The Opportunity

A rapidly growing international manufacturer of temperature-controlled packaging solutions is seeking an experienced Operations Manager / Site Leader to establish, scale, and lead its U.S. manufacturing operation on the Northside of Greater Indianapolis.

The company provides passive cooling and cold-chain packaging solutions used primarily by pharmaceutical customers to help protect temperature-sensitive products during transportation. Its North American business is expanding quickly, creating the need for a hands-on operational leader who can build structure, drive daily execution, and ensure products are manufactured and shipped to customers on time.

This is the most senior leadership position onsite and offers significant visibility, ownership, and long-term growth potential. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Operations, North America, this individual will be accountable for manufacturing, warehouse and logistics operations, inventory, facility maintenance, safety, and the overall performance of the site.

The right person will be comfortable operating in a growing environment where every process is not yet fully established. This role requires someone who can set priorities, make sound decisions, solve problems quickly, and balance operational effectiveness with continuous improvement.

What You Will Be Responsible For:

Site Leadership and Operational Execution

Serve as the senior leader onsite and take overall responsibility for the safety, quality, delivery, cost, and performance of the facility.
Establish the operating structure needed to scale the site, including workflows, standard operating procedures, performance expectations, and measurable KPIs.
Ensure customer orders are manufactured and shipped accurately and on time.
Build, lead, and develop the local operations team across production, warehouse, logistics, and maintenance.
Recruit, onboard, train, and coach employees as the facility and production capacity expand.
Create a clean, organized, safe, and OSHA-compliant working environment.
Make timely decisions in a fast-moving operation where progress and execution are critical.

Manufacturing and Production

Oversee daily production operations and ensure the site meets safety, quality, output, and delivery expectations.
Partner with the production leader to translate weekly demand into practical daily production schedules.
Align staffing, shifts, equipment, and resources with production requirements.
Support the installation, testing, commissioning, and startup of new production equipment and product lines.
Drive improvements in productivity, equipment utilization, scrap reduction, material flow, and operating cost.
Ensure manufacturing processes comply with established quality standards and customer requirements.
Introduce practical Lean Manufacturing and continuous-improvement methods as the operation matures.

Warehouse, Inventory, and Logistics

Lead receiving, storage, material handling, picking, packing, and outbound shipping activities.
Maintain accurate inventory records for raw materials, components, and finished products through cycle counts and reconciliations.
Coordinate inbound and outbound transportation with carriers, freight forwarders, and third-party logistics providers.
Improve plant layout, warehouse organization, internal material flow, and the movement of products between manufacturing and shipping.
Ensure logistics activities support production schedules and customer delivery commitments.
Coordinate the preparation and shipment of customer samples when needed.

Facilities and Equipment

Establish preventive-maintenance practices that support production uptime and reliable equipment performance.
Coordinate machinery troubleshooting, repairs, spare parts, and outside technical services.
Oversee building maintenance, utilities, contractors, and property-management relationships.
Help select and implement new equipment as the company continues adding production capacity.
Ensure operational issues are addressed promptly so that equipment and facility limitations do not delay customer shipments.

Vendor and Financial Management

Serve as the primary onsite contact for vendors, service providers, maintenance partners, and local contractors.
Manage local operational purchasing within established budgets.
Identify reliable regional suppliers for production and facility needs.
Support operational budgeting, cost control, inventory audits, KPI reporting, and month-end requirements.
Work closely with Finance to maintain accurate operational and inventory information.

Cross-Functional and International Collaboration

Partner with colleagues in the United States, Canada, and Germany across Planning, Customer Service, Sales, Finance, and Quality.
Communicate production capacity, shipment status, operating risks, and customer-delivery concerns clearly and proactively.
Remain calm and solutions-focused when responding to urgent requests or competing priorities from customers, Sales, Finance, and other internal groups.
Serve as the primary operational connection between the Indianapolis-area manufacturing site and the company’s North American and global leadership teams.

Leadership Scope

Initially lead approximately two key functions:
- Production
- Warehouse and logistics
Additional direct reports may be added as the facility grows, including maintenance or other operational positions.
Maintain indirect accountability for production performance even when the daily manufacturing operation is managed by a production leader.
Partner with Quality while remaining accountable for operational compliance with established quality standards.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a closely related technical field.
At least 7 years of experience in manufacturing and/or logistics operations.
At least 3 years of direct leadership experience managing plant, warehouse, production, or site operations.
Manufacturing experience involving cold-chain products, temperature-controlled packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, food packaging, or similar products.
Demonstrated experience overseeing daily production, warehousing, inventory control, shipping, and freight logistics.
Experience establishing operational KPIs, standard operating procedures, and performance expectations.
Working knowledge of facility management, equipment maintenance, preventive-maintenance programs, and contractor management.
Understanding of operational purchasing, vendor management, workplace safety, and OSHA requirements.
Experience with budgeting, cost controls, inventory reporting, and operational performance metrics.
Hands-on experience with ERP and/or warehouse-management systems.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work onsite in the Greater Indianapolis area.

Strongly Preferred Experience

Experience working in a regulated manufacturing environment serving pharmaceutical or other quality-sensitive customers.
Previous involvement in a greenfield site, manufacturing startup, factory expansion, new production-line launch, or warehouse opening.
Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, or Six Sigma experience.
Knowledge of packaging, film-converting, liquid-filling, gel-pack, or related manufacturing processes.
Familiarity with Expanded Polystyrene manufacturing or packaging applications.
Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
Experience collaborating with international teams or working within a European-owned organization.

What Success Looks Like:

During the first six to twelve months, the Operations Manager / Site Leader will be expected to:

Establish a consistent and reliable production operation.
Increase the site’s ability to manufacture and ship products on time.
Implement practical KPIs, workflows, schedules, and standard operating procedures.
Create clear accountability across production, warehouse, logistics, and facility operations.
Support the installation and ramp-up of additional machinery and product lines.
Improve inventory accuracy, equipment reliability, cost control, and daily communication.
Build a capable local team that can support continued North American growth.

This opportunity is best suited for a manufacturing leader who enjoys building operations, solving practical problems, developing teams, and creating structure in a fast-growing environment.

By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions.

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Vaco LLC