Our client is a small (under $100 MM) multi-national manufacturer of specialty metal products.  This is a confidential search, so we’ll just call them widgets for now  –  unique, individually-precision-manufactured (formed, shaped, coated, assembled…)  to custom order  –  widgets.  Our new hands-on Vice President will run all company operations which bring these widgets to life.

Because of continually increasing customer demand, and the complex nature of these widgets, our new VP will need to optimally integrate ERP/MRP with Lean so as to most effectively drive the actual daily production schedule, using the ERP system.  And so our key qualifying requirement for this new VP is simple: you must explicitly demonstrate that you have done this at least once before. Under similar conditions, in a similar environment.  Experience under scenarios where long lead times, building to forecast, or visual pull systems are the norm will not be relevant or transferrable.

For the ideal candidate we offer:  a highly visible, key impact role with a profitable, growing business, and outstanding compensation package which includes equity participation in the company’s success. Please read on for additional detail.  Full position description located here…

• Outstanding Continuous Improvement background (Lean, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence…)
• Hands-on experience in consolidating and integrating companies, business units, plants and operating facillities, on a global scale
• Demonstrated, successful manufacturing, operations and supply chain expertise
• Unparalleled, world-class Technical Program Management experience
• A well-developed, almost innate sense for recognizing, attracting, developing and promoting high-potential talent…

If this is you, we should talk, and soon.  (Please note: while highly technical in nature, this is NOT an information technology (IT) position) Position Detail It’s important for you to know that our client organization is about Lean Six Sigma in everything it does. Pursuit of perfection is the target.  They understand that conformity and consistency are critical to their customers.  Every associate is involved in the pursuit of quality and continually strives for excellence and ways to pass cost savings to the customer.  Manufacturing excellence is delivered through:  

• Philosophy of Lean Enterprise
• Focus on process efficiencies through Lean Six Sigma techniques
• Real-time data for real-time decision making
• Cost-down and cost-out culture throughout the organization

But none of this happense without the right talent on board. “Best people” is where it all begins. Our client’s commitment to quality, innovation, sales and service begins with their people (possible you?).  Attracting and retaining talent is key to the company’s success, and because they want only the best, they deliver exactly that in return:  competitive compensation, a healthy benefit package, additional opportunity for rewards, and always career growth possibilities.

Our client is a leading global Tier Two supplier to the automotive industry, as well as a supplier to USA broader industrial and medical markets.  With revenues of approximately $500 million and over 2500 employees worldwide, the company has three manufacturing facilities in the US, two in the UK, and one in France.  China is next.  A private company, our client is owned by a major New York-based private equity firm which also holds controlling or significant minority interests in companies around the world that generate over $60 billion in annual revenues. 

Key Responsibilities

Our client considers to be a senior level position which requires extensive, direct interaction with the top executive management team.  The Director of Program Management will establish and administer the comprehensive framework for all Program Management (PM) activities and provide leadership, direction and expert guidance in the development and enhancement of comprehensive PM systems and processes. The Director will oversee the selection and evaluation of PMO personnel, develop the strategic PMO plan, and drive the tactical implementation of that plan.  The Director will also provide leadership in linking corporate goals and business strategies to the deployment of sound PM practices, ensuring and measuring PMO organizational effectiveness.

We expect in every opportunity and challenge the Director undertakes, he or she will also drive consistent and sustainable continuous improvement (Lean) throughout the Program Management function.

Travel – We anticipate that both domestic and international travel will be an important component of this position; perhaps up to about 35% would be normal. As the pace of Asian activity picks up this may increase somewhat.

Compensation – Excellent base salary and incentive bonus plan. Comprehensive relocation assistance provided.

Connect with Us  -  Please connect with me in whatever way is most convenient for you. We share no information about you with anyone outside our firm until we’ve agreed on this with you. So email me directly, or just click on the “Apply” button below and fill out the short contact form.  We’ll be in touch as soon as we’ve had a chance to read your message.

Adam Zak, CEO  – Adam Zak Executive Search  +1 (847) 304-5301 direct

resume@LeanRecruiter.com     http://Twitter.com/LeanThinker     http://LeanTalent.com 

Marvin Windows & Doors

Four-Season Outdoor Paradise

Warroad, MN

Adam Zak helps connect exceptionally skilled Lean executives with companies that are truly committed to long-term Lean operations success. Adam’s hands-on approach to Lean executive recruiting helps his clients drive and sustain their Lean transformation, while helping executives find a new corporate home where they can create a direct, meaningful impact with their LEAN skills and expertise.

But sometimes, it’s not just about your skill at managing a certain number of people, your comfort level in a specific sized organization, or the depth and breadth of your LEAN expertise that’s important. Lifestyle and family values considerations are critical to long-term success, and small-town living is not for everyone.   And our client, Marvin Windows and Doors, would like this to be a successful match for you and for them, for the long term.

I’m conducting an executive search for an exceptionally talented Vice President, Operations, someone who can lead a business of over 2000 team members, 7 direct reports (2 plant managers, components & assembly; materials director; director technical services; quality manager; CI manager; manufacturing services manager), and manufacturing volume of $300 million+.  Someone who is a LEAN Leader and understands how to drive continuous improvement in a LEAN Enterprise.

Our client is one of the top building products manufacturers in North America.  The company is privately held and managed by a family with roots going back many score years in this northern Minnesota community. Position reports to SVP Operations and is responsible for well over half of the company’s North American production volume, a critical role at the very least.  VP Operations holds full responsibility for all manufacturing and manufacturing support activities and results, including business planning and execution, people development, quality, LEAN continuous improvement, customer relationships and local, regional and community relations.

Our ideal candidate will demonstrate a seasoned and stable career growth path with sustained performance over time in ever more challenging manufacturing and operations environments.  And, more importantly than any one professional qualification, we seek an individual committed to building a career for the long-term with one of the most recognized and people-focused brand name companies in North American manufacturing and service today.

Please contact Sheila Cunningham at:

Adam Zak Executive Search

Executive Recruiting for the Sustainable Lean Enterprise

POB 129, Barrington, IL 60011-0129  USA

Direct +1 847 304 5301 

resume@LeanRecruiter.com

www.LeanRecruiter.com

Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Scottsdale, or…

I’m conducting an executive search for a world-class practitioner of LEAN, Six Sigma and process improvement consulting and training.

Why Should You Consider this Position?

Because you are driven to excel. Passionate about LEAN. Steeped in Six Sigma. Creative. Analytical. Professional. You think and act like an entrepreneur. You crave to make a difference. You love to solve problems and your solutions must make an impact. Not just in the work cell, but across the enterprise, clearly improving your client’s operational and financial success.  You are hands-on, yet also connect to the big picture. You have breakthrough ideas, you share them, you collaborate. You are rewarded for your results. You derive professional and personal satisfaction from your career success. Is this you?  We must talk! (847 304-5301) 

Client Profile

Since 1994 our client has helped hundreds of companies, from the largest of the Fortune 500 to the smallest private equity portfolio company,  improve how they operate. They’ve delivered billions of dollars in bottom line benefits: higher margins, revenue growth, and more efficient use of capital. At the same time, they have helped clients truly transform their operations – boosting efficiency and efficacy, increasing customer satisfaction,  empowering individuals, and building internal skills and talent.

The Company was founded in 1994 by the progenitors of the Six Sigma revolution at Motorola. They developed the Six Sigma methodology, teaching companies like GE, Allied-Signal, DuPont and Merrill Lynch to achieve a higher level of quality, with substantially lower costs. Along the way, our client quickly found that the basic framework and tools of Six Sigma were applicable to much more than cost and quality, and well beyond the manufacturing floor or order-processing desk. From these real-world learnings and experiences, our client developed one of the most widely used and well-regarded management systems – a way of transforming a business using analysis, rigor, and individual empowerment.

Today, our client continues to improve and evolve from that legacy. The nature of their              consulting work has expanded well outside the boundaries of Lean and Six Sigma.  Their new brand, name and identity more effectively represent how they leverage process improvement expertise more broadly and deeply to help clients transform organizations.  

Our client works with commercial and investment Banks, private equity and professional services firms, and many global Fortune 500 firms in consumer products, energy, healthcare, industrial products and communications & technology industries.  The Company has offices in New York, Beijing, Dusseldorf, London, Paris, Scottsdale and Shanghai.

Position Summary

Our Director, Lean Six Sigma Consulting will ideally reside in the Metro New York, Atlanta, Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago or Scottsdale regions, or within any major metro area easily accessible to a hub airport.  He or she will travel regularly across the United States (some international travel possible) to client locations. Our Director, Lean Six Sigma Consulting will be responsible for managing client relationships and the Lean/Sigma work engagements that result from those relationships, from project beginning onward. Our Director will be hands-on in driving projects, applying Lean and Six Sigma techniques to analyze client/project operational and financial metrics, developing project execution plans and targets, and supporting overall execution of client engagements.

Responsibilities

·        Work closely with the client to analyze both operational processes and financial metrics of the client to assess project opportunities that positively impact the financial performance of the client business

·        Develop and implement the roll out the execution plan with emphasis on yielding multiple ROI for the client

·        Provide Lean training, facilitate Kaizen Events and provide follow-up to drive operational improvements

·        Mentor and coach others in the use of Lean tools on assessments, operational analysis and implementation of lean methods

·        Ensure that the work provided is consistent with the firm’s domain expertise and beliefs and is delivered with high-impact, tangible results

·        Support the firm’s activity in developing new business and developing intellectual property.

·        Extensive travel to client locations; international travel possible

Requirements

·        Minimum of five years of direct LEAN experience and at least two years of SIX SIGMA experience in a manufacturing environment and preferably a transactional environment (financial services, airlines, etc.).

·        Ability to clearly quantify project metrics/results in terms of hard savings, soft savings and non-financial improvements.

·        Three-plus years of prior consulting experience in a management consulting firm preferred. 

·        Five years of operational leadership experience in a large manufacturing or transactional corporation required.  Internal consulting experience for a recognized leader in Lean/Six Sigma (LSS) methodologies preferred.

·        Direct experience leading multiple kaizen events and Six Sigma quality-based projects.

·        Hands-on experience leading LEAN events in LEAN tools areas including setup reduction, TPM, standard work, etc.  Strong preference for experience in value stream design and plant re-design. 

·        MBA preferred, engineering or business undergraduate degree required

About Travel

The individuals who choose to be a part of our client’s success would describe the firm’s environment as empowering, attentive to each individual’s professional and personal goals and objectives, and family-friendly. By its nature, however, world-class consulting work requires extensive travel. Firm members find that a 75% travel expectation is not unusual.  Please consider this in light of your lifestyle preferences.

Contact Sheila Cunningham or Adam Zak: 

Adam Zak Executive Search, Executive Recruiting for the Lean Enterprise 

POB 129,  Barrington,  IL 60011-0129  USA   

Direct +1 847 304 5301    Main +1 847 304 5300  

resume@LeanRecruiter.com     www.LeanRecruiter.com

Background
Our client is a major and rapidly-growing Midwest-based global wholesale distributor of premium-branded consumer products. The company sources it’s product from low-cost manufacturing (LCM) countries as well as in the Americas (no owned manufacturing operations), and direct ships full container loads to its North American customer base. With a near-term revenue target of $1 billion, our client recognizes the critical importance of creating a truly global supply chain organization which can effectively support its profitable expansion around the world. Hence this new position, SVP Worldwide Supply Chain, reporting directly to the company’s President & CEO, and dedicated to delivering on both strategic and tactical objectives.

Position Scope
The Senior Vice President, Worldwide Supply Chain will be accountable for optimizing the total cost of purchased product through the development and implementation of an effective global sourcing and distribution strategy with a focus on diversified supply bases in China and other LCM countries. Our SVP WW Supply Chain will build a world-class supply chain organization capable of applying best practices to the company’s procurement, logistics and distribution activities. The SVP WW Supply Chain must position the supply chain function as a source of added value to all internal constituents, and build a supply chain team which is strategic, responsive and collaborative.

Specific Position Responsibilities
Develop and manage worldwide network of distribution facilities
Develop and maintain supplier network for worldwide sourcing
Develop and manage product forecasting, production scheduling, purchasing, and inventory management principles/systems/processes
Develop and manage worldwide logistics/transportation of product
Provide oversight to ensure compliance with trade agreements, customs regulations, other legal requirements

Critical Skill Sets Required
Leadership Skills – Significant, proven record of leadership as a supply chain operations executive in a world-class global logistics/warehousing/distribution environment. The desire to build and create a team-based global supply chain organization which adds value to internal and external customers. Ability to persuasively drive change through inspiration and influence rather than through direct authority over highly decentralized line (divisional) organizations.
Industry/technical expertise – solid international experience in export-related organizations with emphasis on low-cost, high-volume bulk commodity products. Extensive global wholesale supply chain management expertise is critical, most likely at least 10-12 years progressively more responsible management experience, combined with at least 2-3 years of successful senior level global supply chain responsibility. Highly focused on best practices, attuned to metrics and performance measurement, and accustomed to rapidly responding to dashboard indicators of changing market conditions.
Global perspective and vision – Ability to think creatively about global markets and their ever-changing influence on the company’s operations. Global and cultural savvy, with sensitivity and courage to recognize, understand and then adapt to global economic trends and industry directions. Ability to develop critical insights on how external forces and factors affect customers, suppliers and operational activities such as logistics, manufacturing, product development.
Work ethic & work stability – strong, sustained. A person who will fully engage and stay involved, who will embrace and love the work for the satisfaction it provides. Not a 9-5er who shuts down at night and weekends; this is a global environment and 24/7 communication accessibility comes with the territory. A builder of companies and relationships; not a job-hopper who must seek his next challenge outside the organization every 18-24 months.
Communication and interpersonal skills – polished, assertive, culturally sensitive and appropriate, as demonstrated by success in previous career roles.
Negotiation skills – highly capable, multi-national and multi-cultural experience. Self-aware with respect to own strengths, limitations, in personal negotiating style. Able to adapt to situations, cultural biases, subtleties. A negotiator who can leave her/his ego at the door and concentrate on doing the deal.
China skills – Extensive hands-on supplier development and relationship-building experience in China and the Far East.
Travel ability – anticipate 50% international travel. A person who will value the opportunity to regularly work in and with China, Thailand, Korea, India, Malaysia, Taiwan, and wherever new sourcing or sales opportunities may take her/him.
Education – BS/BA required, MBA considered a strong plus.