Vice President of Operations

Vice President of Operations

Compensation: $120,000$150,000 annually

Salary: $120,000$150,000, commensurate with experience

Paid vacation and holidays

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, STD, LTD, PTO (3 weeks), EAP Access

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on General Manager / Vice President of Operations to provide leadership and overall operational direction for an established manufacturing organization.

This individual will have responsibility for the day-to-day performance of the operation while also serving as a key member of the company's leadership team. The successful candidate will be someone who takes ownership, leads from the front, holds people accountable, and is willing to learn the company's products, processes, and trade from the ground up.

This position requires a strong manufacturing and production background combined with the ability to develop people, establish structure, implement policies and procedures, and continuously improve operational performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for manufacturing, production, facility, and operational activities.
• Lead, mentor, and hold managers, supervisors, and employees accountable for performance, quality, safety, productivity, and company standards.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the company's products, manufacturing processes, equipment, customers, and industry.
• Establish and implement company policies, procedures, operating standards, and performance expectations.
• Evaluate current production processes and identify opportunities to improve productivity, workflow, quality, efficiency, and cost control.
• Lead and support the company's efforts toward achieving ISO compliance/certification, including developing and implementing standardized processes, policies, documentation, quality procedures, and operational controls necessary to meet ISO requirements.
• Promote a strong culture of safety, quality, teamwork, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• Work closely with ownership and executive leadership in developing operational priorities and supporting the company's short- and long-term business objectives.
• Oversee vendors, contractors, equipment, facilities, and other resources necessary to maintain an efficient manufacturing operation.
• Identify operational issues early, develop solutions, and follow through to ensure problems are resolved.
• Establish measurable goals and provide leadership with clear information regarding operational performance and areas requiring attention.
• Be visible and engaged throughout the facility, developing strong relationships with employees at all levels of the organization.
• Travel to the company's Perry, New York facility for training and operational development as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field, with a minimum of 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, production, operations, or a related environment.
• Previous experience as a General Manager, Operations Manager, Plant Manager, Director of Operations, VP of Operations, or comparable senior leadership position preferred.
• Strong understanding of production environments, workflow, staffing, quality, safety, and operational efficiency.
• Previous experience with ISO standards, quality management systems, or assisting an organization through ISO certification is highly desirable.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Comfortable working both strategically and hands-on within the operation.
• Ability and willingness to learn a specialized trade and become knowledgeable about the company's products and manufacturing processes.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively with ownership, management, employees, customers, and vendors.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a strong operational leader who wants to take ownership of a business operation rather than simply manage a department. This person should be comfortable walking a production floor, working directly with employees and supervisors, identifying problems, making decisions, and then stepping into an executive-level discussion regarding the future direction of the company.

Industry-specific experience is helpful but is not necessarily required. More important is a proven ability to lead a manufacturing operation, learn the business, develop people, establish structure, improve performance, and be accountable for results.