Operations Director Jobs in Kansas
Operations Director jobs in Kansas draw steady demand from manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, and healthcare sectors, with openings at every level from single-site manager to multi-regional executive. Wichita, Kansas City, and Topeka account for the largest share of postings, where employers like Koch Industries, Spirit AeroSystems, and Stormont Vail Health consistently bring on operations leadership. The most in-demand specialties are supply chain operations, healthcare systems management, and distribution center oversight. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Start a Watco Career and Discover the Difference
Keep the world's supply chain moving. That's what the Watco team does every day at our short line railroads, switching sites, terminals, ports, and logistics hubs. Whether you're at one of these locations or in a support-services role, there's one thread that ties everyone together. We're all on the same team. One Watco.
Here's what you can expect from Watco:
- Outstanding culture recognized by Forbes and Newsweek
- Competitive compensation and benefits
- Leadership and development programs offered through Watco University
- Career advancement opportunities
Job Summary
The Director of Operations Solutions will provide project leadership, support, and technical expertise across varied improvement-focused initiatives that are aligned with corporate and individual business unit objectives. The position serves as a technical liaison between Watco’s operating units and other supporting functional departments, engaging particularly close with the Information Technology department. The role will develop and maintain open lines of communication to improve business unit satisfaction while implementing technical process solutions and managing overall business unit expectations.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Facilitates preliminary investigations for all Business Solution’s project requests with business unit personnel.
- Develops requirements, specifications, project plans, and training plans to ensure they are in line with business unit objectives and deliver the expected results.
- Manages the delivery and rollout of business solutions with varying scope and complexity, up to and including enterprise level initiatives.
- Networks with internal/external partners both within and outside own area of expertise; actively identifies synergies between projects and initiatives, elevating conflicting efforts or requirements to senior leadership.
- Ensures effective communication and coordination on assigned projects between all project stakeholders.
- Participates in root cause analysis to recommend product enhancements or other appropriate actions required to improve performance for both the business units and the enterprise.
- Position will manage direct reports as needed.
- High level of interaction with field team members at their locations.
- Travel required 30% - 40%.
Personal Attributes
- Strong customer service focus.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Self-motivated and ability to work with minimal direct supervision
- Enjoys complicated challenges in a fast-paced growing company.
- Passionate about providing solutions that continuously improve the business.
- Able to effectively manage ambiguity and balance multiple stakeholders needs.
Qualifications
- Five (5) or more years of experience in business systems/process improvement engineering to include developing product requirements and specifications.
- Project management experience for enterprise level projects (PMP certification a plus).
- Experience in software application database structures, including querying, mining, and analyzing relational database information through SQL, as an example.
- Ability to quickly become a “power user” in multiple instances of complex software based on project requirements.
- Must be able to adapt quickly to change, work well within a team environment, and communicate clearly in verbal and written form (across various organizational levels).
- Experience training others through both formal and informal training methods.
Industry and Protocol Knowledge
- Understanding of Transloading (Terminal and Port 3PL Operations) and Railroad Operations is a plus.
Education
Start a Watco Career and Discover the Difference
Keep the world's supply chain moving. That's what the Watco team does every day at our short line railroads, switching sites, terminals, ports, and logistics hubs. Whether you're at one of these locations or in a support-services role, there's one thread that ties everyone together. We're all on the same team. One Watco.
Here's what you can expect from Watco:
- Outstanding culture recognized by Forbes and Newsweek
- Competitive compensation and benefits
- Leadership and development programs offered through Watco University
- Career advancement opportunities
Job Summary
The Director of Operations Solutions will provide project leadership, support, and technical expertise across varied improvement-focused initiatives that are aligned with corporate and individual business unit objectives. The position serves as a technical liaison between Watco’s operating units and other supporting functional departments, engaging particularly close with the Information Technology department. The role will develop and maintain open lines of communication to improve business unit satisfaction while implementing technical process solutions and managing overall business unit expectations.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Facilitates preliminary investigations for all Business Solution’s project requests with business unit personnel.
- Develops requirements, specifications, project plans, and training plans to ensure they are in line with business unit objectives and deliver the expected results.
- Manages the delivery and rollout of business solutions with varying scope and complexity, up to and including enterprise level initiatives.
- Networks with internal/external partners both within and outside own area of expertise; actively identifies synergies between projects and initiatives, elevating conflicting efforts or requirements to senior leadership.
- Ensures effective communication and coordination on assigned projects between all project stakeholders.
- Participates in root cause analysis to recommend product enhancements or other appropriate actions required to improve performance for both the business units and the enterprise.
- Position will manage direct reports as needed.
- High level of interaction with field team members at their locations.
- Travel required 30% - 40%.
Personal Attributes
- Strong customer service focus.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Self-motivated and ability to work with minimal direct supervision
- Enjoys complicated challenges in a fast-paced growing company.
- Passionate about providing solutions that continuously improve the business.
- Able to effectively manage ambiguity and balance multiple stakeholders needs.
Qualifications
- Five (5) or more years of experience in business systems/process improvement engineering to include developing product requirements and specifications.
- Project management experience for enterprise level projects (PMP certification a plus).
- Experience in software application database structures, including querying, mining, and analyzing relational database information through SQL, as an example.
- Ability to quickly become a “power user” in multiple instances of complex software based on project requirements.
- Must be able to adapt quickly to change, work well within a team environment, and communicate clearly in verbal and written form (across various organizational levels).
- Experience training others through both formal and informal training methods.
Industry and Protocol Knowledge
- Understanding of Transloading (Terminal and Port 3PL Operations) and Railroad Operations is a plus.
Education
See All 26 Operations Director Jobs in Kansas
Find roles in Kansas that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Operations Director JobsOperations Director Jobs by City in Kansas
Where Kansas roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Operations Director Job Market in Kansas
A snapshot from current Kansas openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
What Kansas Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in operations director jobs across Kansas.
- Bachelor's degree in business administration, operations management, or a related field required
- Seven or more years of progressive operations leadership experience across multiple functions
- Demonstrated ability to manage P&L, budgets, and resource allocation at a departmental or divisional level
- Experience implementing continuous improvement frameworks such as Lean, Six Sigma, or Kaizen
- Strong background in workforce planning, performance management, and cross-functional team leadership
- Proficiency with ERP platforms and operational analytics tools used in manufacturing or distribution environments
Operations Director Jobs in Kansas: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a operations director in Kansas?
Most operations directors in Kansas follow a path that starts with a bachelor's degree in business, operations management, industrial engineering, or a related field, followed by progressive management roles in their industry. No state-issued license is required for the title in Kansas. Employers in manufacturing and healthcare frequently prefer candidates who hold a Lean Six Sigma Green or Black Belt certification, and larger Kansas organizations often promote from plant manager or operations manager roles into director-level positions.
Which companies hire operations directors in Kansas?
Employers hiring operations directors in Kansas right now include The University of Kansas Health System, Watco, and Sodexo, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Kansas's concentration of aerospace manufacturing, agricultural processing, and regional healthcare systems means director-level operations roles appear consistently across both corporate headquarters and large facility campuses.
Which Kansas cities have the most operations director jobs?
Overland Park, Topeka, and Kansas City post the most operations director openings in Kansas. Wichita drives volume through its aerospace and manufacturing base anchored by employers like Spirit AeroSystems and Textron Aviation, while the Kansas City metro benefits from its logistics infrastructure and corporate headquarters, and Topeka concentrates openings in state government operations and regional healthcare.
Are there remote operations director jobs in Kansas?
Yes, but they're rare. Operations directors typically oversee facilities, staff, and physical workflows that require on-site presence, so fully remote arrangements are uncommon. About 43% of operations director openings tied to Kansas are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and when flexibility exists, it tends to apply to strategic planning, reporting, and vendor coordination duties rather than day-to-day floor or facility oversight.
How can I get hired as a operations director in Kansas with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is moving up through operations coordinator, supervisor, or plant manager roles at Kansas manufacturing, distribution, or healthcare employers before stepping into a director title. Large Kansas employers in food processing, aerospace, and regional hospital systems regularly hire operations managers and team leads as development roles. Earning a Lean Six Sigma certification and building measurable cost-reduction or throughput results in those positions makes the transition to director-level far more competitive.
Where can I find and apply to operations director jobs in Kansas?
You can find and apply to operations director jobs in Kansas on Migrate Mate, which lists current Kansas openings updated regularly. Search the available roles, find the ones that match your experience and target location, and apply directly to each listing that fits.
See All 26 Operations Director Jobs in Kansas
Find roles in Kansas that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Operations Director Jobs