Job Description
Job Description
Director of Operations / COO
Dietary Supplement Contract Manufacturing (Capsules & Powders Only)
Location: [Insert location / On-site preferred]
Company Size: ~50 employees
Reports to: CEO
Overview
We are a growing dietary supplement contract manufacturer focused exclusively on capsules and powders (no liquids, no gummies). We operate in a fast-moving, high-mix environment with frequent customer changes and short lead times.
Demand is strong. Execution needs to be tighter.
The CEO is stepping out of day-to-day operations. We are hiring a Director of Operations / COO to own execution across the company.
This role is for someone who has run real-world supplement manufacturing, not slow-cycle pharmaceutical operations.
If batches slip, materials are late, or teams miss commitments — you fix it.
What You’ll Own
- End-to-end execution across capsule and powder supplement manufacturing
- High-SKU, multi-customer production scheduling
- Raw material, packaging, and label readiness
- Production, warehousing, QA/QC, procurement, and fulfillment
- Batch scheduling, capacity planning, and on-time delivery
- Weekly operating cadence (commitments, follow-through, accountability)
- Cross-department prioritization and conflict resolution
- Manager performance and deadline enforcement
- Clear ownership for every batch, timeline, and operational decision
You will run weekly operations meetings.
The CEO will not.
What Success Looks Like (First 90 Days)
- Production schedules are realistic and consistently met
- Raw materials and packaging arrive when needed without constant expediting
- Batch timelines are clear, owned, and enforced
- Missed deadlines are visible, rare, and addressed
- Teams know exactly who owns execution
- The operation feels calm, compliant, and predictable — even when priorities shift
Required Experience
- Direct experience in dietary supplement contract manufacturing (required)
- Hands-on experience with capsules and/or powders
(Candidates focused on liquids, gummies, or beverages will not be a fit) - Experience operating in a fast-turn, high-mix environment
- Working knowledge of dietary supplement cGMPs
- Experience managing multiple customers, short runs, and frequent reprioritization
- Leadership experience in a 30–100 person manufacturing operation
- Proven ability to hold managers accountable and enforce deadlines
Candidates whose background is limited to pharmaceutical manufacturing, long validation cycles, or slow-moving production environments will not be a fit for this role.
This Role Is Not For You If You...
- Expect long planning cycles and stable queues
- Prefer pharma-style validation over speed and adaptability
- Need consensus to act
- Avoid conflict or difficult conversations
- Want a purely strategic or advisory role
Compensation & Upside
We are flexible on structure for the right operator:
- Option 1: High base salary + performance-based bonus
- Option 2: Lower base salary + equity grant and/or profit sharing, earned over time based on tenure and performance
This role has real upside for someone who wants to build, fix, and own outcomes, not just manage decline.
Why This Role Matters
If you do this job well, execution becomes predictable, customers stay satisfied, compliance remains intact, and chaos disappears. Your impact will be obvious within weeks.