Head of Operations - Contract Manufacturing (Cosmetics & Personal Care)

Location: Florida (On-site)

Build the operational engine behind the next generation of beauty brands.

We are a fast-growing contract manufacturer specializing in premium skincare, haircare, personal care, OTC, and cosmetic products. Our customers range from emerging indie brands to global beauty companies.

We're looking for an exceptional Head of Operations to lead our manufacturing organization, scale production, optimize efficiency, and build a world-class operational culture.

This is a leadership role for someone who enjoys solving complex operational challenges while building high-performing teams and continuously improving manufacturing excellence.

What You'll Do

You'll own the entire manufacturing operation, including

• Production & Manufacturing
• Supply Chain & Procurement
• Planning & Scheduling
• Warehouse & Logistics
• Maintenance & Engineering
• Quality Operations
• EHS (Environmental, Health & Safety)
• Continuous Improvement
• Production Planning
• Cost Optimization
• Capital Projects

You'll be responsible for delivering operational excellence across every stage of manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturing Leadership

• Lead day-to-day manufacturing operations
• Build and manage Production Managers, Supervisors and Operations teams
• Drive throughput while maintaining exceptional quality
• Increase plant capacity without compromising compliance
• Improve OEE, labor productivity and manufacturing efficiency
• Reduce waste, downtime and production costs

Operational Excellence

• Develop and implement Lean Manufacturing initiatives
• Introduce KPI-driven management across departments
• Standardize SOPs and operational workflows
• Build scalable manufacturing systems capable of supporting rapid growth
• Lead continuous improvement projects throughout the facility

Supply Chain & Planning

• Oversee production planning and scheduling
• Partner with Procurement to ensure uninterrupted material availability
• Improve inventory turns while maintaining service levels
• Optimize warehouse operations and logistics

Quality & Compliance

Ensure all operations comply with

• FDA Cosmetic regulations
• cGMP requirements
• OSHA standards
• ISO standards (preferred)
• Customer audit requirements
• Internal Quality Management Systems

Partner closely with QA/QC to maintain the highest product quality.

Financial Ownership

Own operational performance including

• Manufacturing costs
• Labor efficiency
• Budget management
• Capital expenditures
• Equipment ROI
• Margin improvement
• Capacity planning

Team Leadership

• Recruit, coach and develop high-performing operations leaders
• Build a culture of accountability and continuous improvement
• Mentor future plant leaders
• Create clear KPIs and development plans

Growth & Scale

Partner with Commercial, R&D and Product Development to

• Launch new products successfully
• Improve manufacturing readiness
• Scale production capacity
• Evaluate new equipment and automation
• Support customer growth

What We're Looking For

Required

• 7+ years leading manufacturing operations
• 5+ years managing multi-department manufacturing teams
• Experience within:
• Cosmetics
• Personal Care
• Skincare
• Haircare
• OTC
• Pharmaceutical or related regulated manufacturing
• Strong background in contract manufacturing (CMO/CDMO preferred)
• Experience managing production, warehouse, planning and maintenance
• Demonstrated success scaling manufacturing operations
• Strong financial and operational acumen
• Excellent leadership skills

Preferred Experience

Experience with

• Lean Manufacturing
• Six Sigma
• GMP
• FDA-regulated manufacturing
• ERP systems (NetSuite, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle, etc.)
• Automation projects
• Capital equipment implementation
• High-mix / low-volume manufacturing
• Customer audits
• Multi-site operations

Key Performance Indicators

Success in this role will be measured by

• On-Time Delivery
• OEE Improvement
• Manufacturing Cost Reduction
• Scrap Reduction
• Right-First-Time Production
• Inventory Accuracy
• Customer Satisfaction
• Safety Performance
• Employee Retention
• Capacity Utilization
• EBITDA Improvement

Leadership Style

We're looking for someone who

• Leads from the floor - not only from the office - hands on
• Makes decisions using data
• Builds trust through transparency
• Holds high standards
• Coaches rather than micromanages
• Thrives in fast-growing entrepreneurial environments
• Is obsessed with operational excellence

Why Join Us?

You'll have the opportunity to

• Build a world-class manufacturing organization
• Shape the future of a rapidly growing business
• Work with leading beauty and personal care brands
• Lead investments in automation and new technologies
• Influence strategic decisions alongside executive leadership
• Grow into a VP Operations or COO role as the company expands