Director of Manufacturing

At Pair Eyewear, we believe in placing our people at the center of everything we do. We are dedicated to fostering a joyful and dynamic workplace, providing our employees with an environment where they can thrive and make a meaningful impact.

Pair Eyewear is looking for an experienced Director of Manufacturing to lead our Irvine optical lab and glasses manufacturing facility. You will own day-to-day production operations end-to-end — from lens fabrication through final assembly — and be the site's single point of accountability for throughput, quality, cost, and people. This is a hands-on operating role: you'll build the staffing, scheduling, and metrics discipline that lets us scale output without sacrificing quality, and you'll be a close strategic partner to our COO, VP of Design, R&D, and Sourcing, and other leaders as we plan the site's next phase of growth.

What You'll Do:

• Own full P&L and operating performance for the Irvine facility, serving as the site's single leader across lens lab and glasses manufacturing.
• Improve process efficiency and throughput speed — identifying and resolving bottlenecks in the production line — with no downside to quality or safety.
• Design and implement a robust labor staffing and scheduling model, including shift planning, cross-training, and productivity measurement systems tied to clear per-operator and per-line targets.
• Own cost-per-unit performance, building visibility into cost drivers and running structured initiatives to reduce them without compromising quality.
• Instill rigorous site management practices: daily/weekly metrics reviews, standard operating procedures, and a continuous improvement (Lean / Six Sigma-style) cadence across the facility.
• Lead effective cross-functional collaboration with Procurement, Fulfillment, Logistics, and CX to meet or exceed standards related to fulfillment time, cost, quality, safety, and inventory control.
• Be a thoughtful, data-driven contributor to strategic initiatives alongside the COO, Head of R&D, and other company leaders — including capacity planning, new product introduction, and infrastructure investment.
• Evaluate and implement equipment, tooling, and technology upgrades that meaningfully improve throughput, quality, or cost, partnering with internal stakeholders to build a best-in-class facility.
• Recruit, coach, and develop a strong production leadership team and a culture of accountability and continuous improvement on the floor.

Who You Are:

• A hands-on operator — organized, metrics-driven, engaging leader
• A strong cross-functional collaborator who communicates effectively with executives and production associates alike.
• Someone capable of leading high-visibility projects from start to finish with measurable results.

Need to Have:

• A bachelor's degree in business, engineering, supply chain management, or a related field.
• 10-15 years of hands-on manufacturing operations leadership, including significant experience running a large single-site production facility (100+ associates) with full ownership of throughput, labor, and cost metrics.
• Demonstrated experience building or overhauling labor staffing/scheduling models.
• A proven track record of developing, coaching, training, and retaining top talent with high levels of engagement.

Nice to Have:

• Optical lab / RX lab manufacturing experience (surfacing, finishing, edging, or assembly).
• Advanced engineering degree
• Lean Six Sigma certification.
• Experience with WMS, ERP, or MES systems for labor and material planning.

Some Benefits and Perks of Working at Pair:

• Medical, Vision, and Dental insurance
• Generous vacation policy
• Retirement savings plan options
• Free eyewear (plus discounts for family and friends)

At Pair, we carefully consider a wide range of factors when determining compensation. These considerations can cause your compensation to vary. The pay range for this position is expected to be between $180,000 - 200,000 and will depend on your skills, qualifications, and experience. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary short-term and long-term incentives. We encourage all interested candidates to apply.