Senior Director - Manufacturing Operations

Job Description Summary As a senior operational leader within GE Vernova's Wind Blades Manufacturing organization, this role serves as the operational backbone of the plant — driving day-to-day execution while partnering with the Plant Leader to shape site strategy, culture, and performance. Job Description Senior Director – Operations Management GE Vernova | Wind Blades Manufacturing – GEV Wind Vadodara The Senior Director – Operations Management is accountable for delivering world-class manufacturing outcomes across Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost (SQDC), while leading a large, diverse workforce and engaging cross-functionally with Engineering, EHS, Quality, Supply Chain, Sourcing, HR, and Finance — both locally and globally. This is a high-impact leadership role that demands deep manufacturing expertise, a lean mindset, strong industrial relations capability, and the ability to unlock systemic bottlenecks that impede operational excellence. The role operates with significant autonomy and serving as a trusted operational co-pilot at all times. Roles & Responsibilities Plant Operations Leadership • Drive Plant Operations with the Safety first and quality always approach. Oversee daily, weekly, and monthly operational rhythms — including production planning, capacity utilization, shift management, and output delivery against plan Serve as the acting Plant Leader during absences, and represent the site in global operational reviews and leadership forums Translate site strategy into executable operational plans; cascade goals and metrics across teams through structured visual management and SQDC reviews Partner with the Quality function to uphold blade quality standards, reduce non conformances, drive First Time Quality (FTQ), and ensure customer and certification requirements are met Drive On-Time Delivery (OTD) performance by identifying and resolving production bottlenecks, resource constraints, and scheduling conflicts with urgency and precision Co-own the plant P&L alongside the Plant Leader; drive accountability across all production lines for wind blade manufacturing operations Safety, Quality, Delivery & Cost (SQDC) Champion a zero-harm safety culture; work closely with the EHS team to embed behavioral safety practices, drive incident reduction, and ensure regulatory compliance across the site Own site cost performance — drive productivity improvements, reduce waste, and identify cost-saving opportunities in collaboration with Finance and Supply Chain Bottleneck Elimination & Continuous Improvement Lead structured problem-solving efforts to identify and permanently eliminate systemic operational bottlenecks across mold operations, lamination, post-cure, finishing, and logistics Champion and sustain a Lean Manufacturing culture — drive 5S, standardized work, value stream mapping, kaizen events, and CI initiatives across all production areas Apply Six Sigma / DMAIC methodologies to reduce variability, scrap, and rework; foster a data-driven operational mindset across all levels of the workforce Benchmark internal and external best practices; lead the adoption of new manufacturing technologies and process improvements relevant to composite blade manufacturing Cross-Functional & Stakeholder Collaboration Act as the primary operational interface between the plant floor and functions including Engineering, Quality, EHS, Supply Chain, Sourcing, HR, and Finance — both at the local site and with teams Drive alignment across global and local teams on production programs, new product introductions, tooling upgrades, and engineering changes; ensure smooth handoffs and minimized disruption to production Collaborate with Supply Chain and Sourcing to ensure material availability, resolve supplier issues, and optimize inventory levels without compromising delivery commitments • Engage Finance to provide accurate operational forecasting, capex planning inputs, and variance analysis; build cost transparency into operational culture • Partner with HR on workforce planning, talent development, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness Industrial Relations & Workforce Leadership Lead and develop a large hourly and salaried workforce (typically 500–2000+ employees) across multiple shifts in a high-paced composite manufacturing environment Serve as a key leader in industrial relations — manage union relationships (where applicable), navigate labor negotiations, grievance processes, and workforce engagement with fairness, transparency, and firmness Build trust across the workforce through visible leadership, open communication, and consistent follow-through; create a culture of accountability, respect, and high performance Drive talent capability building through structured training, on-the-job development, and leadership pipeline programs; ensure succession depth across critical operational roles Equipment Technology & Asset Management Demonstrate working knowledge of manufacturing equipment used in wind blade production — including moulds, infusion systems, cutting tools, finishing equipment, and automated inspection technologies Partner with Maintenance and Engineering to drive equipment reliability, OEE improvement, and capex investment decisions Champion the adoption of digital manufacturing tools, IoT-enabled monitoring systems, and advanced manufacturing technologies to improve production visibility and predictive maintenance Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, Chemical, Polymer, or Manufacturing Engineering (or equivalent technical discipline) 15+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, with at least 5 years in a senior plant or operations leadership role managing large, multi-shift workforces Demonstrated experience in composite manufacturing, process-intensive, or large-scale discrete manufacturing environments (wind energy, aerospace, automotive, or similar preferred) Proven track record of leading industrial relations in a large workforce environment Strong command of Lean Manufacturing principles — demonstrated experience deploying lean tools at scale and sustaining a CI culture Experience working across global matrix organizations, managing both local execution and global stakeholder alignment SQDC ownership experience — measurable results in safety, quality, delivery, and cost improvement Desired Characteristics Desired Characteristics Natural operational leader — known for being present on the floor, close to the work, and trusted by the workforce Bottleneck hunter — instinctively identifies what is slowing the system down and acts decisively to remove obstacles Collaborative and influential — builds strong relationships across functions and geographies without relying on authority alone Lean practitioner — genuinely passionate about waste elimination, standard work, and continuous improvement as a way of operating Data-driven decision maker — comfortable with manufacturing data, operational KPIs, and using metrics to drive accountability and improvement Strong communicator — able to translate operational complexity for senior leaders, global teams, and frontline workforce alike • Resilient and adaptable — thrives in a dynamic, high-volume manufacturing environment where priorities can shift rapidly Lean / Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent certification is a strong advantage Familiarity with composite blade manufacturing processes (infusion, lamination, post-cure, NDT, finishing) is highly desirable but not mandatory Additional Information Field Details Grade SPB1 Job Family Manufacturing Operations Time Type Full Time Job Type Regular Relocation Assistance Yes Function Wind Blades Manufacturing – Operations GE Vernova is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. Additional Information Relocation Assistance Provided: Yes