Vice President, Operations Engineering & Enterprise Support

Confidential; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 205,000 - 325,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Annual incentive opportunities

Remote work eligibility

Job summary

A leading manufacturing firm seeks a Vice President of Operations Engineering to provide executive leadership for operational engineering strategy across a multi-site network. This role requires establishing engineering strategies, overseeing operational support, and leading a team of engineering leaders. The ideal candidate should possess a relevant engineering degree and have significant experience in manufacturing or industrial operations. The compensation range for the position is competitive, with an incentive of up to 35% based on performance and a significant travel requirement.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of senior leadership experience in manufacturing or industrial operations.
• Experience in supporting multi-site operations at a regional or enterprise level.
• Strong ability to influence outcomes within matrixed organizations.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead the enterprise operations engineering strategy.
• Provide executive oversight for operational engineering support.
• Lead a team of approximately 30 engineers across multiple sites.
• Drive operational consistency and risk mitigation throughout the network.
• Champion safety and reliability across all operational sites.

Skills

Leadership

Operational judgment

Strategic vision

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline

Advanced degree

Job description

Vice President, Operations Engineering & Enterprise Support

This role provides executive leadership for operational engineering strategy across a multi‑site manufacturing and recycling network. The Vice President is accountable for aligning technical execution, operational support, and plant performance with enterprise objectives, while serving as a trusted partner to senior operations leadership.

This position operates at the intersection of strategy and execution—setting direction, enabling plant leadership, and ensuring the organization’s engineering capabilities scale effectively, safely, and reliably.

Why This Role Is Critical

It serves as a cornerstone of enterprise operational performance, ensuring engineering expertise, operational support, and plant execution are fully aligned—enabling safe, reliable, and scalable operations while supporting long‑term business growth.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead the enterprise operations engineering strategy, ensuring alignment with manufacturing, recycling, and broader business objectives.
• Provide executive oversight for operational engineering support across multiple sites, serving as a senior advisor to Plant Managers and Operations Leaders.
• Lead and develop a team of ~10 direct‑report engineering leaders, with functional responsibility for approximately ~30 engineers embedded within operations.
• Maintain supervisory responsibility for the Plant Leadership / Recycling, ensuring recycling operations are fully integrated into the enterprise operating model.
• Drive operational consistency, risk mitigation, and technical governance across the network while supporting site‑level execution.
• Serve as the executive escalation point for complex operational challenges, equipment performance issues, and production risks.
• Guide capital planning and execution support in partnership with Operations, Engineering, and Finance leadership.
• Champion safety, reliability, and operational discipline as foundational expectations across all sites.
• Oversee operational support initiatives focused on production stability, asset utilization, and execution readiness (distinct from formal Continuous Improvement programs).
• Build strong, trust‑based relationships with plant leadership to reinforce accountability, collaboration, and performance expectations.
• Act as a visible executive leader across the network through regular site engagement.
• Remote Work: Role is eligible for remote work when not traveling.
• Travel Requirement: Approximately 50%, reflecting the enterprise scope and field‑facing nature of the role.
• Regular on‑site presence is critical to credibility, execution effectiveness, and leadership impact.

Qualifications & Executive Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical discipline required; advanced degree preferred.
• Senior leadership experience in manufacturing, industrial operations, or engineered environments.
• Demonstrated success leading leaders and influencing outcomes within matrixed organizations.
• Strong operational judgment with the ability to balance strategic vision and executional rigor.
• Experience supporting multi‑site operations at a regional or enterprise level strongly preferred.
• Six Sigma or similar methodologies are not required, but considered a value‑added capability.

Compensation & Incentives

• The standard compensation for this role is $205,000 - $325,000. Salary offers will be determined based on final candidate qualifications, experience, skillset, and other relevant factors.
• Target annual incentive opportunity of 35%, aligned to enterprise performance metrics.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, religion, creed, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.