Assistant Vice President – Manufacturing Operations
Location: Reading, PA
The Assistant Vice President of Manufacturing Operations provides enterprise‑level strategic and operational leadership across multiple large‑scale manufacturing sites. This role ensures world‑class execution in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and People (SQDPC) while driving operational excellence, capability building, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.
As a key member of the Manufacturing leadership team, the AVP partners closely with the Vice President of Manufacturing to convert strategic objectives into actionable operating plans, budgets, performance systems, and Lean‑driven processes that deliver sustainable business results in complex, asset‑intensive industrial environments.
Key Leadership Responsibilities
- Lead multi‑site U.S. manufacturing operations, overseeing approximately 160 acres and more than 100 buildings and providing leadership to ~1,500 salaried and non‑union employees, with full accountability for SQDPC performance.
- Partner with the Vice President of Manufacturing to drive operational excellence, strengthen safety and quality systems, optimize financial performance, and align operations with corporate strategy.
- Establish, monitor, and govern performance metrics, ensuring operational plans, cost structures, and forecasting processes support organizational goals.
- Champion Lean thinking, principles, and practices across all manufacturing facilities to build a culture of continuous improvement and operational discipline.
- Integrate Lean accounting concepts to enhance visibility into operational performance and clarify cost impacts of key initiatives.
- Challenge existing processes and assumptions, establish actionable KPIs, and develop workforce proficiency in Lean methodologies and problem‑solving tools.
- Track, analyze, and report monthly progress on strategic initiatives, identifying performance gaps and cost‑saving opportunities.
- Evaluate, prioritize, and execute large‑scale projects to improve Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and financial results across the network.
- Lead major manufacturing initiatives, including facility optimization, equipment upgrades, capital projects, and organizational restructures.
- Drive enterprise‑wide continuous improvement initiatives focused on eliminating waste, improving flow, and strengthening process reliability.
- Apply systems thinking and data‑driven analysis to diagnose operational challenges and guide cross‑functional teams toward high‑impact solutions.
Position Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred, ideally in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related discipline.
- 10+ years of manufacturing experience, including 5+ years in management leading large teams in complex industrial environments.
- Demonstrated success implementing Lean Manufacturing systems with measurable, sustained results.
- Extensive background in industrial/manufacturing operations with significant technical and operational complexity.
- Proven ability to manage large‑scale manufacturing projects, including facilities expansion, equipment installations, operational budgeting, and P&L oversight.
- Strong track record of executing business plans, achieving performance goals, and driving continuous improvement.
- Advanced analytical, mathematical, and computer skills with the ability to distill clarity from complex or abstract information.
- Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, effective across all levels and functions of the organization.
- Skilled in change management, including coaching, mentoring, and developing high‑performance teams.
- A self‑starter with strong initiative and the ability to influence and guide decision‑making in cross‑functional settings.
