Vice President, Operations

Latitude Corp•Manning, SC

22d•Onsite

About The Position

Latitude Corp. is seeking a Vice President, Operations to lead and optimize manufacturing operations across its facilities. The role provides strategic and operational leadership to achieve safe, efficient, and reliable manufacturing performance, exceptional customer service, quality, and financial results. As a member of the executive leadership team, the Vice President translates company strategy into operating plans, establishes consistent processes and performance standards across locations, develops organizational capabilities, and drives continuous improvement. The position is accountable for operational execution, customer satisfaction, on-time delivery, quality, productivity, safety, and manufacturing costs. The role is based in Manning, South Carolina, and involves regular travel to all sites, with 25–50% travel anticipated, sometimes on short notice. Latitude Corp. is a 100% employee-owned precision metal manufacturing company headquartered in Wisconsin, with locations in Arizona and South Carolina. Its facilities are described as clean and climate-controlled, and its customers span commercial and defense industries.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive manufacturing and operations leadership experience, including multi-site responsibility or leadership of complex manufacturing operations and development of high-performing leadership teams.
Experience across multiple disciplines, including Production, Manufacturing Engineering, Procurement, and Quality.
Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and P&L performance.
Proven experience implementing Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, continuous improvement, and structured operating systems.
Familiarity with ISO 9001 and AS9100 quality management systems, or experience in another highly regulated industry.
Strong communication, leadership, strategic thinking, decision-making, collaboration, problem-solving, and change-management skills.
Ability to travel regularly to all sites; 25–50% travel should be anticipated, sometimes with short notice.
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Business, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

MBA or other advanced degree.
APICS, ASQ, or other professional certifications.

Responsibilities

Lead manufacturing operations across all facilities and a workforce of 300+ employees, ensuring consistent execution, accountability, and performance.
Align workforce, capacity, technology, and capital investments with business growth, operational readiness, business continuity, and customer demand.
Standardize and track operating processes, management routines, metrics, and performance expectations across the company.
Drive Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to optimize production capacity, labor, equipment, and resources.
Lead the New Product Introduction process to ensure products are manufacturable and processes deliver quality products on time to customer requirements.
Define and implement operations strategy, goals, and KPIs that support company strategy and growth targets.
Identify technologies and equipment to expand capability and capacity for current and future customer demands.
Oversee supply chain integration, materials planning, and cost control efforts.
Lead operational aspects of M&A processes, including due diligence, integration planning, leadership retention, and cultural integration.
Drive quality improvement, root-cause problem-solving, and effective corrective actions.
Reduce defects, scrap, rework, and customer complaints while maintaining compliance with customer quality standards and AS9100.
Ensure regulatory compliance, operational safety, and quality assurance across the company.
Deliver operational performance aligned with revenue, EBITDA, margin, and budget objectives.
Improve labor productivity, manufacturing efficiency, cost controls, and asset utilization.
Partner with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, capital investments, and monthly operating reviews.
Evaluate performance metrics and drive corrective actions to meet business objectives.
Build and develop the Operations leadership team by attracting, retaining, and developing site- and corporate-level professionals.
Lead, coach, and develop Plant Managers and other Operations leaders, setting clear goals and accountability.
Foster a culture of safety, employee engagement, ownership, and continuous improvement.
Develop an adaptable, responsive, and collaborative Operations team that helps attract and retain talent.