Director of Manufacturing at Acoufelt LLC – Auburn Hills, Michigan

Acoufelt specializes in delivering high-quality soft architectural acoustics solutions tailored to the unique needs of our clients. We work with contractors, ceiling sub-contractors, designers, and architects to provide products that enhance and transform interior workspaces. Our portfolio includes a range of premium soft architectural materials and products designed for commercial projects.

The Director of Manufacturing owns end-to-end manufacturing operations — from raw material receipt and inventory management through machining, fabrication, assembly, packaging, and outbound logistics. You will lead a multi-site, vertically integrated team to deliver consistent quality, on-time-in-full (OTIF), and cost leadership while embedding sustainability, traceability, and innovation into every cost center. This is a hands-on, P&L-driven management role for a manufacturing expert who thrives in a design-driven, customer-centric culture.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Leadership

• Build and manage balanced production schedules across all manufacturing sub-departments to meet demand while maintaining sustainable workloads, preventing overtime fatigue, and ensuring consistent output without bottlenecks.
• Plan capacity, equipment purchases, and new site needs with senior management.
• Lead Lean and digital improvement projects with help from Design, IT, and Product teams.
• Run monthly cross-department meetings to simplify workflows and speed up new products.
• Gather customer feedback and turn it into better production methods.

End-to-End Operations

• Manage incoming raw materials and inbound logistics to ensure on-time availability and full lot traceability.
• Improve warehouse flow, layout, storage density, and automation to boost efficiency and reduce handling errors.
• Oversee all machinery centers; optimize production flow, shift planning, workload distribution, and labor allocation across lines.
• Achieve 85% equipment uptime through quick changeovers, preventive maintenance programs, and real-time monitoring.
• Design and maintain efficient, flexible work cells for both standard and custom product lines to support mix-model production.
• Implement in-line quality checks for dimensional accuracy and workmanship standards to catch issues early.
• Track, analyze, and systematically reduce damage, scrap, rework, and remakes through root cause analysis and process controls.
• Develop packaging strategy in collaboration with cross-department teams to ensure product protection, minimal material use, brand standards, and global footprint.
• Ensure accurate order picking, secure loading, and on-time dispatch with real-time tracking and carrier performance monitoring.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team across multiple sites, including work cell managers, team leaders, production associates, and support staff.
• Maintain a safety-first culture with proactive training, hazard identification, and incident prevention — targeting zero recordable incidents annually.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, operations management, or equivalent experience.
• 5 years in manufacturing, with at least 2 years of manager level role.
• Experience in full P&L responsibility at a medium-sized bespoke manufacturing company.
• Proven experience scaling production of interior finishes products — both standard and project-specific.
• Background in Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma.
• Hands-on experience with CRM/ERP. (e.g., SAP, Salesforce)
• Comfortable spending 60%+ of time on the production floor and in warehouses.

Preferred

• Direct experience in the acoustic, architectural, or commercial interiors industry.
• Led capital projects exceeding $5M (equipment installation, line automation, facility build-out).
• Change management experience.
• Track record of cross-functional process improvement (e.g., Value Stream Mapping, S&OP).
• Familiarity with automated material handling systems (AGVs, conveyors & lift systems).

Why Join Us?

• Join a growing company that values innovation, quality, and client relationships.
• Be part of a dynamic team dedicated to delivering excellence in workplace architectural products.
• Competitive salary and benefits package with opportunities for career development and growth.