About Artisan Labs:
Artisan Labs is a specialty cosmetic formulator and manufacturer located in the heart of scenic Magic Valley (Twin Falls County), Idaho. We serve primarily skin care brands sold through specialty and direct to consumer channels. Our mission is “Prospering Brands of Distinction through Brandcrafted Service and our FACE Values.” Brandcrafted service is just a creative way of saying we have designed our services to our customer to ensure we treat them how they want to be treated. Artisan Labs service proposition has been designed from years of experience at top levels of leadership at other contract manufacturers and direct to consumer brands. We are intimately aware of the pain points that can exist when brands work with contract manufacturers. What does “FACE values” mean? Similar to “taking something at face value”, it means our employees and our customers can trust that the way we say we do things is the way they really are. Our FACE values resonate with us to our core; they are the unifying characteristics within our culture, namely amily, uthentic, gile, reative, raftsmanship, and mpowerment.
If aspects of our mission and values carry deep meaning for you as well, we invite you to apply!
Director of Operations
Job Summary:
The Director of Operations is responsible for leading the day-to-day execution of Artisan Labs’ manufacturing operations, including Compounding, Production, Warehouse, and Facilities Maintenance.
Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Operations is accountable for ensuring manufacturing operations execute safely, efficiently, and predictably. This role ensures people, materials, equipment, facilities, and processes are prepared to deliver high-quality products on time while continuously improving throughput, labor efficiency, equipment reliability, inventory discipline, and operating performance.
The Director of Operations is responsible for developing strong frontline leaders, establishing clear operating expectations, identifying and removing execution constraints, and building the systems and discipline required for Artisan Labs to scale without increasing operational complexity at the same rate as growth. This role reports directly to the COO.
Job Description:
Manufacturing Operations
- Lead daily operations across Compounding, Production, Warehouse, and Facilities Maintenance.
- Translate production schedules and company priorities into clear staffing, material, equipment, and execution plans.
- Monitor performance against plan and resolve issues that threaten safety, quality, schedule attainment, or customer commitments.
- Coordinate closely with Supply Chain, Quality, R&D, and Customer Service to ensure effective cross-functional execution.
- Establish and maintain daily and weekly operating rhythms, departmental KPIs, and accountability processes.
Production and Compounding
- Ensure batches and finished goods are produced safely, accurately, efficiently, and according to approved formulas, procedures, specifications, and schedules.
- Improve throughput, labor efficiency, batch cycle time, line performance, changeover efficiency, yield, and equipment utilization.
- Reduce downtime, rework, scrap, scheduling disruptions, and operational errors.
- Ensure manufacturing documentation, sanitation, housekeeping, line clearance, and material-control requirements are consistently followed.
- Support the successful transfer of new products from development into commercial manufacturing.
Warehouse and Material Flow
- Oversee receiving, storage, material staging, inventory movement, finished-goods handling, and shipping.
- Ensure materials are accurately identified, stored, staged, transferred, and available to support the production schedule.
- Improve inventory accuracy, warehouse organization, space utilization, material traceability, and shipping accuracy.
- Resolve material shortages, discrepancies, and flow issues before they disrupt production.
Facilities and Maintenance
- Ensure manufacturing equipment, facilities, utilities, and infrastructure are maintained in safe and reliable operating condition.
- Develop and maintain preventive-maintenance programs for critical equipment and facility systems.
- Prioritize and track maintenance requests, repairs, and equipment downtime.
- Coordinate equipment vendors, contractors, facility improvements, and equipment installations.
- Identify equipment and facility risks before they become production, quality, safety, or capacity constraints.
People Leadership and Cost Management
- Lead and develop managers, supervisors, leads, and employees within the departments under this role.
- Establish clear expectations, accountability, training, and cross-training requirements.
- Identify staffing, leadership, and skill gaps and partner with the COO and Human Resources on hiring and performance management.
- Manage labor utilization, overtime, departmental expenses, and other controllable operating costs.
- Support annual budgeting, capital planning, and recommendations for staffing, equipment, and facility investments.
Safety, Quality and Continuous Improvement
- Ensure operations comply with company safety, GMP, quality, and regulatory requirements.
- Partner with Quality on investigations, corrective actions, audits, and recurring operational issues.
- Use operating data and root-cause problem solving to improve safety, quality, cost, delivery, and productivity.
- Develop and sustain standard work, operating controls, and process improvements that reduce variability and improve scalability.
Education, Skills and Experience Needed:
- Bachelor’s degree in Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or related field or equivalent relevant experience.
- 7+ years of progressive manufacturing or operations experience, including leadership of managers, supervisors, or multiple operational departments.
- Experience leading Production, Compounding, Warehouse, Maintenance, or similar manufacturing functions.
- Experience in cosmetics, personal care, food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, chemical, or another regulated manufacturing environment preferred.
- Familiarity with GMP, quality systems, production documentation, and regulatory expectations.
- Proven ability to improve throughput, labor efficiency, equipment uptime, inventory accuracy, yield, and cost performance.
- Strong understanding of production scheduling, labor planning, material flow, inventory control, preventive maintenance, capacity planning, and root-cause problem solving.
- Experience with ERP/MRP, inventory, production, or maintenance-management systems.
- Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
- High judgment, strong ownership, and the ability to make decisions in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
