Amazing Amazon Kindle

Why You Want this Position   (and here’s where you can respond…)

• You crave the excitement of working with the visionary team which created the hottest consumer electronics gadget of the century. And, there’s more to come!
• You are obsessed with excellence and quality. This company is already attaining a level of world-class quality metrics that other consumer electronics makers would die for. Your mission: take your passion for quality and make it even better!
• You thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial start-up environment where your daily decisions make a direct, clearly visible impact on the operational and financial performance of the company. You relentlessly pursue your personal and professional expectations for performance and results.
• You hunger for meaningful work with an exceptionally talented team, where it’s all about clear and open communication, genuine collaboration, and exceeding customer expectations  - across the whole business.     

Introduction

Our client creates highly engaging and innovative consumer-centric electronic product solutions. The business has grown rapidly in size, scale and scope but still retains, at heart, the start-up mentality which has fueled its wild success. This outsized growth rate requires our client to massively scale-up many of the systems, process and procedures (and their functional leadership) so vital to support the company’s continued advancement into new products and global markets.  Hence this new position, Director, Product Quality. 

The position will be based in the Silicon Valley, California metro area and will report remotely to the company’s Vice President, Global Supply Chain, who is based in Hong Kong.  All product design, development and support functions are performed in California, while manufacturing is currently done on a contract basis in Shenzhen, China. Our client is the wholly-owned subsidiary of highly successful and profitable Fortune 500 parent company, which is also located on the West Coast.  

The Role

Define, lead and take ownership of the product quality organization.  Develop world-class quality thinking and the programs, systems, principles and processes through which quality manifests itself throughout the company.  The results of this effort will be threefold:  exceed customer expectations in every way; reduce total warranty costs across all product lines, and; build the culture and supporting structures to ensure continuous improvement in both.  

What Your Bring to the Table

• You have demonstrated both deep-dive, hands-on experience in shop-floor quality problem solving, and 30k-foot strategic-level quality issues perspective and sophistication.
• You have demonstrated the ability to rapidly and scientifically assess and deal with day-to-day quality correction, while simultaneously anticipating, developing and implementing the quality philosophies, infrastructure, and practices critical to the company’s future success.
• You offer a proven track record driving operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives, focused on product quality, utilizing Lean Manufacturing (Toyota Production System) and Six Sigma methodologies.
• You have outstanding communications skills.  This enables you to interact with senior management executives and influence their decision-making, as well as to effectively partner with other exceptionally talented people broadly across the organization.
• You have recently worked in a high-volume 3C (computer, communication, consumer), fast-moving product lifecycle  electronics organization and have extensive on-the-ground experience in mainland China.
• Chances are your resume will include the names of other word-class consumer electronics companies such as Apple, Palm, Philips, Sony, Nintendo, Nokia, Cisco and more.  

Travel  -  Because even the best video communications technology has its limitations, the Director, Product Quality should expect to travel frequently, at times on very short notice, to China.

Compensation  -  Excellent base salary, sign-on bonus and restricted stock units (RSUs).  Equity awards consist of stock in our client’s parent company and are historically a major, continuing preferred form of executive compensation.

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.

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

resume@LeanRecruiter.com      az@LeanRecruiter.com

Follow Adam at   http://Twitter.com/LeanThinker    Our primary Web site  http://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.