Vice President of Operations

JR Automation Technologies - Holland, MI

Full-time - Senior

Holland, MI

1,001-5,000 employees

Machinery Manufacturing

About the position

JR Automation is seeking a seasoned leader, coach, and mentor to join our team as the Vice President of Operations. This position is based in Holland, MI. In this role, you will be leading a divisional team, providing direction and management across various disciplines such as Project Management, Engineering, and Operations. You will be reporting directly to the Chief Operation Officer and will play a crucial role in supporting the continued growth of our Holland West division. We are excited to welcome a leader who can bring their expertise and drive to our team. As a key member of the management team, you will set the company's strategic direction and formulate both long and short-range plans, policies, programs, and objectives. You will develop strategic planning for the direction and control of manufacturing, product development, and technical support activities. Your role will involve formulating long-term objectives and standards of performance for the business unit, ensuring that it achieves objectives and project completion within budget and time frame. You will be a student of current industry trends, ensuring that the company maintains and expands its technology leadership position. Your focus will be on ensuring that product development and technical support meet and exceed customer requirements and expectations. Additionally, you will develop plans and procedures for maintaining high standards of manufacturing operations, ensuring products conform to established customer and company quality standards. In this position, you will prepare the annual budget for manufacturing and engineering, including capital expenditures, and manage overhead, variable, and direct labor costs to meet or exceed annual budgetary and prior year expenses. You will also manage forecasts to ensure proper workforce and available floor space, aggressively leading Operations to identify, recommend, specify, and implement changes to improve productivity and reduce cost and scrap. Furthermore, you will implement and manage our software solution for issue tracking, workflow, customer support, complaint management, and help desk, while working with direct reports to create a "preferred place to work" culture. Your leadership will drive quality performance, efficiency, and waste reduction through Lean Manufacturing principles.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key member of the management team that sets the company's strategic direction and formulates both long and short-range plans, policies, programs, and objectives.
• Develop strategic planning for the direction and control of manufacturing, product development and technical support activities.
• Formulate long-term objectives and standards of performance for the business unit and assure that it achieves objectives and project completion within budget and time frame.
• Be a student of current industry trends, ensuring that the company maintains and expands its technology leadership position.
• Ensure that product development and technical support are focused on meeting and exceeding the customer requirements and expectations.
• Develop plans and procedures for maintaining high standards of manufacturing operations, ensuring products conform to established customer and company quality standards.
• Prepare the annual budget for manufacturing and engineering, including capital expenditures.
• Manage overhead, variable, and direct labor costs to meet or exceed annual budgetary and prior year expenses.
• Manage to forecast to ensure proper workforce and available floor space.
• Aggressively lead Operations to identify, recommend, specify, and implement changes to improve productivity and reduce cost and scrap.
• Implement and manage our software solution for issue tracking, workflow, customer support, complaint management and help desk.
• Work with direct reports to create a 'preferred place to work' culture.
• Drive quality performance, efficiency, and waste reduction through Lean Manufacturing principles.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, operations, business or related field
• Minimum of 10 years of engineering and manufacturing process experience, with at least 3 years in a management position.
• 5 years' recent experience in the custom automation solutions industry.
• Project based financial experience.
• Demonstrated team building and leadership skills.
• Working knowledge and experience in key operations best practices techniques including lean, Six Sigma, TQM, self-directed teams, Kaizen, etc.
• 'Out of the box thinker' must be key driver contributing to the products roadmap and willing to take innovative product risk while balancing the road map for on time deliverables.
• Manage diverse, simultaneous projects of varying complexities.
• Strong relationship management, strategy development, project management, problem solving and change management skills.