Chief Operating Officer (JH21623)

Chief Operating Officer 

Our client is a private equity sponsored, rapidly growing, best-in-class multi-site manufacturer and service provider of small-format nutritional supplements, food items, household products and other consumer packaged goods.

With excellent accelerating organic growth, this is an exciting time in the company's history. We seek a growth-oriented operations leader that will help lead the organization's aggressive contract manufacturing growth strategy.

Promoting cross-functional collaboration, customer communication & excellence in service, flexibility & adaptability, 2x to 3x-growth plan over 5 years, with organic and inorganic value creation plan, we seek a strategic, but very hands-on, execution driven Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead our client's manufacturing centric end-to-end product supply (manufacturing, supply chain/logistics, purchasing) functions.

Our client has a strong track record of profitability and superior client retention while generating revenues of ~$100M annually with net sales growth at >25% CAGR and excellent EBITDA margins. 

The COO will be expected to play an instrumental role and make a significant contribution personally, and through an all "A" player product supply team, delivering and enabling collaboration with others, including the rest of the executive team and best in class board, in guiding the PE-owned organization's strategy, and equally as important, execution toward continued success and growth supported by investment.

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Title:             Chief Operating Officer (Manufacturing/Supply Chain) JH21623   

Reports to:   CEO

Location:      Salt Lake City, Utah

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Performance Profile

The objective of the COO is to serve as a trusted partner to the Chief Executive Officer to effectively assess, continuously evaluate, plan, and execute against the company's operating plans, talent development goals, and aggressive growth objectives. Overseeing the multi-site operation, he/she is expected to ensure the overall effectiveness of the company's operations, focusing on revenue growth, cost savings, quality improvement, and maintaining a competitive edge in the marketplace.

The COO will be a key contributor to corporate strategies supporting robust growth objectives over the next several years. This role will hold responsibility for leading all operational and technical aspects of the organization focused on Manufacturing (Processing, Packaging, Engineering, Maintenance), and Supply (Procurement, Forecasting/MRP, Master Scheduling, Customer Service/Sales, Supply & Demand Planning, S&OP, Warehousing, Inventory).

A successful candidate will possess the ability to build his/her team towards continued functional excellence, but also to collaborate exceptionally well in a small, dedicated, hand-on, cross-functional leadership team focused on results, accountability, and team-development. The incumbent will be expected to instill a fast growth mindset and building a high-performance culture.

He/she must have experience in a high-SKU/high-volume CPG environment and customer facing to ensure the customer service/sales, supply, manufacturing, and technical organizations continue to operate as valued business partners. Financial and ERP/system competencies are required to measure, communicate & drive results, and to improve information flow internally & externally. The COO will serve as an inspirational & influential leader, infusing the organization with new thinking, adaptability, and improved ways of operating, while providing a sustainable & competitive advantage for the organization.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Initiate key strategic initiatives across the non-union sites to continually improve working capital utilization and operating cash flow. Focus areas of opportunity include leading operations, supply, engineering, NPD/R&D/quality, and contributing to sales objectives.
• Assess available data and establish key metrics to measure success including: Supplier Performance Management (Quality, Cost, Delivery, Service), Manufacturing Metrics (OEE, Throughput, Capacity Utilization, Rejects, Production Attainment, Downtime to Operating Time, Rate of NPI, Changeover Time, Manufacturing Cost Ratios), Supply Objectives (WIP Inventory & Turns, MRP, Customer Fill Rate/On-Time delivery/Perfect Order Percentage, Inventory Management, Customer Service), and other key metrics and SMART goals (EBIDTA, CAGR, Market Share, ROI, Target Achievement.)
• Develop strategic plans to drive step change improvements in areas of opportunity within the company's inventory portfolio, and in meeting/exceeding customers' needs for improved communication, quick turns & on-time delivery related to promotional products, year-round products, new product launches, and seasonal demands.
• Continuously develop costing and timelines for RFPs, maintaining customer service levels and interfacing with customers as needed, while overseeing items quoted though turnkey partners.
• Effectively utilize financial statements, sales, and activity reports, along with other available performance data to identify areas for cost savings, increased efficiencies and capacity, and new areas of revenue generation.
• Backstop manufacturing and technical (R&D, Quality, Product Development) team members on challenges or issues providing the necessary resources or support as required.
• Represent the organization in key customer meetings providing insight into the overall supply and technical capabilities as it relates to innovation, delivering finished products, and in identifying new ways to better serve customers.
• Benchmark and establish targets for forecast accuracy, inventory turns, inventory obsolescence and monitoring results to ensure targets are met/exceeded.
• Establish and implement short- and long-term objectives, initiatives, procedures, and policies in collaboration with the CEO & Board's objectives.
• Partner with the commercial group to develop annual sales forecast and growth strategies, incorporating these into operational plans, initiatives, and objectives.
• Assess and implement global sourcing strategies focused on meeting quality, financial and timeline objectives.
• Create and maintain an environment focused on development, training & growth. Ensure reports have active growth plans and are coached to strengthen developmental areas of opportunity, while also ensuring his/her own succession/growth.
• Lead the transition from an entrepreneur led culture, to a more progressive and inclusive environment under the new PE leadership committed to taking the company from good to great.
• Adhere to the company's values regarding loyalty, transparency, inclusiveness, meritocracy and collaboration in daily activities, interactions, and communications.
• Provide leadership executing and integrating acquisitions to capitalize on synergies and adopt high-performance culture.

Ideal Experience 

• 10+ years of progressive leadership roles within Operations and Product Supply in a CM/Food/Bev/CPG/FMCG industry. FMCG is required, Contract Manufacturing and/or Private Label experience is a plus.
• Experience in a High Volume, High SKU, Fast Moving Regulatory Environment. Customer Interfacing required.
• Working knowledge of Red Zone digital productivity or similar systems preferred.
• Track record of Strategy Setting & Deployment, Change Management, & Large-Scale Time-Compressed Growth Projects.
• Ability to work in a growing, entrepreneurial, and small- to mid-sized organization poised for significant growth.
• Proven growth & cultural awareness in fast-moving organizations. Upwardly mobile, self-driven, adaptive leadership style.
• BS in Engineering, Business, or Operations related field. MS/MBA, ISM, APICs & major ERP preferred.
• Key Competencies: leadership & development, impact focused, adaptability, project management, strong influencing skills, and high-level communication/negotiation/problem solving.
• Experience at working in a "performance based" environment and fostering it within the team.
• Technical Aptitude - Ability to comprehend complex technical topics and specialized information.
• Working Under Pressure - Ability to deliver against set objectives while operating on some occasions in stressful situations.
• Agility - Ability to deal with shifting priorities and issues inherent to a fast-growing private organization.
• Demonstrated skills, knowledge and experience in the design and execution of business plans and strategies.
• Experience in dealing with issues on an international basis: understanding of the North American and international landscape.
• Interpersonal Communications - Demonstrated skills in both written and oral presentations.
• People Management - Ability to build, manage and develop high performance sales organization.
• Experienced at managing diverse and geographically remote teams.
• Strong creative, strategic, analytical, organizational, and personal negotiation skills.
• Capacity to conceptualize as well as operationalize commercial strategies.
• Ability to efficiently interact with board members. Executive gravitas and presence.