Meet the Team: Oren Ashkenazi Shares How He Went from Archaeology to Manufacturing Management at Ophir

Meet Oren Ashkenazi! At Ophir, he navigates production challenges and builds a family-like culture.
See how his passion for archaeology evolved into a rewarding career in manufacturing—and what drives him daily.

Not all career paths are linear. See for example Oren Ashkenazi, our Beam Profiling Manufacturing Manager. Oren began his journey with a B.A. in Archaeology, joining Ophir as an assembly technician in 2013. What started as a temporary role turned into a rewarding career path. Now, as a Manufacturing Manager for the Beam-Profiling product line, he credits Ophir’s supportive, family-like environment for his growth.

Balancing quality and timely delivery are daily challenges he embraces, and he’s constantly looking for ways to improve. Outside work, he still loves exploring archaeological sites, now with his family by his side.

You have had a very broad career history. How did you go from being a technician to becoming a manufacturing manager?

I joined Ophir in 2013 as an assembly technician for the Optimet product line right after I finished my B.A. degree in Archaeology.  At the time, I thought it would be a temporary job. Little did I know.

Two years later, I was promoted to Team Leader, and in 2017 during my M.A. in Industrial Management, I became, and remain, a Manufacturing Manager for the Beam-Profiling product line.

From my first days in Ophir, I found that this company is family, and that remains true even today. Everyone cares for each other and helps one another when problems arise. It makes Ophir a great place to be.

What are the most common challenges you see in manufacturing?

The most common challenge is delivering our products on time, since I firmly believe that our customers should never have to wait. Maintaining consistent product quality is also a challenge and it’s one of our most important values. To achieve this, we need to know how to balance incoming material, production time and the capacity of the production staff.

What is your favorite part of your work?

Aside from meeting our company’s goals, my favorite part is working with my team and brainstorming solutions for day-to-day challenges, such as shortening production cycle times by improving existing processes or dealing with tight time frames for on-time delivery.

What’s next for you?

I always try to broaden my knowledge and expertise as much as possible and I am always on the lookout for my next learning experience that could benefit me personally and contribute to my professional role at Ophir.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

In my younger days, my favorite hobby was trekking and traveling around the world, enjoying the sights and architectural monuments, which is what led me to Archaeology studies in the first place. That same hobby is what led me to my soon-to-be wife.

Today, I enjoy hiking with my family on nature trails and at archaeology parks, sharing my knowledge with them.  I also love playing sports with my kids and I always look forward to our weekly movie night.