Vice President of Engineering

Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom; Addison (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom is seeking an experienced VP of Engineering & Operations to lead the engineering and execution of high-mix, custom power distribution equipment projects in Addison, IL. You will own the full lifecycle from customer requirements and design through manufacturing, assembly, and delivery.

The role requires 10+ years in engineering or operations leadership, a strong track record in Lean, project management, and building capable teams.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of engineering, manufacturing, or operations leadership experience.
• Experience in high-mix, low-volume, custom or ETO manufacturing.
• Strong project/program management overseeing complex design-to-delivery.
• Proven experience developing engineering and manufacturing teams.
• Lean methodologies, KPIs, and operational procedures implementation.
• Excellent organizational, leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Switchgear, power distribution equipment or related electrical equipment manufacturing experience desired.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day engineering, manufacturing, assembly, and deployment operations.
• Oversee the complete ETO project lifecycle, from customer requirements to delivery.
• Lead engineering and project/program management teams for multiple custom projects.
• Establish disciplined processes for engineering changes, documentation, schedules, and customer communication.
• Ensure engineering, manufacturing, project management, and operations teams remain aligned on quality, cost, schedule, and customer commitments.
• Drive Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to improve efficiency, throughput, quality, and on-time delivery.
• Develop KPIs, workflows, procedures, and accountability measures that support continued business growth.
• Build a strong culture of collaboration, organization, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement scalable solutions across engineering and manufacturing.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Lean manufacturing

KPIs

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline

Job description

Our client is seeking an experienced VP of Engineering & Operations to lead engineering and operational execution within a fast-paced, high-mix, custom engineered-to-order (ETO) power distribution equipment manufacturing environment. This leader will oversee the full project lifecycle—from customer requirements and engineering/design through manufacturing, assembly, delivery, and project completion.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead day-to-day engineering, manufacturing, assembly, and deployment operations.
• Oversee the complete ETO project lifecycle, including customer requirements, bidding/proposals, engineering/design, drawings, manufacturing support, delivery, and project completion.
• Lead engineering and project/program management teams responsible for multiple custom projects simultaneously.
• Establish disciplined processes for engineering changes, change orders, documentation, schedules, and customer communication.
• Ensure engineering, manufacturing, project management, and operations teams remain aligned on quality, cost, schedule, and customer commitments.
• Drive Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to improve efficiency, throughput, quality, and on-time delivery.
• Develop KPIs, workflows, procedures, and accountability measures that support continued business growth.
• Build a strong culture of collaboration, organization, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement scalable solutions across engineering and manufacturing.

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of engineering, manufacturing, or operations leadership experience.
• Experience within a high-mix, low-volume, custom or engineered-to-order manufacturing environment.
• Strong project/program management experience overseeing complex projects from design through delivery.
• Proven experience managing and developing engineering and manufacturing teams.
• Strong background implementing process improvements, Lean methodologies, KPIs, and operational procedures.
• Excellent organizational, leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Switchgear, power distribution equipment, generator, or related electrical equipment manufacturing experience highly desired.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline preferred.

Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates.