Vice President Operations
2 days ago
Watertown
ABOUT THE COMPANY EZ STAK is a leading global manufacturer of innovative storage solutions for commercial vehicles and workspaces. Driven by a strong commitment to quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction, EZ STAK delivers expertly engineered products supported by streamlined operations that ensure consistent production, reliable delivery, and exceptional service. THE OPPORTUNITY We’re growing, and we’re hiring a VP of Operations to build and lead a scalable, technology-enabled operating system that supports that growth. What makes this role different is what it isn’t. Our manufacturing structure works, the team is strong and the facilities run. This isn’t a turnaround, and we aren’t looking for someone to rebuild what’s already functioning. We need someone who can scale it: developing exceptional leaders, driving operational excellence, building a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, and delivering industry-leading performance in safety, quality, delivery, customer experience and profitability. Reporting to the General Manager, you’ll lead five direct reports across both sites — Site Managers at Watertown and Kingston, plus Engineering, Project Management and Supply Chain — and own capacity planning, engineering, supply chain, continuous improvement, and health and safety across two countries. If you’ve taken an operation through a step change in volume and know what breaks at each stage, this is that job. Weekly travel to EZ STAK's Kingston facility will be required. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Strategic Operations Leadership • Develop and execute the operational strategy required to support EZ STAK's growth objectives, profitability targets and long-term business plan., • Translate corporate objectives set with the General Manager into measurable operational priorities, ensuring alignment across manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, quality and continuous improvement functions., • Drive organizational scalability by implementing systems, processes and structures that support sustainable growth without proportional increases in cost or complexity., • Contribute to strategic planning and capital investment decisions, providing the operational analysis, capacity modelling and risk assessment on which those decisions depend., • Support enterprise-level initiatives led by the General Manager, ensuring operational implications are understood before commitments are made and delivered once they are. Operational Excellence and Performance • Establish and maintain a culture of accountability through clearly defined KPIs, visual management systems and disciplined performance review processes., • Lead the achievement of operational targets related to safety, quality, delivery, productivity, inventory and profitability., • Ensure operational decisions are driven by data, focusing on root-cause analysis, process discipline and continuous improvement., • Develop and maintain operating rhythms that provide visibility into performance, risks, constraints and improvement opportunities. Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement • Champion the implementation of Lean Manufacturing principles throughout the organization to eliminate waste, improve flow and increase operational capacity., • Build organizational capability in continuous improvement methodologies, ensuring sustainable adoption across all departments., • Lead value-stream optimization efforts from quote through shipment, reducing lead times while improving quality and customer responsiveness., • Establish a culture where continuous improvement is embedded in daily operations rather than driven solely through projects. Manufacturing and Supply Chain Leadership • Oversee all manufacturing operations to ensure safe, efficient and predictable execution of production plans., • Optimize labour, equipment, material and facility utilization to maximize throughput and profitability., • Lead supply chain and inventory management strategies that balance customer service, working capital efficiency and operational flexibility., • Ensure effective production planning and scheduling processes that support customer commitments and growth demands. Engineering Leadership • Lead the Engineering function, ensuring design, industrialization and engineering change activity is resourced, prioritized and aligned to commercial and operational priorities., • Own engineering capacity allocation across new product introduction, cost reduction, sustaining and capital work, and escalate when demand exceeds capacity., • Partner with Product Management on roadmap feasibility, product requirements and launch timing, ensuring commercial intent is translated into executable engineering plans., • Ensure new and changed products transfer to production stable, documented and capable, with manufacturing readiness held to defined gate criteria., • Maintain engineering standards, drawing and bill-of-material integrity, and engineering change control consistently across both sites., • Build engineering capability, technical bench strength and succession alongside the operations leadership team. Technology, Systems and Digital Transformation • Drive operational adoption and optimization of ERP, automation, AI and workflow technologies to improve efficiency, data integrity and decision-making., • Ensure operational processes are standardized, documented, measurable and appropriately integrated within business systems., • Identify and lead technology-enabled improvement initiatives that create sustainable competitive advantage., • Partner with functional leaders to establish scalable digital workflows and reporting capabilities. Quality and Customer Experience • Ensure robust quality management systems are in place to consistently meet customer requirements and industry expectations., • Drive a culture of prevention, problem-solving and continuous quality improvement., • Partner with commercial and engineering teams to improve customer experience through operational reliability, responsiveness and execution excellence., • Maintain accountability for product quality, warranty performance and corrective action effectiveness. Leadership and Talent Development • Build and develop a high-performing operations leadership team capable of supporting current and future organizational needs., • Establish clear expectations, accountability and succession plans for key operational roles., • Foster a culture that attracts, develops and retains top operational talent., • Model and reinforce EZ STAK's values, leadership expectations and commitment to continuous development. Safety Execution and Compliance • Accountable for health and safety across all Canadian and US sites; owns hazard identification and control, incident investigation to root cause, corrective action closure, workplace inspections, and emergency response, • Ensures compliance with provincial OHS legislation and JHSC requirements in Canada and OSHA and applicable state-plan requirements in the US, supporting Operations manager and Operations employee representation and participation on the JHSCs, • Partners with the Chief People Officer, who delivers occupational health, training and competency records, return to work, psychosocial safety and management of health & safety insurance related bodies; jointly responsible for accurate JHSC and incident reporting, • Independent of production, schedule and cost objectives exercises stop work authority and hazard management POSITION REQUIREMENTS Education & Experience • Bachelor's degree in Operations, Engineering, Business or a related field., • 8 to 12 or more years of progressive operations leadership experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment., • Proven experience leading production and operations teams, including leading other leaders., • Strong understanding of production planning, scheduling and quality systems., • Experience with ERP systems and operational reporting., • Demonstrated success in continuous improvement initiatives., • Experience owning an operating budget and contributing to capital investment decisions., • Experience leading an engineering or technical function, or leading technical leaders, in addition to production operations., • Strong commitment to safety, quality and operational excellence, and a track record of reinforcing a safety program owned elsewhere in the business., • Lean Six Sigma certification or equivalent practical experience., • Experience leading operations across multiple sites, particularly across the Canada–U.S. border. Skills & Knowledge • Business & Financial Acumen — Makes informed decisions by balancing operational effectiveness, profitability, cash flow, investment requirements and long-term business value., • Operational Excellence — Drives consistent, predictable and efficient execution through disciplined processes, performance management and operational rigour., • Lean & Continuous Improvement Leadership — Eliminates waste, improves flow, increases productivity and develops problem-solving capability throughout the organization., • Manufacturing & Supply Chain Management — Command of production planning and scheduling, capacity and utilization, inventory strategy and working capital, and quality systems., • Engineering & Product Industrialization — Sufficient command of design, industrialization and engineering change processes to direct an engineering function, judge technical risk and hold production-readiness standards., • Digital & Technology Leadership — Leverages ERP systems, automation, AI, data analytics and emerging technologies to improve decision-making, scalability and operational performance., • Performance Measurement Systems — Builds KPIs, visual management and operating rhythms that make performance, risk and constraint visible and actionable., • Strategic Leadership — Translates organizational vision and growth objectives into clear operational strategies, priorities and execution plans., • Results Orientation — Maintains a relentless focus on achieving measurable outcomes and delivering commitments that support organizational success., • Accountability & Performance Management — Establishes clear expectations, objective measures of success, and a culture of ownership, follow-through and continuous performance improvement., • Talent Development & Succession Planning — Builds organizational capability by attracting, developing and retaining high-performing talent while creating strong leadership pipelines for the future., • Change Leadership — Leads people, processes and systems through change by creating alignment, overcoming resistance and driving sustainable adoption., • Enterprise & Customer Perspective — Makes decisions with consideration for the entire value stream, balancing customer needs, operational requirements, employee impact and business objectives., • Culture, Safety & Employee Engagement Leadership — Supports the safety program and partners with organizational leaders to foster a safe, values-driven, high-performance culture that promotes engagement, accountability and employee wellbeing., • Executive Presence & Influence — Communicates with credibility, confidence and professionalism while effectively influencing stakeholders at all levels of the organization. We hire and operate on 5 core values: • Integrity: We always do what’s right., • Respect: We believe people and property matter., • Teamwork: We pull together to win., • Optimism: We persevere with enthusiasm., • Curiosity: We are hungry to learn, improve and succeed. Why join us: • Your work is visible. Contributions here are traceable to the people who made them, and leadership is close enough to the work to see it., • Our work matters. What we build goes into the vehicles of people doing serious work — utility and infrastructure crews, first responders, and military and defense operators., • Our team. Passionate and execution-oriented, collaborative because we'd rather build things together, and gritty enough to stay with a hard problem until it's solved., • Meaningful remuneration: revenue driven monthly bonus potential, benefits & retirements savings plans.