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.

Pair is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of actual or perceived age, ancestry, citizenship, color, disability, familial status, family responsibilities, gender identity/expression, genetic information, marital status, matriculation, national origin, personal appearance, political affiliation, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.