We're partnering with a founder-led, private equity-backed manufacturing business entering its next phase of growth and operational scale.
This is a build-and-scale role — not a maintenance role, and not a fit for leaders who run their operation from dashboards and conference rooms.
The company operates in a low-volume, high-complexity, high-craftsmanship segment where every unit carries meaningful value to the P&L and customers expect exceptional quality and on-time delivery. Throughput matters, but never at the expense of quality or craftsmanship.
About the role
The VP of Manufacturing leads all manufacturing operations — production, engineering, supply chain, and quality — for a ~110–120 person organization, with three direct reports (Director of Production, Engineering Manager, Director of Supply Chain). The role partners directly with a hands-on founder/CEO to translate growth strategy into operating reality, plan and execute capacity expansion, and lead the manufacturing integration of recently and newly acquired operations into a unified production system.
The leader owns on-time delivery to customer promise dates, warranty rates, and quality escapes — and will set the operating cadence, KPIs, and dashboards expected of a PE-backed company. You will serve as a data-driven operating partner to the CEO in translating growth into execution. Success in this role is defined by improving throughput, protecting quality, and consistently delivering against customer commitments.
You should apply if you are:
- A senior-most manufacturing leader with 10+ years of leadership experience. Title is secondary — VP, COO, Senior Director, Director of Manufacturing, or Plant GM are all in scope.
- Experienced in how to build structure, process, and accountability in a low-volume environment without over-engineering or disrupting what makes the product special.
- Someone who has personally scaled a complex manufacturing operation through significant growth. A typical reference point: taking a business from approximately 100 to 500+ employees, and from $50M to $150M or more in revenue.
- A genuine floor operator. You run Gemba walks, you know what's happening before the report tells you, and you develop your team through proximity and coaching.
- Analytical and data-driven. You make decisions from the data and what’s happening on the floor, not from hierarchy or how the room feels.
- Fluent in operating discipline (KPI-driven management, structured problem-solving, lean / continuous improvement methodology, quality systems) and apply it with judgment to a low-volume environment, not imported wholesale from a corporate playbook.
- Someone who has improved skilled-trade retention by leading through better processes, planning, and people — not by leaning on mandatory overtime to close capacity gaps.
- Skilled in integrating teams, processes, or operations into a unified system as part of growth or acquisition.
- Self-confident enough to earn the trust of a hands-on founder-CEO, disagree productively when it serves the business, and filter executive pressure into clarity and a plan for your team — not panic, not de-motivation.
- Willing and able to relocate to and live in the Pensacola, Florida area. This is 100% on-site.
Backgrounds that translate well:
- Low-volume, high-craftsmanship manufacturing — aerospace, marine, luxury motorcoach or RV, custom vehicle, specialty performance manufacturing, other high-end assembled products, or similar environments where every unit is built with care.
- Founder-led or private equity-backed operations going through scale, capacity expansion, or acquisition integration.
- Operations where customization and craftsmanship matter as much as throughput, and where quality failures and missed delivery dates are highly visible and unacceptable.
Not a fit for:
- Leaders coming exclusively from high-volume, highly automated, process-heavy manufacturing environments.
- Leaders who need a heavily structured environment or a corporate playbook to operate.
- Leaders who prefer to operate primarily from dashboards rather than through direct engagement with the floor and team.
The environment
A fast-paced, founder-led manufacturing environment with a high level of accountability. Priorities evolve, and challenges surface daily. The role requires a leader who is comfortable staying close to the operation, bringing structure and clarity, and leading teams through real-time problem solving. People who take ownership quickly, lead from the front, and follow through tend to do well here. The opportunity is to play a meaningful role in scaling the business and shaping what comes next.
Compensation
Executive compensation including competitive base, performance incentive, and equity participation, calibrated to experience. Comprehensive benefits package. Relocation assistance available.
