Description:

Vice President, Operations

Company Statement

Graham Packaging is a people, planet and values-based company and a leader in sustainable packaging manufacturing. From the kitchen to the laundry room, Graham Packaging is part of your everyday life.

For employees at Graham, our Blue Culture is part of their everyday lives, too. In other words, Blue is how we do things here.

At Graham, we are united by a clear vision. We know our part and help those around us know theirs, encouraging one another to continuously improve. We create a safe, challenging environment to innovate by supporting creative ideas and new ways of thinking. We take the initiative to cultivate our individual growth and help others do the same, while keeping ourselves and one another accountable. And we actively promote cooperation, collaboration, integrity and respect across regions and teams to foster an engaged, diverse and connected workforce.

We value our employees, and a Blue Culture allows for the most rewarding employee experience as part of the Graham family. Blue is how we feel about what we do—together—to create a better tomorrow.

Overview

The Vice President, Operations will drive bottom-line performance and improve service while creating world-class highly efficient operations with skilled, motivated and empowered teams.  As a direct report into the Business Unit (BU) President, the VP of Operations will lead their organization through various initiatives to include the implementation of manufacturing systems and processes, standardization of processes and metrics, the introduction of new products and technology, asset rationalization and utilization, operational excellence, and distribution realignment.  The VP of Operations will be a member of the BU leadership team and act as the primary point of contact for all things Operations supporting the assigned business.

Responsibilities

Our ideal candidate is a hands-on Leader that develops and drives the strategic operational initiatives and results of our organization. Below are some of the requirements of this role:

• Driving an operational excellence culture through the organization built against standardized systems, equipment performance and process capability in line with lean manufacturing philosophies. Focus on safety, continuous improvement, waste elimination and root cause problem solving that drives the optimization of the key business metrics.
• Ensure strong operational performance to exceed target, with a priority focus on operational effectiveness, safety culture, labor efficiency, equipment reliability, scrap and capability. Provide outstanding service to customers, inspiring confidence in our ability to deliver beyond expectations. Ensure peoples’ safety is the absolute priority
• Lead the BU operational organization by empowering, enabling and developing people to be effective teams. Ensure an open collaborative culture is in place where people are held fully accountable to deliver results yet supported and coached to reach their full potential.
• Build, coach and maintain a strong team of Operations focused business “owners”; this includes recruiting, training, and developing future leaders.  This will require a leader who is an excellent judge of talent, one who has a proven record of attracting top performers and then mentoring them to outstanding levels of technical and leadership performance.
• Ensure effective resource and operational planning that enables low cost manufacture, high customer service and optimum asset utilization.
• Develop a clear operational strategy for the organization that drives long-term operational performance. Ensure the strategy is aligned to the VBU priorities and Graham’s Operating System (GOS). Ensure the strategy is developed into long-term improvement plans and technology success.
• Ensure effective new product and technology implementation inside the VBU that drives customer satisfaction, business case attainment and long-term operational capability from a product, equipment and people standpoint
• Ability to multi-task working across the organization - Handling multiple issues simultaneously, determining priorities and resources – we have a wide-reaching geography with multiple centralized support functions and the right leader must have the ability to discern key actions and drive them to closure. Enhance the milestones and metrics in place that monitor and assess performance against the strategic initiatives and performance expectations with a strong focus on low-cost manufacturing and profitability.

Challenges in the First 12 Months:

• Build strong relationships and gain the trust and confidence of the executive leadership team.
• Assess the current situation in the business unit and customer relationships, providing a renewed vision of the long-term operations strategy driving superior returns along with consistent growth.
• Evaluate and upgrade, if necessary, the existing talent found within the business; establish a vision and lead change; and be responsible for cultivating a culture that encourages the attainment of organizational goals through people development, promotes teamwork and synergy and enhances individual, team, and organizational adaptability and effectiveness.
• Successfully develop strong, collaborative cross-functional relationships across all levels of the organization.  This leader will influence (directly or indirectly) areas of the business that will have an impact on improved revenue through operational efficiency.
• Build strong relationships with customers to ensure an understanding of their needs, communicating a sense of commitment to them and to the marketplace, and creating a strong sense of brand loyalty within the customer base.
• Provide strategic direction and leadership.  Work to optimize synergies in sales, marketing, engineering, quality and supply chain operations.

Qualifications

• A BA/BS degree in Business, Engineering, or related is required. An MBA or other advanced degree in Business Administration is highly desirable.
• The selected leader must have a minimum of 15 years of business experience, preferably coming up through the operations function in a highly-respected industrial or consumer packaging manufacturing organization. Ideally, the last three years will have previous experience in extensive customer interface. This leader will have implemented successful operations strategies and initiatives that have delivered operational excellence translating to bottom-line revenue growth.
• The leader must have high-energy, creative approach to problems, be highly intelligent, analytical, a quick study, and a team player with exceptionally strong leadership skills. Must have a proven track record of building a well-functioning management team with low politics, taking leadership in providing the strategic vision for a business, and demonstrating strong customer focus.
• This leader must be a strategic business person first, yet one who is comfortable talking strategy one moment and discussing details the next.
• Above all else, must possess a constructive and collaborative leadership style that drives engagement, excellence and accountability.
• Ability to travel 50%.

The standard compensation for this role is $201,900 - $291,600. Salary offers will be determined based on final candidate qualifications, experience, skillset, and other relevant factors.

Compensation Statement

The expected salary range for the position described in this posting is made in accordance with the legal mandates of certain jurisdictions within the United States. The final agreed-upon compensation is based on individual qualifications and experience.

Benefits Statement

Benefits include medical, dental, vision and basic life insurance. Employees are able to enroll in the company’s 401K Employee Saving Plan and may participate in its Employee Wellness Program. Employees will also receive paid time off in accordance with company policy and state law requirements.

EEO Disclaimer

Graham Packaging is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, religion, creed, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

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