VP, Global Manufacturing & Operations

Job Description:

Position Overview

The Vice President, Global Manufacturing & Operations is responsible for leading ESAB’s global manufacturing and operations network and advancing the company’s vision. This role drives the transformation of manufacturing operations through automation, digital enablement, lean practices, footprint optimization, and organizational capability building. Working across the enterprise including future acquisitions, the role ensures alignment between global standards and regional execution to create a scalable, resilient, and growth-oriented operating model that supports business performance and long-term value creation.

The ideal leader is a strategic architect who transforms operations into a sustainable competitive advantage, leveraging technology, process excellence, and talent development to deliver world-class performance. This individual champions continuous improvement, integrates capabilities across global and regional teams, and builds the organizational strength needed to support future growth.

• Develop and execute global manufacturing, automation, and operations strategy across all regions and product lines to improve manufacturing productivity, operational efficiency, and conversion costs across ESAB’s global manufacturing network, ensuring sustainable performance improvements and cost competitiveness.
• Provide strategic direction and executive leadership for the Supply Chain, Sourcing, Quality, and Manufacturing organizations through a team of functional leaders, driving operational excellence, business performance, productivity, quality, and long-term growth.
• Build and sustain a world-class ESAB Operating System grounded in lean principles, standard work, continuous improvement, and operational discipline, driving excellence in safety, quality, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and on-time delivery while fostering a culture of operational excellence.
• Lead Industry 4.0 deployment including robotics, AI-enabled planning, predictive maintenance, and smart factory technologies.
• Optimize footprint, utilization, capacity allocation, and manufacturing resilience while supporting future growth markets.
• Build enterprise-wide operational capability through global Centers of Excellence, communities of practice, leadership development, technical expertise enhancement, and robust succession planning across engineering, quality, automation, maintenance, and supply chain.
• Partner with Commercial and Product Management to support business growth, accelerate new product introductions, improve manufacturing readiness, and strengthen market competitiveness.
• Lead operational integration and synergy capture from acquisitions and other initiatives.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, collaboration, and talent development, ensuring the organization has the leadership bench strength required to execute long-term business strategy.
• Drive accountability for operational performance by monitoring and improving key metrics related to productivity, conversion cost, safety, quality, delivery, asset utilization, and workforce effectiveness, implementing corrective actions as necessary to achieve business objectives.

• 20+ years of progressive manufacturing and operations leadership. Proven experience leading global industrial operations and large-scale transformations. Deep expertise in automation, lean manufacturing, operational excellence, and footprint optimization. Strong track record integrating acquisitions and building high-performing global teams.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution and change leadership.
• Key Leadership Attributes:
  • Strategic Builder:
    Translate operational excellence into a source of competitive advantage, aligning manufacturing and operations strategy with business objectives.
  • Automation & Digital Transformation Leader:
    Accelerate the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies, automation, and digital tools to improve productivity, quality, and agility.
  • Lean Transformation Champion:
    Embed lean principles and a continuous improvement mindset throughout the organization to drive operational excellence and sustainable results.
  • Global Integrator:
    Connect local, regional, and global capabilities, ensuring consistency, collaboration, and effective execution across the manufacturing network.
  • Talent Developer:
    Build strong leadership pipelines and organizational capability, fostering a culture of accountability, development, and long-term success.

Pay Range: $-$

ESAB is a world leader in the production of welding and cutting equipment and consumables. Our innovative, world-renowned equipment and solutions are developed with input from our customers and built with the expertise and heritage of a global manufacturing leader.