What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Vice President Operations position at The Sterling Choice?
Senior Vice President of Operations
Position Summary
My client, a growing food manufacturing organization, is seeking a Senior Vice President of Operations to lead end-to-end manufacturing and supply chain across multiple U.S. facilities. This role has full accountability for manufacturing, procurement, logistics, maintenance, engineering, safety, and operational excellence.
The SVP will be responsible for developing and executing an integrated operations strategy that optimizes resources, improves cost competitiveness, and supports long-term, scalable growth. This leader will drive performance across all sites while building a culture of continuous improvement and operational discipline.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Operations & Supply Chain Leadership
- Lead and optimize end-to-end operations including manufacturing, procurement, logistics, planning, warehousing, and distribution
- Develop and execute a comprehensive operations and supply chain strategy across all U.S. facilities
- Drive productivity improvements, cost efficiencies, and margin expansion initiatives
- Build scalable systems, processes, and tools to support growth and operational excellence
Plant, People & Performance Leadership
- Lead, develop, and inspire a large, multi-site workforce, ensuring safe and efficient production
- Establish and drive performance metrics across safety, quality, service, cost, and throughput
- Partner with plant leadership to identify opportunities to improve productivity and streamline operations
P&L, Budgeting & Cost Management
- Own and manage plant-level P&L performance, including labor and operational expenses
- Set clear financial and operational goals aligned with overall business objectives
- Drive cost optimization across manufacturing and supply chain functions
Capacity Planning, Capital Investment & Growth
- Develop capacity plans aligned with commercial growth forecasts
- Lead capital planning and execution to support expansion and operational efficiency
- Ensure capital projects are delivered on time and within budget
Maintenance, Engineering & Reliability
- Oversee engineering and maintenance to ensure equipment reliability and uptime
- Implement preventive maintenance programs and continuous improvement initiatives
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner closely with Sales, R&D, Customer Service, Finance, and Procurement to support customer needs and business objectives
- Ensure alignment between operational capabilities and commercial strategy
Transformation & Continuous Improvement
- Lead integration efforts related to acquisitions or operational consolidation
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, or similar methodologies
- Serve as executive sponsor for automation, digital transformation, and operational excellence initiatives
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred
- 10 years of leadership experience in multi-site manufacturing and supply chain operations within food manufacturing or CPG
- Proven track record of leading large-scale operations with full P&L accountability
- Strong leadership and team development capabilities across complex organizations
- Deep expertise in manufacturing operations, supply chain, and continuous improvement methodologies
- Strong financial and analytical skills, including capital planning and cost management
- Ability to operate in a fast-paced, high-growth environment and manage competing priorities
- Excellent cross-functional collaboration and executive communication skills