Vice President Operations

Lean Focus; Fremont (OH); On-site; USD 250,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Lean Focus is seeking a Vice President of Operations to deliver end-to-end performance for a privately held industrial components manufacturer. The role will lead Supply Chain, Planning, Inventory and Manufacturing, ensuring on-time delivery and an outstanding customer experience across three sites: Fremont, OH; Detroit Metro; and Mexico.

This strategic role will build scalable infrastructure, champion Lean, drive continuous improvement, and partner with Design Engineering and Sales to optimize

Qualifications

• 15+ years in Operations Management across multiple functions (Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Planning)
• Experience leading operations across multiple facilities and engineered products
• Proven Lean tools deployment: VSM, KPI deployment, 6S, SMED, Standard Work, Kanban
• Global leadership experience, Mexico preferred
• Hands-on, data-driven, shop-floor presence with high integrity

Responsibilities

• Lead Supply Chain, Planning, Inventory, and Manufacturing functions with clear cross-functional processes and accountability
• Own safety, quality, cost, delivery, and customer satisfaction; standardize best-cost manufacturing across sites
• Reduce order-to-delivery lead time and improve on-time delivery and quality
• Implement production planning, sequencing, and scheduling to improve shop flow
• Embed Lean manufacturing across engineering, planning, quality, and procurement
• Establish standard work, visual management, and meaningful operational metrics
• Create integrated SIOP aligning forecasts, capacity, procurement and inventory
• Transform procurement into forecast-driven capability with disciplined planning and inventory
• Develop forecasting, inventory-turn, supplier performance, and delivery metrics
• Partner with Design Engineering to protect configure-to-order model
• Collaborate with Sales to establish gated quote-to-order process
• Build and scale Operations organization with leadership depth
• Develop infrastructure, facility, equipment, and workforce plans for growth

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Operations leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic planning

Data-driven decisions

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Operations

Lean/Six Sigma certification

Tools

ERP software

MRP/APS tools

Visual management

Job description

TRAVEL: 25 -30% between company sites, supply base and customers

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Vice President of Operations is responsible for the end-to-end operational performance of our client company, a privately held industrial components manufacturer, from the moment an order is received, through manufacturing, to final delivery of the product. They will lead, integrate, and develop Supply Chain, Planning, Inventory, and Manufacturing functions while driving efficiency and on-time delivery to ensure an outstanding customer experience. The VP of Operations will be responsible for building the scalable infrastructure needed to support significant growth and long-term enterprise value. This newly created position will be a key member of the senior leadership team reporting to the CEO and will have oversight for operations across 3 locations (Fremont, OH; Detroit Metro, and Mexico).

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Leading Machining and Assembly, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain and Purchasing, Production Planning, and Inventory Control and Delivery, with clear cross-functional processes, accountability, and communication
• Owning safety, quality, cost, delivery, and customer satisfaction; standardizing best-cost manufacturing location and make-versus-buy decisions
• Reducing order-to-delivery lead time and improving on-time delivery and quality by addressing long-lead procurement and cross-functional handoffs
• Implementing production planning, sequencing, and scheduling systems to improve shop flow and predictability
• Leading efforts to build a culture of Continuous Improvement and data-driven problem at all three sites by embedding Lean manufacturing principles across all disciplines, beyond the shop floor and into engineering, planning, quality, and procurement
• Establishing standard work, visual management, and meaningful operational metrics to drive accountability and ongoing improvement
• Creating an integrated SIOP process that aligns demand forecasts, production capacity, procurement strategies and inventory investments across all locations
• Transforming procurement from a reactive, order-by-order function into a forecast-driven capability; establishing disciplined production planning, inventory control, and a strategic inventory approach that compress delivery time while controlling working capital
• Developing meaningful forecasting, inventory-turn, supplier-performance, and delivery metrics that enable proactive management of supply chain risks, improve material availability, and support predictable operational performance
• Partnering with Design Engineering to protect and advance the configure-to-order model
• Collaborating with the VP of Sales to establish a gated quote-to-order process
• Building the Operations organization for scale, including developing and recruiting the next layer of functional leadership as the business grows
• Establishing the operational infrastructure, capacity, facility, equipment, and workforce plans required to support the growth trajectory of the business

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor Degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Business or related; advanced Degree and Lean/Six Sigma certifications beneficial
• Minimum 15 years’ experience in Operations Management across multiple functions (Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Planning, etc.)
• Experience with leading operations across multiple facilities, engineered products, and mixed model manufacturing environments. Deep experience in machining and assembly of industrial components.
• Proven experience utilizing and deploying Lean tools in manufacturing environments including Value Stream Mapping, KPI development, Strategy Deployment, 6S, Quick Changeover/SMED, Standard Work, FMEA, Problem Solving, Material Flow/Kanban, Visual Daily Management, 80/20, etc.
• Supply chain experience including procurement, planning, and inventory strategy
• Track record of building organizational structure, processes, and teams to support meaningful growth; experience operating in companies that have scaled, professionalized, and/or undergone ownership or organizational change
• Global leadership experience, Mexico preferred
• Leadership traits include a candidate who is hands-on, data-driven, present on the shop floor, and has high integrity

Lean Focus LLC is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or protected Veteran status.

COMPANY DESCRIPTION:

At Lean Focus, we help businesses overcome their biggest challenges by transforming them for the better, and for the long-term. A "who's who" of global leaders in every industry, our clients include some of the world's most respected brands and several members of the Fortune 1000.