Vice President of Operations & Engineering

Job DescriptionJob Description

Summary:

This executive position has responsibility for providing unified operations leadership over the entire custom product lifecycle, integrating design, engineering, and production. The Vice President of Operations & Engineering is responsible for ensuring seamless execution from concept to shipment. Responsibilities include optimizing operations, driving profitability and innovation, ensuring quality, and developing a skilled workforce. This leader must empower teams to deliver measurable, cost-effective results. This position reports to the President/CEO.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operations Strategy: Oversee the product life cycle, aligning engineering and operations to achieve business goals. Lead change and deliver results.
• Operations & Efficiency: Execute on lean operations management, continually implementing and improving lean principles (eg. Six Sigma) throughout the organization. Increase operational agility, identify and eliminate inefficiencies in design, engineering, and production processes, reduce rework/delays, and optimize resource use. Optimize across silos and align resources to find synergies within operations. Manage operating processes, infrastructure, and interfaces within the value chain.
• Cost Management & Profitability: Implement strategies for accurate job costing, factoring in engineering effort to improve quoting accuracy and profitability. Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA). Maintain transparent cost monitoring and reporting. Increase efficiency through methods like integrated supply chain management and working capital management. Lead budget planning and allocation efforts.
• Innovation & Growth: Streamline New Product Introduction (NPI) through enhanced operational capabilities, enabling pursuit of higher-value opportunities. Leverage innovation and technological improvements.
• Quality Assurance: Embed quality control measures throughout the design and production lifecycle. Continuously improve first-time quality throughout the organization and the vendor base. Support brand management and reputation by delivering products and services of the highest quality.
• Performance Management: Establish appropriate performance targets, monitor progress, and report KPIs to leadership. Manage operational risk, including controls.
• Leadership and Team Development: Build and lead high-performing operations and engineering teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and innovation. Provide mentorship and professional development opportunities to nurture talent and promote career growth. Create a pipeline of suitable lean-minded talent. Implement appropriate models for rewards, recognition, coaching, and corrective practices. Shape the company culture and build commitment among stakeholders.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate closely with other departments, including sales and finance to align strategies and drive coordinated efforts towards operational goals. Directly support the VP of Revenue by ensuring profitable engineering and delivery of sold products. Provide financial controls required by the CFO.

Location:

• Onsite in Portland, Indiana with one day spent at the corporate office in Dayton, Ohio.

Critical Skills:

• Trustworthiness- We earn trust through honesty, integrity and reliability.
• Adaptable- We demonstrate the ability to maintain effectiveness in a changing environment.
• Approachable- We are open minded, friendly, engaging, understanding and empathetic; being comfortable engaging in challenging conversations.
• Curious- We improve the organization by seeking information and knowledge to continually grow and learn and reduce moments of uncertainty and ambiguity.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering required. Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering technology .
• 10+ years' experience in operations leadership executing and scaling an organization, leading a mid-level management team, and developing a lean, agile, results-oriented culture, preferably within a job shop manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of the design, engineering, and production processes for custom products.
• Detailed knowledge of internal processes, procedures, product offerings, and the complete value chain. Demonstrable competency as a "walk the talk" practitioner with experience transforming operations into high-quality, lean operations and a record of executing organization change management plans and delivering results.
• Demonstrated ability to drive operational efficiency, cost control, and profitability.
• Knowledge of budgeting, costing, and accounting principles relevant to the industry.
• Experience leading, managing, and developing technical and operational teams.
• Working knowledge of data analysis and performance/operation metrics.
• Strategic thinker with planning capabilities and the ability to drive innovation and growth.
• Knowledge of continuous improvement measures (eg. Six Sigma), supplier assessments, and benchmarking tools.
• Knowledge of technological and IT trends and best practices in the sector.
• Knowledge of strategic/operational planning, and innovative communication methods.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Comfortable with constant change and ambiguity.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Travel as required.