Vice President, Operations

Marmon Holdings; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Fontaine Modification, part of Marmon Holdings, seeks a hands-on, strategic Vice President of Operations to lead nine sites. This executive will own production, procurement, continuous improvement, quality, warranty, and safety, building scalable operating discipline to deliver high-quality vehicles on time at competitive costs.

The ideal candidate brings deep multi-site manufacturing leadership and direct experience in vehicle or heavy equipment manufacturing within a low-volume, high-mix

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive manufacturing operations leadership, including 5 to 7 years in a senior leadership role such as Vice President of Manufacturing or Director of Operations.
• Proven responsibility for multiple manufacturing facilities and the ability to create consistent operating standards while responding to site-specific needs.
• Direct experience in vehicle manufacturing or specialty vehicle manufacturing, particularly in a low-volume, high-mix production environment.
• Demonstrated success leading production, procurement or supply chain, continuous improvement, quality, warranty, and safety functions.
• Proven record of implementing lean manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma, or related continuous improvement methods and converting them into measurable operating results.

Responsibilities

• Set and execute the operating strategy for nine sites, aligning production, procurement, continuous improvement, quality, warranty, and safety with company growth and customer commitments.
• Lead capacity planning, production scheduling, labor deployment, flow, dwell-time reduction, and on-time delivery across all facilities.
• Develop sourcing and procurement strategies, strengthen supplier performance, negotiate key agreements, optimize inventory and logistics, and mitigate supply continuity risks.
• Evolve and scale a practical operating system grounded in 80/20 business philosophy, lean manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma, standard work, visual management, and disciplined problem solving.
• Champion a culture of quality; strengthen quality systems, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, regulatory compliance, customer specifications, and the feedback loop from warranty to operations and engineering.
• Create an uncompromising safety culture, establish consistent expectations across sites, and ensure compliance with applicable safety requirements.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing operations organization. Build accountability, succession depth, training discipline, employee engagement, and strong floor-level communication.
• Own operating budgets and forecasts, improve cost performance, and use scorecards and KPIs to drive execution, transparency, and fact-based decisions.
• Evaluate manufacturing technology, systems, and automation that improve capability, productivity, quality, and responsiveness in a high-mix environment.
• Serve as a key member of the senior leadership team, contribute to enterprise strategy, and provide clear, regular reporting to the President.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Multi-site operations

Manufacturing operations

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Kaizen

Procurement & supply chain

Quality management

Safety management

Budgeting & KPIs

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field

MBA or advanced degree

Job description

Fontaine Modification Company

As a part of the global industrial organization Marmon Holdings-which is backed by Berkshire Hathaway- you'll be doing things that matter, leading at every level, and winning a better way. We're committed to making a positive impact on the world, providing you with diverse learning and working opportunities, and fostering a culture where everyone's empowered to be their best.

The Company's second in command, provided the person's span of responsibility is as broad or almost as broad, on a day-to-day basis, as that of the Company President and that he/she has line rather than staff or advisory responsibility.

About Fontaine Modification

Fontaine Modification designs and manufactures innovative solutions for truck manufacturers, dealers, and commercial truck users worldwide. We fill the space between what OEM truck chassis builders can produce in their plants and what the market requires across fleet and vocational applications. For more than forty years, our commitment to integrity, customer responsiveness, quality, and superior workmanship has helped make Fontaine Modification a recognized industry leader.

The Opportunity

Fontaine Modification is seeking a hands-on, strategic Vice President of Operations to lead operational performance across nine sites. This executive will have enterprise responsibility for production, procurement, continuous improvement, quality, warranty, and safety. The role will build scalable operating discipline, strengthen accountability, improve customer outcomes, and ensure the organization delivers safe, high-quality modified vehicles on time and at a competitive cost. The ideal candidate brings deep multi-site manufacturing leadership and direct experience in vehicle, specialty vehicle, heavy equipment, or similarly complex custom manufacturing. Success in a low-volume, high-mix environment is essential.

What You Will Lead

• Enterprise Operations: Set and execute the operating strategy for nine sites, aligning production, procurement, continuous improvement, quality, warranty, and safety with company growth and customer commitments.
• Production Performance: Lead capacity planning, production scheduling, labor deployment, flow, dwell-time reduction, and on-time delivery across all facilities.
• Procurement and Supply Chain: Develop sourcing and procurement strategies, strengthen supplier performance, negotiate key agreements, optimize inventory and logistics, and mitigate supply continuity risks.
• Continuous Improvement: Evolve and scale a practical operating system grounded in 80/20 business philosophy, lean manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma, standard work, visual management, and disciplined problem solving.
• Quality and Warranty: Champion a culture of quality; strengthen quality systems, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, regulatory compliance, customer specifications, and the feedback loop from warranty to operations and engineering.
• Safety: Create an uncompromising safety culture, establish consistent expectations across sites, and ensure compliance with applicable safety requirements.
• People and Culture: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing operations organization. Build accountability, succession depth, training discipline, employee engagement, and strong floor-level communication.
• Financial and KPI Management: Own operating budgets and forecasts, improve cost performance, and use scorecards and KPIs to drive execution, transparency, and fact-based decisions.
• Technology and Innovation: Evaluate manufacturing technology, systems, and automation that improve capability, productivity, quality, and responsiveness in a high-mix environment.
• Executive Leadership: Serve as a key member of the senior leadership team, contribute to enterprise strategy, and provide clear, regular reporting to the President.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive manufacturing operations leadership, including 5 to 7 years in a senior leadership role such as Vice President of Manufacturing or Director of Operations.
• Proven responsibility for multiple manufacturing facilities and the ability to create consistent operating standards while responding to site-specific needs.
• Direct experience in vehicle manufacturing or specialty vehicle manufacturing, particularly in a low-volume, high-mix production environment. Relevant automotive, heavy equipment, or complex custom manufacturing experience may also be considered.
• Demonstrated success leading production, procurement or supply chain, continuous improvement, quality, warranty, and safety functions.
• Proven record of implementing lean manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma, or related continuous improvement methods and converting them into measurable operating results.
• Strong knowledge of procurement, supplier management, logistics, inventory control, quality management systems, ro