On the Heels of Achieving 3X Growth, Virginia Transformer Is Hiring to Do It Again!
Virginia Transformer is entering its next phase of significant expansion. As the largest U.S.-owned producer of power transformers in North America, we play a critical role in supporting the nation’s electric grid and the rapidly growing demand from utilities, data centers, renewable energy, industrial customers, and other critical infrastructure markets.
We’re strategically building our team for the next 3X growth cycle and are looking for talented, driven leaders who want to make a measurable impact.
We are a privately held, organically growing company built on more than 50 years of engineering excellence, manufacturing expertise, quality, and customer commitment. Our culture values speed, innovation, accountability, execution, and tenacity.
Our next phase of growth will require exceptional people who thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, embrace accountability, and want the opportunity to grow their careers alongside the company.
This journey isn’t for everyone. We’re highly selective about the people who join our team. If you’re ready to challenge yourself, lead from the front, and grow your career 3X alongside Virginia Transformer, we want to hear from you.
Position Summary
Virginia Transformer is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Site Leader to provide overall operational leadership for our Troutville, Virginia manufacturing facility.
This is a highly visible, hands‑on leadership position responsible for the safe, efficient, and consistent execution of all daily manufacturing operations at the site. The Manufacturing Site Leader will drive performance across safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, and employee development while building a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Serving as the senior operational leader at the Troutville facility, this position will work closely with the Roanoke Plant Manager and cross‑functional leaders in Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and other functions to achieve plant and company objectives.
The successful candidate will be a strong manufacturing leader who is comfortable spending significant time on the production floor, solving problems in real time, developing leaders, and driving measurable operational improvement.
Key Responsibilities
Manufacturing & Operations Leadership
- Provide overall leadership for daily manufacturing operations at the Troutville facility.
- Ensure achievement of production targets while meeting established safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost objectives.
- Translate production schedules and business requirements into clear operational priorities for manufacturing teams.
- Maintain a strong and visible presence on the manufacturing floor.
- Review staffing, equipment, materials, production schedules, and operational constraints to ensure production commitments are achieved.
- Identify production bottlenecks and implement corrective actions to improve throughput and manufacturing performance.
- Coordinate priorities and resources across shifts and manufacturing areas.
- Respond quickly to operational issues that could impact production, quality, cost, or customer delivery.
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, coach, and develop manufacturing leadership, including shift managers, supervisors, and other operational personnel.
- Establish clear performance expectations and hold leaders accountable for results.
- Develop the capabilities of frontline leadership through coaching, mentoring, and structured development.
- Build a strong pipeline of future manufacturing leaders and support succession planning.
- Promote employee engagement, teamwork, accountability, and ownership throughout the facility.
- Partner with Human Resources to address staffing, performance management, training, retention, and workforce development needs.
Safety & Quality
- Champion a safety-first culture throughout the Troutville facility.
- Ensure compliance with OSHA requirements, environmental regulations, company policies, and established safety procedures.
- Partner with EHS leadership to identify hazards, implement corrective actions, and reduce workplace incidents.
- Establish a strong culture of quality and operational discipline throughout manufacturing.
- Partner with Quality and Engineering teams to ensure products consistently meet customer specifications and company standards.
- Drive root‑cause analysis and corrective actions for quality issues, defects, rework, and process deviations.
Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence
- Drive continuous improvement using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, root‑cause analysis, and other operational excellence methodologies.
- Identify opportunities to improve manufacturing flow, productivity, labor efficiency, equipment utilization, and overall plant performance.
- Lead initiatives to eliminate waste, reduce cycle time, improve throughput, and increase manufacturing capacity.
- Establish and reinforce standardized work and disciplined operating processes.
- Use production data and performance trends to identify opportunities and drive sustainable improvements.
Performance Management
- Establish, monitor, and communicate key performance indicators for manufacturing operations.
- Track performance in areas including safety, quality, delivery, productivity, labor efficiency, downtime, scrap, rework, and cost.
- Conduct regular operating reviews with manufacturing leadership.
- Use data to identify performance gaps, establish corrective actions, and ensure sustained improvement.
- Provide accurate and timely operational updates to the Roanoke Plant Manager and senior leadership.
Equipment & Maintenance
- Partner closely with Maintenance and Engineering teams to maximize equipment availability and manufacturing capacity.
- Drive improvements in equipment reliability and preventive maintenance execution.
- Identify recurring equipment issues and support permanent corrective actions.
- Participate in equipment upgrades, manufacturing technology improvements, and capital projects.
- Support equipment and facility planning required for future production growth.
- Support annual operating budgets, forecasts, and capital planning.
- Manage manufacturing operations with a strong focus on labor efficiency, productivity, material utilization, and cost control.
- Identify and execute opportunities to reduce manufacturing costs without compromising safety, quality, or customer requirements.
- Monitor overtime, staffing, scrap, rework, downtime, and other key cost drivers.
- Partner with the Roanoke Plant Manager to prioritize operational and capital investments.
Qualifications & Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business, or a related discipline strongly preferred.
- 7–10+ years of progressive manufacturing experience, including at least 5 years in manufacturing leadership.
- Demonstrated experience leading manufacturing operations in a complex, fast-paced industrial environment.
- Proven ability to lead and develop manufacturing supervisors, managers, and production teams.
- Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, continuous improvement, and operational excellence principles.
- Demonstrated success improving safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and manufacturing cost performance.
- Strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to identify root causes and implement sustainable corrective actions.
- Experience using manufacturing KPIs and operational data to drive decision‑making.
- Strong financial and business acumen with experience managing budgets and controlling manufacturing costs.
- Working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems and manufacturing planning processes.
- Strong communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills with the ability to work effectively across all levels of the organization.
- Ability to operate effectively in a hands‑on manufacturing environment with changing priorities and aggressive production requirements.
- Experience in transformer manufacturing, electrical equipment, engineered‑to‑order manufacturing, heavy industrial equipment, or complex electromechanical manufacturing is highly desirable.
- This is a full‑time, on‑site position in Troutville, Virginia.
- The Manufacturing Site Leader is expected to maintain a significant presence on the manufacturing floor.
- The position operates in a fast‑paced industrial manufacturing environment.
- Flexible hours may occasionally be required to support multiple shifts, production requirements, equipment issues, or other operational needs.
- Weekend or extended‑hour support may be required based on business and production demands.