If you combine management experience in an optical lab environment with good business sense, you enjoy improving efficiencies, and you have the leadership skill to support a hard-working team in a dynamic environment, the role of General Manager II could be a great opportunity. You will:

• Make an impact by bringing fresh ideas for efficiencies and system improvements to take the Jacksonville lab to the next level.
• Grow your abilities and career as you drive operations for a lab experiencing high-volume growth. Quick question for you - click here
• Join a growing global industry leader. Our 2018 merger with Luxottica made us the world's largest player in the eyewear industry.
• Enjoy a widening scope and influence. We promote entrepreneurship and encourage team members to leverage the full range of their talents and stretch beyond their job descriptions.
• Join an organization driven by a threefold mission: Improving lives by improving sight, Innovating for better vision, and Reaching the 2.7 billion underserved.

Improving Lives By Improving Sight. Essilor of America, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of eyeglass lenses in the United States, employs more than 10,000 people and operates the largest and most comprehensive optical laboratory network in the U.S. Essilor of America, Inc. is a subsidiary of Paris-based Essilor International. Essilor manufactures optical lenses under the Varilux®, Crizal®, Transitions®, and other brands, and our products are worn by one billion people daily. Essilor has been on Forbes' list of the World's 100 Most Innovative Companies every year since 2010, and we ranked #62 out of 700 corporations awarded the title "Diversity Leader 2020" by the Financial Times.

To meet the basic qualification for this opportunity, you must have legal authorization to work permanently in the United States for any employer without requiring a visa transfer or visa sponsorship. In addition, to be a good fit for the General Manager II role, you will have:

• 2+ years of general management experience in an optical lab environment Quick question for you - click here
• 1+ years manufacturing experience in a similar industry
• Experience with successful implementation of manufacturing methods and process Quick question for you - click here
• Experience working directly with customers and the ability to build strong relationships and open communication
• Strong computer skills including experience with Microsoft Office programs
• Some experience working with financial data, such as experience working with a P&L, managing a budget, and operating cost reduction
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build working relationships among internal and external customers
• Experience working in a KPI-driven environment

Preferred but not required:

• A bachelor's degree is strongly preferred

You will generally work Monday to Friday during normal business hours, but you will need to be flexible to work longer hours or occasional weekends as needed depending on volume.

Reporting to the Regional Operations Director, you will oversee all laboratory operations for the Jacksonville, FL lab, including production process management, quality and continuous improvement, equipment and maintenance, customer focus/service, safety, and administration. The lab has 15+ employees with a dotted line to you. They are managed by two supervisors (a Lab Supervisor and a Front-end Lead) who would report directly to you. Your main goals will be to ensure the lab meets corporate productivity and profitability goals; to provide excellent products and great customer service to the optometrists and opticians as well as to their end-user customers; and to engage the employees to ensure they know what their KPIs are, and that they’re fulfilled in their careers.

This is a fast-paced production environment, with this lab producing about 400 pairs of glasses per day. The lab adapts to a changing production level by having all employees float to different stations, but on days with a high-volume fluctuation or when we have employees out you may also work hands-on in the lab, filling open positions where needed. However, most of your time should be spent on driving lab operations and ensuring things run smoothly, from managing financials and budgets; to overseeing supply ordering and customer service; engaging in employee development; communicating with sales, customers, and employees; completing productivity reports, and more.

Though this is not a complete listing, some of your specific tasks will be to:

• Provide leadership and coordinate with Shared Services to maximize employee development, training and performance.
• Lead by example to build strong partnerships with customers, understand their needs, and deliver a top-quality product.
• Prioritize and invests in the development of the organization and its people.
• Identify and implement optimal structure and core processes for lab manufacturing function.
• Implement an optimal layout for the lab, and ensure team leverages their knowledge of various equipment and employee capabilities to optimize workflow.
• Provide team with challenging and clear performance objectives directly tied to lab performance expectations for quality, productivity and growth; create an environment that inspires the team to take personal ownership for achieving stretch goals and performance improvement.
• Implement cost-effective systems of control, balancing demands and competitive pressures when investing in the lab and controlling expenses.
• Deliver against operational budgets, forecasts and profit targets, and manage against key objectives.

Note: this description is intended to give you a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive listing of duties and responsibilities.

Professional development
Though you could be happy and challenged in this role for years to come, success here will open opportunities for your career. For example, you could pursue advancement overseeing multiple labs, or in a director-level role, or into a specialized project role. At Essilor, we support our employees’ professional growth and development.

Autonomy and support
You'll have the autonomy to take ownership of your role and excel. At the same time, you will have strong support and mentorship when you need it. For example, you’ll have the support of the other managers and supervisors within the group, who are always willing to share ideas and best practices, or to troubleshoot issues. Your supervisor is invested in helping you succeed, and the team will be there to answer questions and help set you up for success.

Entrepreneurial environment
Our culture is entrepreneurial and fresh, backed by 170 years of success. You will have the freedom to take ownership of your role, making it into whatever will best help the organization. In fact, we are always open to dialogue, expecting that anyone at any level will speak up with questions and ideas that will help shape our company into the best it can be.

Truly living our values
At Essilor, we believe everyone deserves to see life and all its detail with the best vision possible. That's why, in addition to designing, manufacturing and distributing quality vision care solutions worldwide, we invest in raising awareness of the importance of good vision, support eyecare professionals, invent new technologies and products, and support philanthropic initiatives. We also are committed to robust standards for environmental sustainability. These are just a couple of reasons we were one of the 52 companies named to Fortune magazine's 2019 Change the World list.

Excellent compensation
In addition to a competitive salary and bonus opportunity, we offer an exceptional mix of first-rate benefits, including medical, dental and vision plans; a 401(k) plan with company match; tuition reimbursement; comprehensive training through Essilor University; lens and frame benefits for you and your family; an employee stock purchase plan with company match; and more.

Video: As part of the #DifferenceMakers campaign, Essilor chose four eyecare professionals and three Essilor employees to participate in a mission trip to Southeast Asia in March 2019.

This is a fast-paced, high volume, quick turnaround environment, and where the production level changes from day to day and the employees all float to multiple areas rather than staying at a single station. To excel in this role, you will need to have your finger on the pulse of the operation to ensure work is proceeding quickly, safely, and error-free. It may also require that you occasionally step in to do hands-on work at a variety of stations, such as if we are shorthanded.

You will also need excellent communication skills, as you’ll be the connection between the sales executives, the customers, and the employees to ensure everyone is on the same page. As you will be the main driver of lab operations, you’ll need to be flexible enough to start early, stay later, or work occasional weekend days as needed to support the business and the team.

If you enjoy a fast-paced environment, you’re a strong leader and consistent communicator, you are great at building up people and improving teams, and you thrive on providing excellent customer service, then we want to hear from you!