Vice President Operations (m/f/d)

Position summary

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The Vice President of Operations is the senior business and operational leader responsible for the overall performance of the site and its operations. This role has full accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, profitability, cash flow, people, and customer performance.

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The Vice President of Operations will establish a high-performance culture, lead visibly from the front, develop a strong leadership team, and ensure operational priorities are aligned with the broader business strategy. This leader will also maintain direct relationships with key customers and serve as a senior representative of the company.

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Responsibilities & duties

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Health, safety & culture

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• Establish and sustain a world-class safety culture where every employee is accountable for safe behaviors, hazard identification, and risk mitigation.
• Lead continuous improvement of health, safety, and environmental performance through visible leadership, clear standards, and disciplined execution.
• Champion a safety-first mindset across all operations, ensuring compliance while driving a culture of ownership, engagement, and prevention.

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Leadership & execution

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• Lead from the front by maintaining a strong presence in operations, engaging employees at all levels, and modeling the behaviors expected of the organization.
• Build high-performing teams through clear direction, accountability, talent development, and a relentless focus on results.
• Drive operational excellence by aligning people, processes, and resources to achieve strategic and financial objectives.

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Business & P&L leadership

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• Own full P&L performance of the business, driving profitable growth, margin expansion, cash generation, and operational excellence.
• Provide executive leadership for a complex manufacturing business with full accountability for operational and financial performance.
• Develop and execute growth strategies that deliver profitable revenue expansion and productivity improvements.

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Customer & market leadership

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• Serve as a trusted partner to key customers, building strong executive relationships and ensuring exceptional customer experience.
• Maintain direct engagement with strategic accounts to understand customer needs, market trends, and business opportunities.
• Translate customer insights into operational and commercial actions that strengthen competitive position and drive long-term growth.

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Other responsibilities

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• To ensure Kelvion’s Standard of Excellence, which includes quality, is incorporated into every product we produce.
• Follow all company policies and procedures, including but not limited to Global Code of Business Principles, Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, Vision and Values, Operational Framework.

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Requirements (knowledge, skills & abilities)

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• Proven success leading complex manufacturing or industrial operations.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including experience managing profitability, budgets, cash flow, working capital, and capital investments.
• Proven ability to establish a strong safety culture and drive measurable improvement in health and safety performance.
• Hands-on leadership style with the willingness and ability to lead visibly from the shop floor.
• Strong customer orientation with experience engaging directly with senior customer leaders.
• Demonstrated success improving safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
• Proven experience building leadership teams, developing talent, and leading organizational and cultural transformation.
• Strong strategic thinking combined with disciplined operational execution.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to operate effectively within a complex corporate matrix.
• Ability to challenge existing practices, lead change, and establish higher standards of performance.
• Strong executive presence, communication, influencing, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with employees, customers, senior executives, and external stakeholders.

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Education and experience (required levels)

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• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field required.
• Master’s degree or MBA preferred.
• Demonstrated P&L leadership experience within a business or operating environment at or approaching $1 billion in annual revenue.
• Significant progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, operations, or general management.
• Experience leading a large-scale manufacturing site, multi-site operation, or complex industrial business with significant capital expenditure investment.
• Experience working within an international, matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated experience leading organizational transformation and cultural change in a hypergrowth environment.
• Direct experience interacting with and hosting customers on site to drive commercial growth.

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Physical requirements

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The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

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While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; reach with hands, arms, and shoulders. The employee is occasionally required to walk; sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk and hear. The employee occasionally will be required hand lift and/or move objects up to 50 pounds.

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Work environment

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The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

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