Vice President Operations

We are seeking a dynamic and strategic Vice President of Operations to lead and optimize our multi-site engineered-to-order manufacturing operations. This high-impact role is ideal for a high-energy, data-driven leader with a proven track record of driving operational excellence, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and delivering results in complex, customized production environments.

The VP of Operations will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and continuous improvement across multiple facilities. This role demands a visionary leader who thrives in fast-paced environments, leverages data to inform decisions, and inspires teams to exceed performance targets.

Primary Responsibilities

- Collaborate with the Business Group (BG) leaders and Operations’ core functional leaders to develop an Operations strategy that delivers differentiated customer experience, increased productivity, and efficient working capital.

- Work cross functionally with other key leaders to develop policies, procedures, business, and strategic plans

- Take responsibility for multiple locations through both matrixed and direct reporting structures supporting multiple business groups.

- Develop a high performing team that drives operational excellence and accelerates profitable growth, meeting customer and shareholder commitments

- Develop operating budgets and resource plans to execute growth initiatives. Ensures that proper plans and processes are in place to meet monthly, quarterly, and annual goals identified through SMART goal deployment and established KPIs

- Build strong relationships with cross functional leaders (HR, Finance, Sales/Marketing, IT, Engineering) to impact customer experience (quality, speed, ease) and shareholder value (growth, productivity, cash).

Minimum Qualifications

- Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Business, Industrial Technology or related field OR equivalent work experience

- Operations experience in sourcing, supply chain, fulfillment (warehousing, transportation), customer care, and/or manufacturing.

- 15 years direct and influential leadership experience

- A solid track record for performance and progression within operations, business and supply chain

Preferred Qualifications

- Demonstrated strong understanding and use of lean tools to drive improvements and eliminate waste

- Experience working in matrix organizations and international companies

- Supply chain experience in demand forecasting, supply planning, inventory management, warehousing, transportation, or service

- Demonstrated ability to influence senior management, teams and individuals across multiple cultures, disciplines and geographies

- Experience in collaborating with multiple sites and functions to drive common solutions

- Sound business acumen operating in Medium/High Volume make to stock production environments

- Demonstrated agility and ability to drive multiple initiatives in parallel. Strong organization and time management skills

- Solid quantitative skill set and the ability to analyze, think and communicate with well-supported data

- Strong problem-solving skills: ability to ask the right questions, help frame logical conclusions and arrive at effective solutions

Essential Duties

Management

- Design and direct the work of the Industrial BG Operations team.

- Select, coach, inspire, motivate, and develop team while setting objectives that align with company strategy. Manage organizational talent through performance management, succession planning, and individual development.

- Designs and directs processes by which team and individual performance are recognized and feedback is consistently delivered and performance is systematically improved.

- Collaborate across the Industrial BG leadership team and the Operations core functional leaders (Supply Chain, Sourcing, Manufacturing, Lean CI, QHSEE, Service,) to develop operations strategy, initiatives, processes and technologies to strengthen customers’ experience and shareholders productivity and cash.

- Facilitate communication/interactions between core functional team members in Operations and Engineering. Effectively resolve differences and/or conflicts.

Process Improvement

- Evaluate the current end-to-end process and systems to design future state processes and tools to enhance the customer experience

- Support strategic operational planning

- Develop and implement methods and procedures designed to eliminate waste

- Evaluate and implement breakthrough processes to accelerate competitive manufacturing advantage while meeting customer product requirements;

- Lead cross-functional teams to improve production processes to support product strategy and product roadmap

- Drive improvements in safety, quality, productivity, delivery, and operating cost through KPI performance management.

- Ensure product, material and information streams flow and are synchronized to produce differentiated CX, increasing productivity, and improving working capital.

Cost Reduction

- Work toward improving (reducing) the cost structure in Manufacturing consistent with company objectives;

- Lead, coordinate and/or support the introduction of new/revised products or processes

- Lead/coach site leadership

- Ensure efficient use of capital equipment and automated systems and promote a culture of LEAN to eliminate waste and drive sustained continuous improvement across operations.

Other Duties

- Direct operations to meet budget and other financial goals

- Direct short-term and long-range planning and budget development to support strategic business goals

- Demonstrate successful execution of business strategies for company products and services

- Participate in acquisition and integration activities to support overall business objectives and plans

- Establish regular operating cadence to ensure alignment and progress to set priorities

- Manage performance metrics for multiple operational locations;

- Define, develop, and implement overall strategies and set future state vision to help meet stretch business objectives through close communication with management team;

- Actively drive continuous improvement across all business processes in order to synergize the local operations with international standards

- Build a high-performance team – Develop and coach employees through skill development, training and evaluation to achieve SMART goals and objectives

- Develop and deploy strategies that support operational excellence and long-range plans (Flexibility, Speed & Responsiveness)

- Ensure product, material and information streams flow and are synchronized to produce maximum efficiencies and lowest cost of operation;

- Ensures successful deployment of standard GENERAC tools, methodologies, standards, practices and processes;

- Organizes and prioritizes work assignment to complete assignments/tasks on time, with quality, and has the ability to anticipate problem areas in advance

- Provides and facilitates communication/interactions among team members, between teams and other areas. Resolves differences and/or conflict situations effectively

- Establish and maintain a solid understanding of the broad business. Evaluates situations objectively and demonstrates the ability to make decisions that are intended to have a positive impact on work performance or area and the total business

- Demonstrate personal flexibility in approach and ideas and responds positively and supports changes in procedures, process, technology, responsibility and assignments

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

- Excellent written, verbal, and non-verbal communication.

- Experience working in an operations that is growing, and building a pack and ship process.

- Ability to understand business objectives and develop and manage KPIs for measurement of success.

- Excellent listening & influencing skills.

- Technical excellence with Microsoft Office Suite

- Knowledge of and experience using ERP/MRP systems (i.e. SAP/ORACLE, CRM, PLM, SIOP/IBP, WMS).

- Exceptional ability to analyze and interpret data.

- Critical thinking and problem resolution skills.