Vice President, Global Operations

The position reports to the Division President and is responsible for managing the division’s manufacturing organization. The organization consists of four manufacturing sites (3 in the US, 1 in China) and builds products that account for about $1B in annual revenue.

The position leads an organization of ~1000 people. Direct reports include 4 site managers and leaders for finance, documentation, supplier quality, demand planning and logistics, sourcing, and supply chain.

Essential Functions:

• Lead the organization to meet/exceed objectives.

• Develop, create, and implement lean manufacturing initiatives which ensure continuous improvement in all operations activities. Bottom line objectives are reduced costs, improved margins, and reduced inventory.

• Develop and maintain operating budgets to meet or exceed operational and financial goals.

• Work in cooperation with regulatory/quality executives to ensure robust quality systems and regulatory compliance.

• Ensure adherence to product quality standards and drive initiatives to improve product and process quality.

• Recruit and retain exceptional talent.

• Set and monitor development plans for direct reports.

• Maintain a current knowledge of best practices, while constantly seeking out new work processes, systems, and measurement and analysis tools that could be applied to the company’s operations.

• Work in close cooperation with other members of the executive team.

• Other tasks and responsibilities as needed.

Candidate Specification/ Skills Requirements:

• Ten or more years of operations experience, including at least five years at the vice-president level. 

• Experience in manufacture of products that involve electro-mechanical assembly and test, such as instrumentation, computing hardware, or medical equipment.

• Must have run an organization of similar size (in people, revenue) and multiple sites.

• Must be a hands-on manager who can demonstrate a track record of success leading operations improvement initiatives.

• Demonstrated ability to lead from the front. Leads by example.

• Must have proven expertise in Six Sigma, lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement. 

• Must have experience managing global sourcing.

• Outstanding management and leadership skills. Must be able to demonstrate past success building and managing high performance teams.

• Excellent communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills. Must be able to communicate effectively at all levels, including subordinates, peers on the executive staff, and board members.

• Ability to motivate & inspire teams to high performance under tight time constraints.

• Must have strong financial skills.

• Experience with manufacture of FDA regulated products is not required. However, experience in a highly regulated industry (medical devices, transportation, aviation, defense) would be a plus.

• Experience at a company that has a reputation for outstanding operations management is a major plus, but not a requirement.

• Strong technical skills. Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in engineering. An advanced engineering or business degree is preferred, but not required.