Vice President Of Operations Jobs in Appleton, WI

The Executive Vice President & General Manager for our Safety & Compliance Products Division is responsible for the strategic leadership and overall performance of J. J. Keller's tangible products business, including Product Management, Manufacturing, Distribution, Global Sourcing, Supply Chain Systems, and Customer Care. This executive owns the end-to-end product value chain, ensuring the company delivers innovative, compliant, high-quality products that drive profitable growth and exceptional customer experience.

As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, this role shapes enterprise strategy, influences key business decisions, and aligns operational capabilities with the company's long-term growth objectives. The EVP collaborates across all functions in the organization to optimize product portfolio performance, strengthen competitive advantage, and advance J. J. Keller's mission of protecting people and businesses.

This role requires onsite leadership at our corporate campus in Neenah, Wisconsin, where our products are manufactured, enabling direct engagement with the people, processes, and innovations that bring our solutions to market and create value for our customers. 

Enterprise Leadership & Business Strategy

• Establishes and executes the long-term vision, strategy, and operating priorities for the Safety & Compliance Products business, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and sustainable profitable growth.
• Serves as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, contributing to enterprise strategy, organizational effectiveness, and key business decisions.
• Partners with executive leaders across Sales, Marketing, Technology, Finance, and other functions to identify growth opportunities and drive enterprise alignment.

Business Performance & Portfolio Management

• Owns the overall performance of the Safety & Compliance Products business, including revenue growth, profitability, market position, customer satisfaction, and operational effectiveness.
• Defines portfolio strategies and investment priorities that optimize innovation, compliance, customer value, competitive differentiation, and financial return.
• Oversees product development, commercialization, and lifecycle management activities to maximize market impact and business performance.

Operations & Supply Chain Leadership

• Leads the strategic integration of Product Management, Manufacturing, Distribution, Global Sourcing, Supply Chain Systems, and Customer Care to deliver a scalable, efficient, and customer-focused value chain.
• Develops sourcing, manufacturing, inventory, fulfillment, and supplier strategies that improve service, quality, cost performance, resilience, and business continuity.
• Evaluates market trends, customer insights, regulatory developments, and industry changes to anticipate future business needs and opportunities.

Financial Stewardship & Continuous Improvement

• Provides executive oversight of financial planning, budgeting, capital allocation, and resource management.
• Champions operational excellence through continuous improvement, process optimization, Lean principles, and strategic investments in systems, technology, and automation.
• Leads business transformation initiatives that enhance organizational capability, scalability, speed to market, and overall business performance.

Leadership, Talent & Governance

• Builds, develops, and coaches a high-performing leadership team through succession planning, talent development, accountability, collaboration, and innovation.
• Ensures adherence to regulatory requirements, quality standards, ethical business practices, workplace safety expectations, and corporate governance principles across all areas of responsibility.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in a business-related field.
• MBA a plus.

Experience

• 15 years of progressive leadership experience, including 5 years in an executive, general management, or comparable senior leadership role with accountability for business growth, operational performance, and financial results (P&L experience required).
• Experience operating within complex business environments that include manufacturing, supply chain, distribution or commercial operations.
• Proven success leading multi-functional business operations with responsibility for strategy execution, financial performance, revenue growth, profitability, and operational results.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex product portfolios, including portfolio strategy, product lifecycle management, innovation, and commercialization.
• Track record of building high-performing organizations and partnering across commercial and operational functions to achieve strategic business objectives.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to develop long-term vision and strategic plans.
• Ability to develop and implement growth plans and programs.
• Strong communication, collaboration, leadership and associate development skills.
• Demonstrated success negotiating strategic supplier agreements.
• Six Sigma, Lean and SAP systems expertise a plus.

Work is performed primarily in a standard office environment. Work involves operation of personal computer equipment for extended periods of time. Occasional travel to industry events may also be required, depending on assignment.