Director of Operations

For 128 years, our Wisconsin workshop has produced bench-made boots and moccasins using proprietary construction methods passed from craftsman to craftsman. Our customers have included four U.S. presidents, the former King of England, and a long line of pioneers across aviation and the outdoors.

We're now looking for a Director of Operations, a hands-on operator who can bring order, predictability, and accountability to the flow of production, while building the talent pipeline and the buy-in needed to carry the business into its next chapter. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on structure, isn't afraid to dig into any part of the business, and knows how to bring people along through change.

The Role

This person will manage the majority of our production roles, production scheduling, equipping team leads, and ensuring goals are met while serving as a culture and leadership presence on the manufacturing side of the business, working alongside the Director of Accountability.

One of our biggest ongoing challenges is that the “why” behind decisions doesn't always reach production staff. This role exists to close that gap: translating strategy into buy-in, and buy-in into consistent execution on the floor.

✅ Key Responsibilities

Own Production Operations

• Manage approximately 70% of production roles, including production scheduling and day-to-day coordination.
• Ensure team leads have what they need to do their jobs well.
• Ensure production goals are consistently met.

Lead Facility Culture

• Serve as a head of the manufacturing side of the business, alongside the Director of Accountability.
• Work through individual aversion to change in order to build genuine buy-in across production staff.
• Make sure the “why” behind decisions is clearly and consistently communicated to the floor.

Recruit & Develop Talent

• Create inroads outside the business to recruit new production talent.
• Build development pathways that help the company retain the people it recruits.

Manage the Facility

• Oversee materials inventories to keep production running smoothly.
• Direct building maintenance and facility upgrades.

Must-Haves

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Proven experience bringing organization and accountability to a production environment — someone who can cut through noise and make production flow orderly and predictable.
• A track record of recruiting and developing talent, including creating inroads outside the business to build a pipeline.
• Demonstrated success creating buy-in and working through resistance to change, particularly with frontline or production staff.
• Strong analytical, leadership, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with spreadsheets; we use Google Suite.

Compensation: Compensation structure: Base Bonus (plus profit sharing).

This isn't a role where you stay in your lane — it's one where curiosity and persistence open doors that structure alone can't!