Vice President of Manufacturing & Engineering
A large, multi-plant food manufacturing organization in the Midwest is seeking a Vice President of Manufacturing & Engineering to lead operational performance, engineering capability, and leadership development across a network of production facilities.
This executive role will oversee manufacturing operations across seven processing plants and will play a key role in modernizing operational practices, standardizing processes, and developing the next generation of plant leadership.
The organization is in the midst of a transformation focused on building stronger leadership capability, improving operational discipline, and implementing standardized management systems that enable sustainable growth.
The VP of Manufacturing & Engineering will report to the Chief Operating Officer and work closely with cross-functional leadership including Quality, R&D, HR, Finance, and Commercial teams.
Responsibilities
- Manufacturing Operations Leadership
- Provide executive leadership for manufacturing performance across a multi-site production network
- Ensure consistent execution across safety, food safety, quality, productivity, cost, and service metrics
- Standardize operational processes and management systems across plants
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase efficiency and operational reliability
- Partner with quality leadership to improve first-pass yield, reduce losses, and strengthen customer satisfaction
- Lead operational stabilization initiatives to build a strong foundation for future growth Engineering & Capital Leadership
- Oversee capital engineering, automation, controls, and maintenance reliability functions
- Guide development of a multi-year capital investment roadmap
- Lead major capital projects currently underway across multiple facilities
- Ensure effective reliability strategies and risk-based maintenance programs are in place
- Strengthen engineering capabilities and organizational structure across the network Leadership Development & Organizational Capability
- Coach and develop plant managers and senior manufacturing leaders across the network
- Build leadership capability within plant teams and establish stronger management routines
- Implement structured operational cadence including daily, weekly, and executive-level performance reviews
- Partner with HR to build leadership development plans and succession pipelines
- Strengthen a culture of accountability, transparency, and operational excellence Strategy & Operational Transformation
- Lead initiatives to modernize manufacturing systems, processes, and leadership capabilities
- Establish standardized operating models across facilities
- Partner with senior leadership to align operational execution with long-term business strategy
- Help shape and develop a future manufacturing center of excellence to support plant performance and data-driven decision making
Desired Skills and Experience
- Required
- 15+ years of progressive manufacturing and engineering leadership experience
- 5+ years leading leaders in a multi-site manufacturing environment
- Experience driving operational improvement, standardization, and process discipline across plants
- Proven ability to develop and coach plant managers and senior operational leaders
- Strong operational, financial, and strategic leadership capabilities
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or related field Preferred
- Experience within food, beverage, or consumer packaged goods manufacturing
- Background implementing Lean Manufacturing, TPM, or operational excellence frameworks
- Experience leading operational transformation or stabilization initiatives
- Strong capital project and engineering leadership experience
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