VP of Operations: Manufacturing, Quality & Co-Manufacturing

Ready; Wexford (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 250,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Ready is seeking a Vice President, Operations to lead manufacturing performance across our co‑manufacturer network and to drive cost, quality and capacity improvements for both branded Ready products and private label offerings. You will oversee Production Planning, Quality & Regulatory, and Procurement, partnering with Sales, Finance, and Product Development to align operations with strategic growth.

This senior leader role requires extensive experience in food/beverage operations and a track

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in operations management (or related field) required; MBA a plus.
• 10–15 years of progressive operations experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Direct, hands-on manufacturing operations experience is required; procurement/logistics alone is not a fit.
• Experience managing third-party co-manufacturers in an asset-light model; branded and private label products desired.
• Proven track record of delivering measurable cost savings, efficiency gains, and margin improvement.
• Strong financial acumen including COGS management, budgeting, variance analysis, and cost inputs for pricing.
• Knowledge of FDA regulations, FSMA, and GFSI-recognized standards.
• Experience negotiating supplier and co-manufacturer agreements.
• Experience overseeing S&OP and production planning with ERP/data analytics.
• Strong executive presence; comfortable in a founder-led, fast-moving environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Production Planning, Quality & Regulatory, and Procurement Teams with clear goals and a culture of accountability.
• Develop and execute an operations strategy for both branded and private label lines.
• Partner with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Product Development to align operational capabilities with plans.
• Build and manage the annual operations plan and budget with regular performance reporting.
• Own the co-manufacturer network including onboarding, capacity, and daily production performance.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce waste, improve throughput, and increase efficiency.
• Oversee Quality & Regulatory to meet food safety and regulatory requirements across all products.
• Manage S&OP and inventory planning, balancing service levels and obsolescence risk.
• Travel to co-manufacturer and supplier sites as needed.

Skills

Operations leadership

Cost reduction

S&OP planning

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in operations management

MBA

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Ready is seeking a Vice President, Operations to lead manufacturing performance across our co‑manufacturer network and to drive cost, quality and capacity improvements for both branded Ready products and private label offerings. You will oversee Production Planning, Quality & Regulatory, and Procurement, partnering with Sales, Finance, and Product Development to align operations with strategic growth.

This senior leader role requires extensive experience in food/beverage operations and a track