Vice President of Operations 

LOCATION: Greater Chicago Area

TRAVEL: 50% 

POSITION SUMMARY: 

The Vice President of Operations will play a pivotal leadership role, embodying the high-performance standards of a Lean-driven culture. This role is responsible for the overall direction, strategy, planning, cost control, and execution of manufacturing operations across four plant locations.

The Vice President of Operations is charged with ensuring we have forward-thinking structures, processes and technology in place to ensure safety is prioritized across all employees, we secure optimal staffing and training, preventive maintenance and equipment care is prioritized, costs are optimized and the plants are committed to delighting our customers and consumers with quality products. This leader also will drive plant capital expansion projects, product innovation development, automation and technology upgrades, successfully positioning the company for future success.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and execute operational strategies that support company goals and accelerate growth.
• Accountable for all Key Performance Indicators in Safety, Quality, Productivity and Profitability areas, as well as meeting or exceeding the manufacturing annual operating plan.
• Full responsibility of the organizations P&L, annual budget and capital projects. Develop and manage budgeting with a focus on product cost and margins and establish cost controls. 
• Guide Lean culture transformation and implementation across safety, cost, people, process, and technology.
• Deliver cost savings through deployment of Lean principles and strategic planning
• Build and maintain trusted, collaborative relationships with union leadership to promote operational stability, mutual respect, and shared business objectives.
• Drive leadership development, succession planning, and talent optimization across all functions.
• Identify, lead, and scale operational initiatives that enhance product performance, streamline processes, and directly contribute to revenue growth, margin improvement and cost reduction.
• Champion predictive and preventive maintenance leadership to reduce downtime and improve output. 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• 10+ years of professional progressive experience in multi-site operations leadership with P&L ownership.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Business, Operations or related field. MBA or other advanced degree a plus.
• Track record managing multiple plants focused on process manufacturing and materials conversion. Metal extrusion, annealing, smelting, rolling, stamping strongly preferred. 
• Experience partnering and negotiating with unions and driving successful relationships to ensure manufacturing continuity. 
• Solid business acumen with a strong understanding of the P&L, annual budget, capital projects, metrics development and maintenance.
• Proven success of driving operational excellence and efficiency, cost reduction, and scalable growth.
• A commitment to excellence and continuous improvement with experience implementing a range continuous improvement processes and initiatives (i.e., 5S, Value Stream Mapping, Six Sigma, TPM).
• Strategic mindset with a hands-on approach, capable of balancing long-term vision with day-to-day operational excellence.
• Prior team management with a proven track record of developing, coaching and mentoring. 
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate and influence at all levels within the organization. 

• Compensation will be competitive and commensurate with experience. It will include a base salary and an annual performance bonus, long term incentives, and other benefits and perquisites.