Vice President of Manufacturing Operations

Position Overview

At Milwaukee Tool, the bookends of our success are our People and Culture. Our employees work with a passion to never settle and always improve in all aspects of their careers. We know that the only way to sustain growth and success is to invest in the continuous development of our employees. Senior Leaders at Milwaukee Tool are challenged to build strategic plans and drive them through execution to deliver breakthrough innovations that further entrench us with our core end users. Year after year, our team makes significant breakthroughs in the industry. The most exciting thing is that we are just getting started!

The VP of Operations is a senior leadership position in the Milwaukee Tool Power Tool Accessories organization. Reporting to the Group President for Professional Accessories, this role is responsible for setting the strategic direction and meeting operational goals for five domestic accessories manufacturing sites. A successful candidate must lead with strategic clarity, drive cross-functional alignment, and deliver measurable outcomes across safety, talent, and the entire supply chain in a fast-paced environment rich in innovation and operational excellence.

Scope & Expectations: 50% travel (10% international), leadership of five manufacturing facilities in North America with 1,200 employees and $330M in SCOP, and the opportunity to take on increasing responsibility as Milwaukee drives an aggressive growth plan. This is a critical role on the Accessories Business Unit Leadership Team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and drive all aspects of multi-site manufacturing, including developing and managing leadership teams, defining and articulating strategy and vision, and optimizing total costs, quality, on-time delivery, new product introductions, and capital investment.
• Critically assess existing methods and lead changes necessary to support corporate growth and expansion; continuously implement process improvements, KPIs, and dashboards.
• Direct and develop the team to deliver continuous improvement of machine and process technology by leveraging data analytics and technical expertise in design, maintenance, or process engineering to improve OEE and quality.
• Oversee line transfers and new capital equipment installations to increase capacity and deliver new products and manufacturing technologies.
• Develop and manage capital, operating, and staffing budgets, ensuring effective oversight of resources, assets, and expenses.
• Anticipate and proactively manage short and long-term operating plans in response to demand changes and external factors to deliver high fill rates to customers.
• Facilitate candid, solution-oriented dialogue across all leadership levels to drive alignment, accountability, and operational excellence.
• Demonstrate the ability to grow leadership skills and talent capacity, focusing on bench strengthening and succession planning.
• Act as a role model of the company culture through leadership style, expectation setting, and active coaching.
• Exhibit agility as a leader, remaining flexible and responsive to the changing needs of the business.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in operations management or engineering.
• 15+ years of strong, stable, progressive on-site operations leadership experience.
• Experience in advanced manufacturing or process engineering with a keen interest in machine technology and multi-functional leadership.
• Significant experience supporting new product introductions in a high-growth environment.
• Experience with high volume automated manufacturing using advanced controls for precision parts.
• Proven ability to influence through direct and indirect reporting relationships.
• A successful track record in operational strategic planning, risk mitigation, and cost management.
• A passion for driving company culture and building trust with teams.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to encourage candid feedback from cross-functional teams at all levels.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing multi-site manufacturing operations with significant plant-level daily leadership.
• Experience leading agility in environments with large, demanding customers that drive unplanned activity.
• Experience with MES implementation, advanced quality systems, and machine learning enabled technologies.
• An advanced degree.
• Oracle experience.

Benefits & Perks

• Robust health, dental, and vision insurance plans
• Generous 401(K) savings plan
• Education assistance
• On-site wellness, fitness center, food, and coffee service
• And many more – check out our benefits site for additional details