VP of Manufacturing Operations

Washington Mills, 20 N Main St, North Grafton, Massachusetts, United States of America

Posted Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 4:00 AM

VP of Manufacturing Operations:
Multi-Site

Position type:
Full-Time, Salaried

Location:

North Grafton, MA

Ask Yourself This…

Are you passionate about operations management, material science, particle engineering, metallurgy, mechanical engineering or other aspects related to heavy industry or continual process flow manufacturing? Have you performed as a plant manager, and have you led multi-site operations or are you ready for the challenge? Do you practice safety excellence, continuous improvement, lead by example, have or seek multi-site management experience?

Are you relentless on follow-up, and do you have a proven track record of excellent leadership skills? Are you interested in working for a high-integrity family manufacturing business, have you been in the C‑suite and are you driven for success? If this sounds like you, we’re looking for a skilled VP of Manufacturing Operations to lead on‑site in Grafton, MA.

Who We Are

Washington Mills is built on values that matter. Founded more than 150 years ago, we have earned our reputation as one of the world’s most trusted and reliable producers of abrasive, ceramic and refractory materials. Offering a broad selection of abrasive grains, powders and specialty minerals in the market today, Washington Mills has a long history of excellence servicing our customers.

Washington Mills’ products are well known and respected for their quality and consistency of performance and we continually pursue growth in our products, our approach, and our people. Washington Mills is a leader in its industry, and we got there by following our family business values, treating our employees, customers, suppliers and the environment around us with respect. We are a community of hands‑on problem solvers and innovators, committed to manufacturing and shaping the material applications of the future.

With manufacturing sites located throughout North America and Europe, Washington Mills opens the door to a world of opportunity, creativity and challenge for the next generation of manufacturing leaders. If your passion and experience lie in materials and operational excellence in manufacturing – and you’re ready and experienced for the responsibilities of the C‑Suite – this job is for you.

What You’ll Do

This position reports to the President, is a member of the senior management team, and manages the operations of 3 manufacturing plants located in Grafton, MA, NY, and WI. The position will be based out of the Grafton, MA plant with regular travel to other sites. The work requires an active hands‑on manager that will learn and manage the intricacies of the people, plants, products, processes and core technologies.

The focus of the work will be centered around taking and managing actions that drive a safety culture, innovate products and processes, develop talent, control costs and maintain a steady and consistent manufacturing operation driven to KPI’s and customer satisfaction. Key job responsibilities include:

• Drive a lead with safety culture by working closely with the plant EHS managers
• Closely manage and control operating costs at each plant
• Work closely with cross‑functional teams of Finance, HR, Sales, Purchasing to delight our customers through delivering manufacturing excellence
• Manage plant managers and work closely with them to maximize yields, improve throughput, reduce downtime, uphold quality and keep the operations running smoothly
• Evaluate and prioritize capital expenditure needs or opportunities at each plant, including analysis of returns and payback period. Work with finance to create a capex budget and justification for projects
• Work closely with plant accountants to analyze monthly P&L results at each plant
• Oversee personnel issues at the plants. Interview and hire employees, oversee manpower levels, work schedules and overtime. Work with plant managers and HR Director on succession planning
• Scope, plan, and execute new manufacturing engineering projects with the team and manage them to ensure timely completion within budget
• Cre…