Vice President Operations

Position Overview

Our client is a leading manufacturer specializing in highly engineered, varied, low-volume industrial equipment serving critical commercial and industrial sectors. As the firm expands via operational excellence and strategic investments, they seek a Vice President of Operations to actively lead across multiple manufacturing sites.

This position demands a hands-on operational leader acting as a tactical specialist who deploys to facilities needing immediate leadership or operational improvements. Instead of a traditional corporate oversight role, this executive directly stabilizes operations, drives turnaround plans, and leads complex improvement projects, occasionally filling interim VP or General Manager roles.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with executive leadership to define operational priorities and take charge at sites requiring swift leadership or operational support.
• Drive turnaround initiatives tackling safety, quality, delivery, productivity, inventory, labor use, and profitability challenges.
• Be a trusted partner to site leaders while holding teams accountable for results.
• Lead Kaizen events, streamline value streams, support production recovery, and foster continuous improvements.
• Rapidly identify operational problems through floor engagement and formulate actionable plans.
• Implement standardized best operational practices respecting the distinctive needs of each facility.
• Coach and develop plant leaders to build long-term operational capability beyond immediate fixes.
• Work with Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, Finance, and Commercial teams to eliminate execution obstacles.
• Support new facility launches, capacity growth, footprint optimization, and strategic manufacturing projects.
• Assume interim senior leadership roles to provide stability during transitions or major changes.
• Track operational KPIs while maintaining a visible presence on the production floor.
• Cultivate a culture emphasizing accountability, urgency, continuous improvement, and servant leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or related fields; MBA preferred.
• Over 15 years of advancing leadership in high-mix, low-volume industrial manufacturing.
• Experience managing multiple manufacturing plants or business units.
• Demonstrated success driving operational turnarounds, cultural change, and performance enhancement initiatives.
• Background as Plant Manager, General Manager, VP of Operations, Division Operations Leader, or similar roles.
• Strong expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, and continuous improvement methods.
• Financial acumen with successful experience improving profit margins and working capital.
• Ability to influence all organizational levels—from executives to factory floor workers.
• Proven skills in quickly diagnosing complex issues, setting priorities, and delivering urgent results.
• Willingness to travel extensively (50-75%) across North American manufacturing sites.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a practical operator passionate about solving complex manufacturing challenges firsthand rather than remote management. They bring credibility through direct plant leadership experience, improving struggling operations, and developing high-performing teams. Versatility to mentor leaders, lead operational turnarounds, and serve in interim executive roles is essential.

Comfortable both in boardroom financial reviews and shop floor troubleshooting, this leader thrives amid ambiguity and fast-paced change, motivated by making meaningful operational gains with lasting impact.

Success Criteria

• Quick stabilization and operational enhancement in underperforming plants.
• Lasting improvements in safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and profitability across multiple facilities.
• Developed leadership pipelines through coaching and mentoring efforts.
• Effective implementation of strategic manufacturing and business-critical initiatives.
• Established a replicable culture of accountability, discipline, and continuous improvement at the enterprise level.