Vice President, Manufacturing – Rigid Plastics/Blow Molding

Summit Search Group; Oakville; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A North American manufacturer of plastic packaging is seeking a Vice President of Manufacturing to lead multi-site operations in Canada. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years in manufacturing, strong leadership capabilities, and experience in scaling operations. This role focuses on operational excellence and cultural improvement in a dynamic environment. Up to 60% travel is expected across Canada and the USA.

Benefits

Accommodations for candidates with disabilities

Qualifications

• 10+ years in manufacturing, with 3 years in multi-site leadership experience.
• Familiarity with ERP/MES systems and performance management.
• Experience in rigid plastics/blow molding or high-speed packaging.

Responsibilities

• Direct operations across three manufacturing sites.
• Develop and execute a 36-month operations roadmap.
• Deploy Lean Six Sigma methodologies for operational excellence.
• Ensure compliance with quality and regulatory systems.
• Optimize supply chain and logistics.
• Manage capital investment portfolio.
• Coach and develop plant leadership.

Skills

Scaling operations

EBITDA expansion

Capex management

Cross-border leadership

Strong leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Operations

MBA preferred

Job description

Vice President, Manufacturing – Rigid Plastics/Blow Molding

About Our Client: Our client is a North American manufacturer of plastic packaging, supplying containers for food, beverages, chemicals, health and beauty, and automotive industries.

Position Scope: Reporting to the President, the Vice President of Manufacturing will lead and scale multi-site operations in North America to enable significant business growth. This role is accountable for driving operational excellence, improving profitability, and building a culture rooted in safety, quality, and continuous improvement. The VP will serve as a strategic partner to the President and the broader leadership team, ensuring capacity, efficiency, and reliability keep pace with rapid growth while maintaining top-tier customer service and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Multi-Site Leadership: Direct operations across three manufacturing sites, ensuring alignment with corporate strategy and performance goals.
• Strategic Planning: Develop and execute a 36-month operations roadmap covering capacity, labor, automation, and capital investment.
• Operational Excellence: Deploy Lean Six Sigma methodologies to drive OEE, cost reduction, scrap/yield improvements, and cultural adoption of continuous improvement.
• Quality & Regulatory Compliance: Ensure robust systems for Quality and Food Safety (ISO 9001, SQF/HACCP/cGMP as relevant).
• Supply Chain & Logistics: Optimize end-to-end cost-to-serve, including freight, warehousing, and S&OP handoffs to Planning, Commercial, and Finance.
• Capital & Automation: Own the capital investment portfolio for equipment, tooling, and automation, delivering projects on time and on budget with targeted ROI.
• People & Culture: Strengthen plant leadership capability, coach supervisors into servant leaders, and foster a safety-first, data-driven, and collaborative culture.

Required Skills and Knowledge

• Proven success in scaling operations and driving EBITDA expansion.
• Direct accountability for Plant Ops, Quality, and Logistics/Network.
• Strong Capex management experience with automation, tooling, and vendor selection.
• Familiarity with ERP/MES systems and data-driven performance management.
• Cross-border (Canada/USA) leadership experience in both union and non-union environments.
• Hands-on, humble builder who thrives at the gemba and develops others.
• Up to 40-60% travel in Canada and the USA.

Education and Experience

• 10+ years in manufacturing with at least 3 years in multi-site leadership, ideally in rigid plastics/blow molding or high-speed packaging.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Operations (MBA preferred).

Summit Search Group is a fair and equitable search firm. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process.