Opportunity Overview
The Vice President (VP) of Global Operations will lead and optimize Microbiologics’ operations across five locations: St. Cloud, MN (headquarters); San Diego, CA; Kalamazoo, MI; Lexington, KY; and Rostock, Germany. This senior executive will be responsible for driving operational excellence, building high performing teams, and ensuring Microbiologics’ global operations deliver exceptional value to both customers and employees. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the VP of Global Operations collaborates and communicates at all levels of the organization to meet corporate and division goals.
Acquired in 2008 by Granite Partners, Microbiologics is a Granite Company and shares the Granite objective of 100-year sustainability. This is an excellent opportunity for a leader who appreciates the support of a clear commitment to long-term planning horizons. The right candidate will be attracted to Microbiologics’ people, products, and potential for continued growth. The VP of Global Operations will collaborate with other leaders in the Granite community, serving as a member of the Lean & Operations Affinity.
The Position
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the VP of Global Operations will lead and optimize Microbiologics’ operations across five locations: St. Cloud, MN (headquarters); San Diego, CA; Kalamazoo, MI; Lexington, KY; and Rostock, Germany. This senior executive will be responsible for driving operational excellence, building high performing teams, and ensuring our global operations deliver exceptional value to both our customers and our employees.
The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in multi-site operations leadership, Lean principles, Continuous Improvement, and ERP systems. The VP of Global Operations will be a strategic thinker and a hands-on leader who is passionate about scaling operations, strengthening collaboration across sites, and centering our efforts around people and customers.
Key responsibilities:
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight of operations across five global locations.
- Develop and execute operational strategies that support company growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
- Champion a culture of continuous improvement, leveraging Lean methodologies to streamline processes, eliminate waste, and drive efficiency.
- Partner with site leaders to ensure alignment of goals, accountability for performance, and consistent operational excellence.
- Lead initiatives to optimize resource allocation, production planning, supply chain, and logistics across global sites.
- Drive adoption and optimization of NetSuite ERP to enhance operational visibility, reporting, and decision-making.
- Collaborate with executive leadership to align operations with company strategy, ensuring seamless customer experiences and team engagement.
- Build, mentor, and inspire a global operations leadership team to foster collaboration, accountability, and growth.
- Ensure compliance with global regulatory and quality standards while maintaining safety as a top priority.
- Serve as a visible leader and advocate for the company’s mission, values, and customer-centric culture.
Candidate Profile
Microbiologics’ VP of Global Operations will have a proven track record of success serving as a proactive, strategic business partner as a member of an executive leadership team. This key leadership position requires 15 or more years of progressive leadership experience in operations, including multi-site and international management.
Qualified candidates will have proven success implementing and sustaining Lean and Continuous Improvement practices along with a demonstrated ability to build scalable processes while maintaining a focus on quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. Strong ERP expertise with hands-on experience in NetSuite is preferred.
The ideal candidate will have exceptional leadership and people development skills with the ability to motivate and inspire global teams. The successful candidate will likely be technically oriented and inclined to maximize his or her contribution to the company. An undergraduate degree in engineering, biological sciences, or a related field is required; an advanced degree is desired. Experience in a regulated industry or a company with a business model similar to Microbiologics’ is a definite advantage.
Additionally, this individual must have the capacity to collaborate with other executives in the Granite community, taking advantage of available resources and becoming an integral part of the overall leadership team.
Key required competencies:
- Vision and strategic planning
- Culture and leadership
- Team development
- Acquisitions and integrations
- Value creation
Location
The VP of Global Operations is an onsite role based at the St. Cloud, Minnesota, headquarters. Up to 30% domestic and international travel is required to the Microbiologics’ offices (San Diego, CA; Kalamazoo, MI; Lexington, KY; and Rostock, Germany), distributors, key customers, key suppliers, tradeshows, and relevant meetings. During the first quarter as VP of Global Operations, up to 50% travel is required to become familiar with the Microbiologics sites.
Compensation & Benefits
We offer a competitive base salary in the $190,000 to $225,000 range, based on experience and qualifications, along with an annual bonus and the opportunity to participate in long-term incentives, including a stock appreciation rights (SARs) program.
Beyond pay, our market-leading benefits are designed to support your wellbeing. These include medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as short- and long-term disability coverage. We also provide a health savings account with company match, a retirement plan with employer contributions through Vanguard, and access to the Granite Assistance Fund for support when it’s needed most. We value time for rest and personal growth, offering generous paid time off, including volunteer time off and paid holidays.
