Manufacturing Strategic Capacity Planner

Vertiv; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Vertiv in Missouri seeks a Manufacturing Strategy & Operations Lead to drive global footprint optimization, capacity planning, and capital investment alignment with long-term growth.

You will partner with Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance to model capacity, justify investments, and implement scalable manufacturing processes across regions and product lines.

Strong leadership and data-driven decision-making are essential to improve throughput and enable digital factory initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering or related field.
• 7–10 years in manufacturing operations or plant leadership.
• Experience with footprint optimization and CAPEX planning.
• Lean Six Sigma or continuous improvement background.
• Strong communication and ability to influence senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and recommend footprint strategies considering cost, geopolitical risk, technology enablement, supply chain resiliency and proximity.
• Identify demand signals, determine capacity constraints, and drive cross-functional collaboration to solve capacity gaps.
• Lead capital expenditure planning and justification for manufacturing investments and facility expansions.
• Conduct capacity modeling, scenario planning, and throughput analysis for multiple product lines.
• Promote scalable manufacturing processes and digital factory principles across sites.
• Partner with regional teams to align with growth forecasts and demand variability.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Capacity planning

Financial modeling

Data-driven decisions

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering or related field

7–10 years in manufacturing operations / plant leadership

Tools

Simio

MES

Digital twins

Job description

Job Description

Manufacturing Strategy & Operations Lead

We are seeking a highly skilled candidate with deep expertise in manufacturing operations, industrial engineering, and capacity planning. This individual will support the development and execution of global manufacturing strategies — including footprint optimization and capital investment planning — to ensure scalable, cost-effective operations that align with long-term business growth at an expanding F500 company.

Job Description

Manufacturing Strategy & Operations Lead

We are seeking a highly skilled candidate with deep expertise in manufacturing operations, industrial engineering, and capacity planning. This individual will support the development and execution of global manufacturing strategies — including footprint optimization and capital investment planning — to ensure scalable, cost-effective operations that align with long-term business growth at an expanding F500 company.

The ideal candidate brings hands-on manufacturing leadership experience, a global mindset, cross-functional collaboration skills, and proven experience working across multiple product lines, facilities, and regions.

Responsibilities

Manufacturing Strategy & Global Footprint Optimization

• Evaluate and recommend manufacturing footprint strategies considering factors such as cost, geopolitical risk, technology enablement, supply chain resiliency, and customer proximity.
• Identify demand signals, determine capacity constraints, and drive cross-functional collaboration to solve for any capacity gaps.
• Support make-vs-buy and vertical integration analyses aligned with product and process needs.

Capacity Planning & CAPEX Management

• Conduct in-depth capacity modeling, scenario planning, and throughput analysis for multiple product lines.
• Lead capital expenditure planning and justification for manufacturing investments, equipment, and facility expansions.
• Identify and implement solutions to optimize plant loading, equipment utilization, and capital deployment.
• Partner with regional and plant teams to ensure alignment with growth forecasts and demand variability.

Scalability & Industrial Engineering

• Apply industrial engineering principles to drive efficiency, throughput, and continuous improvement across manufacturing sites.
• Conduct manufacturing research to evaluate emerging technologies, processes, and production methodologies.
• Promote scalable manufacturing processes, modular BoP strategies, and digital factory principles.
• Support new product introduction by integrating design for manufacturability principles and capacity readiness into early planning.

Cross-Functional & Global Collaboration

• Collaborate with Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance to ensure cross-functional alignment on strategic manufacturing decisions.
• Own stakeholder management to the executive level, presenting to senior leadership on a regular basis.
• Support product transfers and ramp-ups across regions, ensuring minimal disruption and operational continuity.

Data-Driven Decision Making

• Leverage manufacturing and business intelligence data (e.g., MES, ERP, capacity tools) to drive strategic planning.
• Develop and maintain models for manufacturing cost, utilization, and capacity scenario analysis.

A Strong Candidate Will Bring

• Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering / Technology, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, or equivalent experience
• 7–10 years of experience in manufacturing operations, industrial engineering, or plant leadership
• Knowledge of global supply chain dynamics, geopolitical influences, and total landed cost analysis
• Strong communication, leadership, and project management skills; able to influence at all levels
• Lean Six Sigma or continuous improvement background
• Experience managing manufacturing footprint requirements and facility planning
• Strong CAPEX planning and justification experience
• Strong analytical skills, including financial modeling and use of simulation or capacity planning software (e.g., Simio or equivalent)
• Experience with digital manufacturing tools (e.g., MES, digital twins) is a plus.
• Prior experience in plant management, production management, or multi-shift operations leadership preferred

TRAVEL REQUIREMENT

10%