Director Data Operations Lead Jobs in Utah (NOW HIRING)

Welcome to the Traegerhood: 

Our business is BBQ, and business tastes good. Traeger invented the wood pellet grill over 30 years ago, and we're fanatics who are dedicated to bringing people together to create a more flavorful world. From our headquarters in Salt Lake City, we work tirelessly to provide a world-class experience to our customers, retailers, and especially our employees. If you're a team player who's dedicated to delivering top-quality results every day, then we want you to come cook with us. 

What You'll Do: 

The Director of Manufacturing, Pellets is responsible for driving operational excellence across Traeger's pellet manufacturing network - including owned facilities and contract manufacturers, both domestic and international. This role serves as the Pellet Business Operations Lead at HQ, with end-to-end accountability for production, quality, cost, safety, sourcing, compliance, new product development, and capital planning. 

The Director sets strategic direction, owns the long-range capacity and CAPEX plan, partners closely with Finance on budget and cost performance, and drives cross-functional alignment with Category Management, Sales, Operations and site leadership. 

How You'll Help Us Win: 

Operations & Strategic Leadership 

• Architect and oversee a high-performing manufacturing network spanning owned facilities and contract manufacturers, domestic and international 

• Define, track, and continuously improve KPIs across safety, quality, delivery, and cost - holding sites accountable to world-class performance standards 

• Champion on-time, in-full, on-quality fulfillment as a non-negotiable operational standard 

• Drive asset reliability programs, ensuring equipment uptime and maintenance standards support production commitments 

• Embed a continuous improvement culture through LEAN methodologies and Good Manufacturing Practices, creating scalable systems that raise the floor across all sites 

• Translate operational data into strategic insights, identifying systemic waste and driving measurable cost and efficiency improvements 

• Own manufacturing performance reporting and executive accountability, ensuring leadership visibility into operational health across the network 

Strategic Planning & CAPEX 

• Define and own the long-range strategic vision for pellet operations, including multi-year growth plans, capacity roadmaps, and business continuity strategies 

• Lead long-term capacity planning and capital investment strategy, balancing growth ambitions with operational and financial constraints 

• Lead scenario modeling and capacity analysis to evaluate new customer opportunities, network expansion, and make-vs.-buy decisions 

• Build and manage the annual CAPEX plan, partnering with Finance to prioritize capital investments 

• Build and maintain robust contingency and flex-capacity plans with contract manufacturing partners to protect supply continuity 

Sourcing & Supplier Management 

• Own the end-to-end sourcing strategy for all pellet inputs, balancing cost, quality, and supply security across a diverse supplier base 

• Build and steward strategic supplier partnerships - negotiating contracts, managing performance, and cultivating long-term relationships that advance quality and cost objectives 

• Lead supplier onboarding, cost negotiations, pricing support, quality management, and lead time coordination 

Financial Management 

• Own P&L accountability for the pellet manufacturing business, driving disciplined cost management while identifying opportunities to improve unit economics at scale 

• Lead financial analysis on product uniformity, cost reduction initiatives, and manufacturing efficiency - translating findings into actionable business cases 

Compliance 

• Serve as the enterprise compliance authority for the pellet business, proactively managing regulatory requirements and responding to customer compliance demands 

• Lead environmental compliance across all manufacturing sites, including air quality (DEQ) permitting, annual reporting, and regulatory relationship management 

• Lead FSC / EUDR compliance, including material accounting, audits, and training 

• Own the GMP program with rigor - maintaining audit-ready standards and instilling a culture of quality discipline across the manufacturing network 

New Product Development 

• Drive the new product development process from concept through commercialization, aligning cross-functional teams on technical feasibility, timelines, and launch readiness 

• Manage end-to-end launch timelines across sourcing, production, and initial distribution 

Leadership & Organizational Influence 

• Serve as a strategic business partner to Category Management, Finance, Sales, and Operations - influencing decisions, resolving cross-functional tensions, and aligning resources to shared goals 

• Provide thought leadership and subject matter expertise to commercial teams, enabling data-driven decisions on product strategy, customer requirements, and go-to-market execution 

• Build organizational capability by developing, coaching, and retaining a high-performing team - creating clear ownership, growth paths, and accountability structures 

• Foster a culture of transparency and alignment - maintaining strong communication rhythms with site leaders, external partners, and senior stakeholders to anticipate risk and accelerate decisions 

• Lead and contribute to strategic initiatives that advance Traeger's broader operational and business goals as the organization evolves 

What You'll Need To Succeed: 

• 10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role overseeing multi-site or networked production environments 

• Proven track record of building and developing high-performing teams, with the ability to lead through influence across matrixed organizations 

• Strong financial acumen with experience owning budgets, managing cost structures, and presenting operational performance to senior leadership 

• Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, resolve complex operational challenges, and make sound decisions under pressure 

• Highly self-directed with the executive presence and organizational awareness to operate effectively across all levels of the business 

• Proficiency with ERP systems, data analysis tools, and the Microsoft 365 suite; comfort leveraging AI tools to enhance operational decision-making 

• Proven experience in the wood pellet industry is a plus 
• Required: Bachelor's Degree in Operations Management, Engineering, or similar field. 

Why You Will Love Working Here: 

• Be part of the most disruptive force in outdoor cooking 

• Join a true team working towards a common goal 

• Culture of risk-taking, innovation, & quality 

• So. Much. Food. 

• Have an outdoor lover's paradise in your backyard 

• Full medical/dental/vision package to fit your needs 

• 401k to help you plan for the future 

• Tuition reimbursement 

• Individual professional development programs & initiatives to help you grow professionally 

• Great discounts on all things Traeger 

• Did we mention all the food? 

Traeger may use AI tools for resume-screening purposes.