Our client is a manufacturer of industrial equipment in search of a Vice President of Operations. The Vice President of Operations is an executive leader responsible for full oversight of manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, quality, safety, and facilities within a heavy industrial, engineered-to-order environment serving the energy and oil & gas sectors. This role holds end-to-end accountability for operational strategy, plant performance, scalability, and profitability. The position requires a hands-on leader capable of driving Lean transformation while aligning production, procurement, and engineering execution with long-term growth objectives. The VP of Operations will oversee a large-scale fabrication footprint and ensure optimized asset utilization, production throughput, and on-time delivery of mission-critical infrastructure projects.
This executive will lead continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), and Total Quality Management (TQM) methodologies to improve operational efficiency, OEE, cost control, and margin expansion. The role includes ownership of Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), capacity planning, workforce optimization, and production scheduling in a complex fabrication and industrial assembly environment. The VP will ensure strict adherence to ASME, API, ISO, OSHA, and related regulatory standards, maintaining a robust Quality Management System (QMS) and safety-first culture. Oversight of strategic sourcing, vendor management, inventory optimization, ERP/MRP systems, and working capital management is required to strengthen supply chain resilience and cost performance. Full P&L responsibility, multi-million-dollar budget management, capital expenditure (CapEx) planning, and financial forecasting are core components of the position.
Candidates must have a minimum of 10-15 years of progressive leadership experience in heavy industrial manufacturing, oil & gas equipment, energy infrastructure, or complex engineered systems fabrication, including executive-level operational leadership with direct P&L accountability. Demonstrated success implementing Lean and continuous improvement frameworks in large-scale structural steel fabrication, sheet metal manufacturing, industrial equipment assembly, or electrical integration environments is required. Strong technical knowledge of fabrication processes, regulatory compliance standards (ASME, API, ISO, OSHA), and ERP/MRP-driven production environments is essential. Experience leading manufacturing operations exceeding 100,000 square feet, managing large cross-functional teams, and executing capital investment strategies is mandatory. A bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or Business Administration is required. Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, PMP, or APICS CPIM/CSCP certifications are strongly preferred.