Senior Vice President, Operations & Engineering

Rockford Systems•Rockford, IL

About The Position

Rockford Systems is seeking a Senior Vice President of Operations & Engineering reporting to the Chief Executive Officer to join the executive leadership team and help lead the company through its next stage of growth. This is a broad, hands-on leadership role for an executive who combines strong mechanical and electrical engineering expertise with practical experience in project execution, supply chain, manufacturing, controls, automation, and industrial safety. The individual will initially assume executive oversight of the Engineering organization, including leadership of the Vice President of Engineering, while working across multiple departments and business divisions to improve execution, capacity, quality, profitability, and customer delivery. Over time, the role is expected to expand into broader operational leadership as the organization evolves. The role will also support customers and operations across North America, requiring experience working internationally and across facilities in sectors such as steel, aerospace, and industrial manufacturing. We are looking for someone who understands the complete lifecycle of a custom-engineered project from an initial RFQ and concept through drawings, estimating, procurement, production, installation, commissioning, and final customer acceptance.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive engineering, project, and operational leadership experience in industrial manufacturing, automation, capital equipment, machine safety, engineering services, or a related technical environment.
Master’s degree in mechanical engineering or an equivalent advanced technical discipline.
Demonstrated experience leading multiple departments, functions, and/or business divisions.
International experience across North America, including working with customers, teams, suppliers, and industrial facilities across multiple countries and cultures.
Proven experience managing custom-engineered projects from RFQ through design, procurement, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and customer acceptance.
Strong experience with engineering drawings, specifications, bills of materials, revision control, and CAD/design software.
Working knowledge of electrical schematics, PLCs, industrial control systems, and automation technologies. Hands-on PLC programming is not required.
Strong project-management capabilities, including responsibility for schedules, budgets, resources, risks, change orders, and customer deliverables.
Strong knowledge of supply chain and procurement, including sourcing, supplier performance, lead times, material planning, and cost management.
Experience in industrial safety or safety-critical environments.
Experience supporting complex industrial facilities, particularly in steel, aerospace, heavy industrial, capital equipment, or related sectors.
Proven ability to manage senior leaders and develop high-performing technical and operational teams.
Strong financial and commercial acumen, including project margins, labor utilization, forecasting, budgets, and operating KPIs.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with OSHA, ANSI, NFPA, and other applicable industrial safety standards is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide executive leadership and oversight of the Engineering organization, including the Vice President of Engineering.
Drive engineering capacity planning, resource allocation, technical execution, productivity, quality, and on-time performance.
Oversee the processes used to create, review, approve, revise, and release engineering drawings, specifications, bills of materials, and other technical documentation.
Maintain strong working knowledge of CAD/design software and mechanical design practices; be capable of reviewing drawings, challenging assumptions, and ensuring designs are manufacturable, cost-effective, safe, and aligned with customer requirements.
Possess sufficient familiarity with electrical schematics and control-system architecture to effectively lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and identify technical or project risks.
Understand the application and variability of PLC platforms, industrial controls, safety controls, HMIs, sensors, and related automation technologies.
Develop engineering talent, leadership depth, technical standards, and scalable processes.
Provide technical and operational leadership throughout the RFQ, estimating, and quotation process.
Partner with Sales and Engineering to review customer requirements, drawings, specifications, scope, labor assumptions, materials, controls requirements, lead times, costs, and project risks before commitments are made.
Oversee complex engineered projects from A to Z: RFQ, concept, quotation, order acceptance, design, procurement, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, customer acceptance, and closeout.
Strengthen project-management disciplines around schedules, milestones, budgets, resources, change orders, risk management, documentation, and customer communication.
Create strong handoffs and accountability among Sales, Engineering, Project Management, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Field Operations, and Finance.
Bring a strong understanding of sourcing, procurement, supplier management, material planning, lead-time management, inventory, cost management, and supplier performance.
Partner with Engineering and Procurement to improve component and supplier standardization, control costs, and reduce unnecessary complexity.
Ensure alignment among drawings and BOMs, purchasing, production schedules, fabrication, assembly, installation, and field execution.
Identify supply-chain and operational constraints early and drive corrective action before they affect customer commitments.
Drive continuous improvement in productivity, throughput, quality, lead times, project margins, and on-time delivery.
Assume increasing responsibility for the broader Operations organization as the company and leadership structure evolve.
Provide executive-level leadership for projects involving mechanical, electrical, controls, and automation disciplines.
Support the continued development and application of automation technologies in customer solutions and internal processes.
Bring experience working in industrial safety or safety-critical environments, ideally involving machine safety, safeguarding, controls, manufacturing safety, combustion safety, or related applications.
Maintain a safety-first mindset in engineering decisions, project execution, field activities, and operational processes.
Lead across multiple departments and business divisions, creating alignment, accountability, and consistent operating disciplines.
Establish and manage KPIs for engineering productivity, project execution, quality, supply chain, margins, delivery, and operational effectiveness.
Partner with the CEO and Finance organization on budgeting, forecasting, project profitability, capital planning, and strategic initiatives.
Build leadership depth and succession plans across Engineering and Operations.
Serve as a key operating partner to the CEO and member of the senior leadership team.