Vice President of Operation Transformations

Trystar Inc•Burnsville, MN

5d•$190,000 - $230,000

About The Position

Trystar is scaling a multi-site manufacturing network while building a common, repeatable advanced operations that can support growth, acquisition integration, and stronger customer outcomes. This executive is the enterprise architect and driver of operational transformation—owning the advancement of operations approach, the mechanisms that convert strategy into execution, and the cross-functional process rigor required to deliver step-change results in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Cash, and People. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the VP of Operations Transformation leads the design and transformational advancement of Trystar’s end-to-end operations across safety, sourcing, planning & scheduling, manufacturing, logistics, quality, and factory automation—ensuring that “One Trystar” is not a slogan, but a scalable operating reality. This is not a staff or advisory role. The mandate is to deliver outsized, measurable enterprise results by: Transforming how work is done (people vs equipment, manual vs automated, process, systems, governance), Industrializing flow and capacity (manufacturing engineering + line design + automation roadmap), Owning the operational levers of gross margin and converting transformation into sustained financial performance. Trystar’s stated strategic direction includes improving speed and scalability, quality and consistency, supply chain resilience, and workforce capability — all with the aim that we are truly operationally excellent and well beyond typical in the industry. This role is accountable for rapidly turning those strategic themes into execution at scale.

Requirements

Minimum of 12 years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, operations excellence, business process optimization, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, or a closely related field in custom / engineered industrial or electrical equipment manufacturing.
Proven experience leading multi-site or highly complex operations/process transformation efforts in a rapidly growing manufacturing environment; experience in a private equity-backed business is preferred.
Demonstrated success improving gross margin through operational levers such as sourcing, labor productivity, process redesign, throughput, quality, automation, logistics, and inventory management.
Strong track record leading Manufacturing Engineering and Automation functions, including line design, labor standards, plant layout, capacity planning, capital projects, controls/automation, and smart factory or Industry 4.0 initiatives.
Hands-on experience implementing Lean, Six Sigma, daily management, visual management, value stream mapping, root cause problem solving, standard work, and transformational systems that scale.
Demonstrated ability to improve First Pass Yield / throughput, reduce cycle times, shorten lead times, and improve on-time delivery in make-to-order, configure-to-order, or engineered-to-order environments.
Strong business and financial acumen, including the ability to connect operational drivers to gross margin, EBITDA, working capital, and cash flow.
Experience building and leading high-performing teams, upgrading talent, coaching leaders, and creating accountability through clear metrics and operating rhythms.
Exceptional cross-functional leadership and communication skills with the ability to influence Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, Commercial, and Operations teams and align stakeholders around common priorities.
Bachelor’s degree in Industrial, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Electrical, or related Engineering discipline required; advanced degree and/or Lean/Six Sigma certification preferred.

Nice To Haves

experience in a private equity-backed business is preferred
advanced degree and/or Lean/Six Sigma certification preferred

Responsibilities

Own Trystar’s end-to-end operations for the “factory of the future”
Lead the design, deployment, and transformation of Trystar’s operations across functions and how they interact. Build enterprise transformation roadmap and process governance that improves flow across major value streams, reduces variation, and supports growth without adding complexity. Translate current processes into the business of the future and design what Trystar will look like in the future.
Lead Manufacturing Engineering + Factory Automation as growth enablers
Direct manufacturing engineering and automation strategies to increase capacity, improve labor productivity, reduce reliance on incremental headcount, and enable profitable growth. Own line design, workstation optimization, labor standards, time studies, line balancing, plant layout, capacity models, tooling strategy, capital prioritization, and launch readiness. Build and execute a practical automation roadmap that improves safety, quality, repeatability, throughput, and decision-making through connected data and smart factory capabilities.
Own the operational drivers of Gross Margin.
Be accountable for major operational drivers of gross margin, including direct material productivity, conversion cost, re-engineering for efficiency, and asset utilization. Lead cost-out programs and fact-based trade-offs that improve margin without sacrificing safety, quality, speed, scale, or delivery performance. Partner with Finance and operations leaders to convert operational transformation into sustained margin expansion and cash performance.
Drive step-change performance in Delivery + Cycle Time + Flow
Drive value stream transformations, simplify handoffs, eliminate waste, shorten cycle times, and reduce process variation across key operational steps. Improve visibility to bottlenecks and recovery actions across the network; build the mechanisms that prevent “heroics” and expediting as the operating norm.
Build a rigorous metrics system that forces action (not reporting)
Implement KPI governance that connects input metrics to customer-facing outcomes and financial performance. Establish dashboards and operating cadences that convert data into daily management, accountability, and fast decision-making.
Strengthen cross-functional enablement (so Operations can execute)
Improve the quality of information and handoffs flowing into Operations (customer requirements, engineering releases, priorities, material readiness, demand signals) so sites can execute with fewer disruptions. Improve cross-functional business processes outside Operations when they constrain execution—always with the mindset that Operations must receive what it needs to deliver for customers.
Enable scalable growth and acquisition integration
Build repeatable integration playbooks and operating standards that quickly align newly acquired sites and processes to Trystar ways of working. Partner on capacity/capability strategy, redundancy planning, and network initiatives that improve flexibility and resilience across sites.
Build leaders, capability, and a culture that sustains the gains
Develop and coach high-performing leaders and practitioners in manufacturing engineering, automation, process excellence, and transformation. Establish a culture where issues surface quickly, problem-solving happens at root cause, and the organization builds habits that stick.