Vice President of Operations

Our client is a long-established, privately owned, Midwest-based low-volume high-variation designer and manufacturer known for combining engineering rigor, ergonomic design, and durable materials to deliver safe, comfortable, and aesthetically compelling interiors for transportation OEMs. Teams work in a performance-oriented yet supportive environment where continuous improvement, product quality, and on-time delivery are central to decision-making and success measurement. The company is currently undergoing a comprehensive operational and financial transformation focused on restoring performance, driving consistent execution, and positioning the organization for sustainable growth and increased enterprise value.

The Vice President of Operations will serve as the CEO’s right-hand, leading day-to-day manufacturing operations and driving shop-floor performance. The VP is responsible for achieving sustainable profitability by driving operational efficiency, improving performance through standardized processes, strengthening leadership capabilities, and cultivating a positive, high-performing culture. In partnership with the leadership team, they will execute strategies that optimize performance and position the company for continued success.

The ideal candidate must have experience leading the successful turnaround of underperforming manufacturing operations.

This position reports to the CEO and has seven (7) direct reports.

The VP will plan, direct, coordinate, and manage day-to-day operations, ensuring the development and implementation of plans and activities to meet the company’s current and future needs. The ideal candidate will have an entrepreneurial spirit and be a hard-working, hands-on leader with a talent for seeing opportunities and pursuing them. They will excel at developing relationships with other leaders, direct reports, suppliers, and customers.

They will be instrumental in the company’s success by championing thoughtful transformation that advances performance and strengthens the company’s culture and people.

The ideal candidate is a blue-collar executive and a dynamic communicator, equally adept at motivating shop-floor teams and influencing board-level decisions. They have successfully led operational turnarounds in environments with scarce resources, demonstrating ingenuity, resilience, and a relentless focus on results. This leader thrives in ambiguity, inspires confidence at all levels, and brings a proven ability to drive sustainable change from the ground up.

This leader must be knowledgeable in custom-order, high-mix manufacturing and turnaround environments and have expertise in optimizing manufacturing processes focused on increasing throughput and output on the production floor.

Leadership:

• Set clear expectations, design practical processes and procedures that ensure accountability, and manage end-to-end manufacturing operations with a focus on production planning and execution.
• Demonstrate exceptional executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to translate operational realities into strategic insights for senior leadership, ownership, and board members.
• Passionate about coaching and training the operations team. Practical and effective at setting, evaluating, and inspiring individual and team goals that develop people and promote a positive “get-it-done” culture.
• Foster and promote a culture of continuous improvement (plan, do, check, adjust). A resourceful, figure-it-out mentality with a track record of creating successful operations without the resources of a large entity.
• Demonstrated ability to lead successful turnarounds in resource-constrained environments, leveraging creativity, lean principles, and cross-functional collaboration to drive measurable improvements in performance, culture, and profitability.
• Develop, monitor, and analyze key operational metrics to ensure production efficiency and quality. Keep teams accountable for KPIs, including preparation and presentation of operational and financial updates to leadership and ownership groups.
• Manage the development of both short- and long-term objectives and…