President

Purple Squirrel Advisors L.L.C.; Town of Baldwin (WI); On-site; USD 250,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

Purple Squirrel Advisors L.L.C. is seeking a President to lead a hands-on manufacturing organization in Baldwin, WI. You will own the P&L, guide the executive team, and drive profitable growth while maintaining strong customer relationships and operational discipline.

The role requires on-site leadership five days a week, collaboration across functions, and a focus on margin, cash flow, and long-term enterprise value. You will shape culture, accountability, and execution across the business.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in business, engineering, operations, finance or related field
• Progressive leadership experience in industrial manufacturing
• Proven P&L ownership experience at executive level
• Experience in RFQs, quoting, capacity decisions & launches
• Strong financial acumen and operating metrics knowledge
• Experience with manufacturing ERP systems; DELMIA IQMS preferred

Responsibilities

• Own the business: lead P&L, annual planning, budgeting, forecasting and capital allocation
• Drive profitable growth by building a high-quality pipeline and scalable programs
• Lead customer relationships and negotiations with major customers
• Improve commercial execution by aligning BD, engineering, operations and finance
• Oversee manufacturing performance: safety, reliability, quality, delivery, inventory and working capital
• Build and empower a cohesive leadership team with clear accountability
• Develop people and culture; foster ownership and problem-solving
• Use data to guide decisions with KPIs across sales, quoting, operations and finance
• Leverage DELMIA IQMS and related tools to improve information and decision-making
• Represent the company to customers, lenders, investors and partners

Skills

Strategic leadership

P&L ownership

Cross-functional leadership

Industrial manufacturing

RFQs & quoting

ERP systems (IQMS)

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/engineering/related field

Advanced degree a plus

Tools

DELMIA IQMS

Job description

Our client is seeking a President to assume full leadership of the business and translate a strong manufacturing platform into sustained, profitable growth. Reporting to the Managing Member and Lead Investor, the President will own the P&L, lead the executive team, drive commercial execution, and serve as the primary on-site leader across all functions, including business development, engineering, operations, quality, finance, administration, and human resources.

This is a meaningful opportunity for a hands-on manufacturing executive who enjoys building and can balance commercial instinct with operational discipline. Our client has a capable team, strong customer relationships, and established systems, while offering significant opportunity for continued growth.

The successful candidate will be highly visible throughout the business and present on site five days per week. This leader will be equally comfortable leading an important customer meeting, working through quoting and capacity constraints with the team, and evaluating decisions through the lens of margin, cash flow, and long-term enterprise value. The President will strengthen collaboration, empower functional leaders, maintain clear accountability, and build a culture in which employees raise issues, solve problems, and follow through.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Own the business: Assume full P&L responsibility and lead annual planning, budgeting, forecasting, performance management, cash-flow discipline, and capital allocation.
• Drive profitable growth: Partner with the business development team to build a high-quality pipeline, identify strategic customer pain points, gain access to meaningful RFQs, and win scalable, high-volume programs.
• Lead customer relationships: Develop trusted relationships with major customers and prospects, participate in key visits and negotiations, and ensure Vital responds with speed, credibility, and technical depth.
• Improve commercial execution: Connect business development, engineering, operations, and finance so quotations are timely, accurate, competitive, and executable.
• Lead manufacturing performance: Ensure safe, reliable, efficient operations with strong quality, delivery, labor, scrap, uptime, inventory, and working-capital performance.
• Build a cohesive leadership team: Set clear priorities, create an effective meeting cadence, strengthen communication across functions, resolve conflict, and hold leaders accountable for results.
• Develop people and culture: Coach emerging leaders, clarify decision rights, encourage constructive debate, and create an environment where employees take ownership and solve problems.
• Use data to guide decisions: Strengthen KPIs and management visibility across sales performance, quoting, plant operations, quality, financial performance, and customer service.
• Leverage systems: Increase the organization's effective use of DELMIA IQMS and related tools to improve information, workflow, and decision-making.
• Represent the company: Serve as the senior leader with customers, lenders, investors, community partners, and other external stakeholders.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, operations, finance, or a related field; an advanced degree is a plus.
• Ten or more years of progressive leadership experience in industrial manufacturing, including significant responsibility for cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated P&L ownership in a President, General Manager, business‑unit leadership, Vice President of Operations, or comparable executive role.
• A record of delivering profitable organic growth, developing strategic customer relationships, and improving commercial execution.
• Strong manufacturing and operational experience. Plastic injection molding, high‑volume automated manufacturing, engineered components, or a closely related industry is strongly preferred.
• Experience with RFQs, quoting, capacity decisions, customer transitions, and new‑program launches.
• Demonstrated ability to build an effective leadership team, strengthen accountability, and lead organizational change in an entrepreneurial or lower‑middle‑market company.
• Strong financial acumen and comfort with budgets, forecasts, margins, working capital, capital expenditures, and operating metrics.
• Experience with manufacturing ERP systems is required. DELMIA IQMS experience is strongly preferred.
• Ability to work on site five days per week in Baldwin, Wisconsin, with travel as needed for customers, prospects, and partners.