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