Chief Operating Officer

Our client is looking for a COO who will partner closely with ownership and executive leadership to evolve the organization into a disciplined, scalable, high-performance manufacturing enterprise. The client is a well-established component manufacturing company, servicing the Pharmaceutical industry.

This is a unique opportunity to join a successful, privately owned manufacturing organization at a pivotal moment in its evolution. The COO will play a defining role in modernizing operations, building a scalable leadership structure, and helping guide the company through its next generation of growth and succession.

The ideal candidate is an experienced manufacturing executive with deep multi-site operational expertise, a strong engineering and operational background, and a proven ability to lead through change in a privately owned or family-owned manufacturing environment.

This position is based on-site, and relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operational Leadership & Execution.
• Lead all day-to-day operations across multiple manufacturing facilities, ensuring alignment with company objectives, customer requirements, and profitability targets.
• Develop and execute a multi-plant operational strategy focused on scalability, standardization, and sustainable growth.
• Transform a complex, geographically dispersed operation into a disciplined, high-performance, margin-generating system.
• Drive accountability through standardized operational KPIs including OEE, on-time delivery, scrap, labor efficiency, inventory turns, and quality metrics.
• Establish consistent operating practices and performance management systems across all facilities.

Manufacturing Excellence & Continuous Improvement:

• Lead Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and continuous improvement initiatives across all sites.
• Optimize production scheduling, capacity planning, workflow, and resource utilization.
• Identify and implement automation, technology, and process improvements that enhance productivity and reduce cost.
• Drive a culture of operational discipline, problem-solving, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.

Supply Chain, Quality & Compliance

• Oversee procurement, inventory management, logistics, and supplier performance across the enterprise.
• Develop strategies to reduce supply chain risk, improve material availability, and optimize working capital.
• Ensure all facilities meet quality, safety, environmental, and regulatory compliance stan
• dards. Champion a culture of customer satisfaction, product quality, and operational reliability
• Lead corrective action, risk mitigation, and enterprise-wide quality improvement efforts.

Financial & Strategic Leadership:

• Own operational budgets, capital expenditures, cost-control initiatives, and margin improvement programs.
• Partner with finance leadership on forecasting, budgeting, EBITDA improvement, and long-term operational planning.
• Support strategic growth initiatives including acquisitions, integrations, facility expansions, and technology investments.
• Collaborate with sales, engineering, and executive leadership to align operational capabilities with market demand and growth objectives.

Leadership, Coaching & Organizational Development:

• Directly lead and develop plant general managers, operations leaders, and functional operational teams.
• Serve as a mentor and coach to emerging leaders within the organization, helping build a stronger and more scalable leadership bench.
• Bring structure, objectivity, and operational discipline to a growing organization transitioning to its next phase of leadership.
• Drive succession planning, leadership development, and organizational alignment across all operational functions.
• Partner with HR on workforce planning, talent development, and organizational effectiveness.

Organizational & Transition Leadership:

• This role is central to the company’s planned leadership transition and future organizational structure. Over the next 24–36 months, the COO will:
• Assume increasing responsibility for all operational functions across the enterprise. Partner closely with current ownership and executive leadership to ensure continuity and knowledge
• transfer. Provide visible leadership across all plant locations and operational teams.
• Help implement the company’s strategic growth plan, including operational integration, technology investment, and leadership development.
• Potentially evolve into a broader President-level role as part of the long-term succession plan.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, industrial or mechanical. MBA or advanced degree preferred

Experience:

• 15+ years of progressive manufacturing leadership.
• experience.10+ years in a senior executive role overseeing multiple manufacturing facilities in different geographic regions.
• Demonstrated success leading operations for a multi-site manufacturing organization with substantial revenue scale (preferred experience supporting operations of $250M+ in combi
• ned sales).Strong background in component manufacturing, industrial manufacturing, precision manufacturing, or a related engineered-products environment.
• Proven track record driving operational standardization, productivity improvement, and margin expansion across multiple plants.
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and enterprise-wide operational excellence programs.
• Experience in privately owned, family-owned, or entrepreneurial manufacturing organizations strongly preferred.
• Prior involvement in succession planning, organizational transformation, or executive transition environments is highly desirable.