Our client is a market-leading industrial manufacturer seeking a Vice President of Operations to lead one of its largest and most strategically important operating divisions.
This executive leadership role oversees two manufacturing facilities totaling just shy of 400 employees. Operating within a complex, low-volume/high-mix manufacturing environment, this individual will be responsible for driving operational performance, developing leaders, and partnering with executive leadership to support continued growth.
This is a succession opportunity created by an internal promotion and offers the chance to step into a well-performing operation with significant visibility across the organization.
Responsibilities
Provide strategic and operational leadership across two manufacturing facilities.
Lead manufacturing, production, quality, safety, maintenance, scheduling, logistics, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Develop and coach an experienced operations leadership team while fostering a culture of accountability and execution.
Drive operational, financial, and customer performance through KPI management and process improvement.
Partner with executive leadership on strategic initiatives, capital planning, and long-term operational growth.
Maintain a highly visible leadership presence across both facilities.
Qualifications
10+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including senior operations leadership.
Experience leading large, complex manufacturing operations, preferably across multiple facilities.
Proven success driving operational performance, continuous improvement, and leadership development.
Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, capital investments, and operational metrics.
Experience in low-volume/high-mix or other complex manufacturing environments is strongly preferred.
Bachelor’s degree required; engineering or business-related degree preferred
We’re partnering with Harley-Davidson, an iconic, globally recognized consumer brand with deep heritage and one of the most emotionally connected customer bases in its category. The business operates through a dealer-driven model, requiring tight alignment between national marketing strategy and local execution.
The company is currently evolving its marketing approach, moving from a historically performance-heavy model to a more integrated, full-funnel strategy that better connects brand storytelling with measurable business outcomes.
The Opportunity
This is a critical role in modernizing how media drives growth.
Today, media has been heavily focused on lower-funnel performance metrics. The opportunity is to build a more balanced, full-funnel media strategy, one that supports brand building while still delivering measurable results at the dealer level.
You will play a central role in connecting national campaigns to local impact, while helping the organization think differently about measurement, attribution, and media effectiveness.
What You’ll Do
Lead the development and execution of a full-funnel media strategy across digital, social, search, programmatic, and video
Manage and optimize a significant media investment, ensuring both efficiency and impact
Translate brand and product priorities into clear, actionable media plans
Connect national media efforts to dealer-level outcomes and performance
Evolve attribution and measurement approaches to better capture long-term and full-journey impact
Partner closely with brand, creative, retail, and analytics teams to deliver integrated campaigns
Lead external agency partners and ensure strong strategic and executional alignment
What Success Looks Like
Media strategy evolves from primarily lower-funnel to true full-funnel orchestration
Improved ability to connect media investment to both brand and business outcomes
Stronger alignment between national campaigns and dealer-level performance
More sophisticated use of data, testing, and measurement
Cross-functional teams operate in a more integrated and collaborative way
Media becomes a strategic driver of growth, not just a support function
Ideal Background
10–15+ years of experience in paid media, performance marketing, or integrated media strategy
Experience managing large-scale media budgets
Deep expertise across modern media channels and platforms
Strong understanding of full-funnel strategy and attribution models
Experience working within complex or distributed business models (dealer, retail, franchise, etc.)
Background in either in-house brand environments or leading agencies
Who Thrives Here
Strategic thinkers who are also hands-on problem solvers
Individuals comfortable navigating ambiguity and change
Leaders who collaborate effectively across teams and functions
People who balance data-driven thinking with practical execution
Why This Role
Opportunity to help build a modern media function within an iconic brand
High-impact role with visibility across marketing and leadership
Chance to shape how media contributes to both brand and business growth
A role that blends strategy, analytics, and execution
We are partnering with a profitable, privately backed manufacturing company in the Milwaukee area to hire a Controller to lead plant-level finance and accounting operations.
This is a critical newly created position due to the growth at this site. The business is stable, well-established, and entering a phase that requires stronger financial ownership, tighter reporting cadence, and closer partnership between finance and operations.
This role will serve as the senior financial leader onsite, owning the numbers and acting as a true business partner to plant leadership and corporate finance.
Why This position?
Profitable, stable manufacturing operation
High-visibility role with real ownership and influence
Direct partnership with senior finance leadership and exposure to PE partners
Opportunity to improve processes and reporting, not just maintain them
Compensation & Work Model
Base salary up to $140K
Bonus potential up to 15%
Onsite preferred to start, ability to go hybrid after initial training period
This role is ideal for a plant-level controller who wants meaningful ownership, operational impact, and visibility in a growing manufacturing business.
Interested candidates may apply directly or reach out for a confidential conversation.
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601 Carlson Parkway | Suite 900
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55305
