- Job Tag:
- Posted: April 29,2026
I have been retained by The Vomela Companies to help them find a Vice President of Operations in Chicago for their Retail & Commercial business. Founded in 1947, the Company has grown significantly through 27–28 commercial printing acquisitions over the past 30+ years growing into a powerhouse in the visual solutions industry that delivers a broad portfolio of solutions and services to its customers. Today, Vomela is a $650 million manufacturer of specialized vinyl graphics, digital graphics, signs and point of purchase materials for a variety of industries, including graphic designers, the recreational vehicle and boating industries and retailers. In December 2024, The Riverside Company joined as an investor, accelerating their momentum and expansion strategy. The company is evolving from a family-run structure to a more integrated, matrix organization.
Vomela is currently undergoing a major transformation toward a unified model consolidating previously independent businesses. They are in the process of transitioning away from legacy processes and systems into a one common practice which creates the necessity for this position. The company is winning in the marketplace and has an impeccable reputation being known for high quality and customer focused. They are in the process of creating a world class center for Retail & Commercial operations in Chicago. They have 150-160 digital printers, 12 screen lines, and 10 offset lines. The firepower is there.
This position will include a base salary, bonus, and equity tied to an event.
Responsibilities
The Vice President of Operations provides strategic and operational leadership across multiple manufacturing facilities. This role ensures consistent production performance, quality, safety, and cost efficiency while driving continuous improvement and operational excellence. The VP works closely with executive leadership to scale manufacturing capabilities to meet current and future business needs. This is a newly created role as part of their transformation to move positions and acquired companies into a matrix based structure in segments. They are currently going through a cultural and organizational shift to achieve this through the reorganization of the business moving to the matrix structure. The VP will oversee 5 U.S. based manufacturing plants ranging in size from 20K–175K sq ft. Their largest plant is located in Indianapolis, and the others are in Texas, Colorado, & New Jersey. In total, this person will lead a team of 500–600 employees through 8–9 direct reports including 5 plant managers. Essential Duties and Responsibilities ? Oversee plant leadership teams and operational performance across multiple manufacturing sites, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. ? Champion a world class safety culture ensuring all facilities meet or exceed industry specific regulatory standards. ? Oversee quality management systems and drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, and other methodologies. ? Lead capacity planning, equipment utilization strategies, and production forecasting. ? Standardize processes and systems across facilities to ensure scalability, efficiency, and operational consistency. ? Own operational budgets, financial performance, and cost?reduction initiatives. ? Partner with procurement, HR, IT, and other functions to ensure operational alignment.
Desired Skills And Experience
- This role does not provide for someone working remote or commuting to the job. This is a Chicago based position ** This person must come from the commercial printing industry as they can’t have someone learning the industry on the job. The person will be required to have multi-site operations leadership experience carrying a P&L for at least $30 million. They want someone who is eager to roll up the sleeves and be hands on and have experience working for a company where every job is unique because Vomela is a custom manufacturer where project can be on the fly. They would also like the person to be accustomed to a high volume transaction environment with quick turnaround time. The person will need to be very smart, process oriented, and will use the tools that are available to identify what they are missing to help take the business to the next level. Critical Competencies and Skills: ? Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or related field (required). ? Master’s degree or MBA preferred. ? 15+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership with multi?site responsibility. ? Proven experience scaling manufacturing operations and improving production processes. ? Strong knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, ISO standards, and manufacturing best practices. ? Excellent leadership, communication, and data?driven decision?making skills. ? Ability to travel 25–50% to support multi?site operations. Personal Characteristics: ? Servant leadership type of approach with a calm and collaborative personality. ? Someone who is dedicated to the outcome with a high EQ is important. One of Riverside’s major initiatives is driving a value creation through an ownership culture. ? Ability to work effectively with all levels and roles in the organization. ? Willingness to be flexible and adapt as situations arise and priorities change. ? Ability to constructively push thinking and challenge the status quo. Success Measures: ? Achievement of quality, safety, efficiency, delivery, and cost KPIs across all sites. ? Improved standardization, reliability, and scalability of manufacturing processes. ? Strong leadership pipeline and improved retention of plant leadership. ? High customer satisfaction and operational efficiency across the manufacturing network. ? Partner closely with Sales and Customer Service to ensure operational alignment with customer expectations and new product requirements. Ensure world class customer experience. ? Conduct regular site visits to assess operations and support local plant managers. ? Ensure sites achieve quality, safety, productivity, and delivery targets. Team Leadership & Development ? Build and mentor a high performing operations leadership team, including plant managers and key functional leaders. ? Develop a high?performance culture. ? Drive accountability, engagement, and alignment across all manufacturing sites. ? Serve as a strategic advisor to the Chief Manufacturing Officer and President of Retail & Commercial and executive leadership team on operations, capacity, and long-term investments.
