliance with all Environmental, Health & Safety (EH&S), regulatory, and company policies.
• Lead investigations into significant safety or operational incidents and ensure effective corrective actions are implemented.
• Own and continuously improve key operational metrics including:
• Safety
• First Pass Yield (FPY)
• Customer Quality
• On-Time Delivery
• Labor Efficiency
• 5S
• Productivity
• Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ)
• Inventory Accuracy
• Schedule Attainment
• Employee Engagement
• Overtime
• Absenteeism

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• 8+ years of manufacturing, operations, engineering, quality, or supply chain leadership experience.
• 3+ years leading leaders in a manufacturing environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters degree in Engineering, Technology, or Supply Chain
• Demonstrated expertise in applying Lean Manufacturing methodologies (Kaizen, 5S, Leader Standard Work, Visual Management, structured problem-solving).
• Direct experience managing Value Stream P&L, budget forecasting, capital investment planning, and cost reduction strategies.
• Proven track record of influencing cross-functional teams (Quality, Supply Chain, Materials, Engineering) to optimize throughput, quality, and supply chain flow.

Pay Range

The annual salary for this position is between $117,500.00 - $234,500.00 annually. Factors which may affect pay within this range include, but are not limited to, skills, education, experience, and other unique qualifications of the successful candidate. The pay range will not be below the minimum wage applicable to the jurisdiction in which the applicant is to be employed.

Other Compensation

This position is entitled to short-term cash incentives, subject to plan requirements.

Employees are eligible for benefits, including

• Health Care Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision; Wellness incentives
• Retirement Benefits
• Time off and Leave: Paid vacation days, up to 15 days; paid sick days, up to 5 days; paid personal leave, up to 5 days; paid holidays, up to 13 days; birth and adoption leave; parental leave; family and medical leave; bereavement leave; jury duty leave; military leave; purchased vacation
• Disability: Short-term and long-term disability
• Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment
• Tax-Advantaged Accounts: Health Savings Account; Health Care Spending Account; Dependent Care Spending Account
• Tuition Assistance

To learn more about our benefits offering, please click here Work with us | Carrier Corporate. The specific benefits available to any employee may vary depending on state and local laws and eligibility factors, such as date of hire and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.