Director, Production Operations- AirMI

ST LOUIS, MO

Air Moves Us Welcome to the soul of Nike Air: Air Manufacturing Innovation, where we live and breathe NIKE, Inc.’s purpose is to use the power of sport to move the world forward! We imagine, design, and create technology that elevates every athlete’s potential. And we’re sprinting toward a sustainable future. At our innovative facilities in St. Charles, Missouri, our world-class teams fine-tune Air technology to deliver precision performance. We demonstrate LEAN manufacturing practices to push the boundaries of product innovation and pursue ambitious sustainability goals. Our influence spans design, development, engineering, and manufacturing across 40+ countries and multiple industries.

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

You will lead and manage a 24/7 manufacturing facility of managers, supervisors, and first-line athletes. You will also be an effective teammate with our cross-functional partners in safety, quality, supply chain, engineering, and maintenance in St. Charles, Beaverton, and Vietnam. 

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

You will develop the business strategy and goals for the manufacturing department, overseeing the daily operations of Thermoforming and/or Extrusion platforms. You will ensure effective communication and the production of high-quality, cost-effective products in a safe environment. Additionally, you will play a key role in facilitating the successful transition of new products and processes into manufacturing, leveraging your knowledge and experience. We are seeking an individual who excels at mentoring and developing leaders fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and accountability within the team.

• Demonstrated experience leading teams in a manufacturing production environment.

• Strong knowledge of mentoring and developing leaders fostering a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and accountability within the team in a production environment.

• Experience driving a Lean Culture with preferred knowledge of Lean implementation, Lean Manufacturing/Lean Management Systems Experience, Six Sigma, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and 5S experience and implementation of lean systems and processes

• Ability to implement critical initiatives in a complex environment. Familiarity of leading projects or other large improvement plan initiatives is preferred.

• Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 10 years of directly relevant experience; experience should include comprehensive experience as a business/process leader or industry. One of the following alternatives may be accepted: Masters + 9 yrs; Associate degree + 11 yrs; High School + 12 yrs

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

• Provide consistent leadership on the plant floor, inspiring and motivating the team.

• Oversee day-to-day manufacturing operations and develop strategies aligned with company goals.

• Build effective relationships with support teammates to ensure a reliable and cost-effective supply of raw materials, intermediates, and finished products.

• Collaborate with quality engineering to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards.

• Develop and monitor key performance indicators to drive operational excellence and identify improvement areas.

• Communicate effectively with Shift Managers to ensure smooth product flow.

• Optimize manufacturing processes to improve efficiency and reduce costs while maintaining quality.

• Adapt to fast-paced environments and utilize data analysis for problem-solving and decision-making.

• Acts as a conduit of information between factories and World Headquarters. Monitors factory production reports, processes, procedures, and information. Addresses any issues or discrepancies.

• Monitors factory compliance with the code of conduct. Notes any issues or concerns and ensures Corporate Responsibility is involved when needed.