Vice President of Manufacturing - Plastics Industry

Summit Search Group; Mississauga; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A North American manufacturer is seeking a Vice President of Manufacturing to lead multi-site operations in Mississauga. This role focuses on driving operational excellence, enhancing profitability, and fostering a culture of safety and quality. The VP will work closely with the President and leadership team while ensuring efficient operations that meet rapid growth demands. With over 10 years in manufacturing and strong Capex management skills, this is a pivotal role in a dynamic industry.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in manufacturing, including 3+ years in multi-site leadership.
• Experience in rigid plastics/blow molding or high-speed packaging.

Responsibilities

• Lead operations across three sites, aligning with corporate goals.
• Develop 36-month operations roadmap for capacity and investments.
• Deploy Lean Six Sigma for operational excellence.

Skills

Scaling operations

EBITDA expansion

Capex management

Cross-border leadership

Hands-on leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Operations

MBA preferred

Job description

Vice President of Manufacturing - Plastics Industry

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

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.

What you should expect:

• 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, labour, 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% 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).

Application Instructions:

To apply, please send a resume to Shannon Terpstra at [e-mail]

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.

Key Information

• Seniority level: Executive
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job functions: Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Management
• Industries: Plastics Manufacturing, Plastics and Rubber Product Manufacturing, and Manufacturing