CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Chief Operating Officer 

Based in Saint Louis, Missouri, purpose-driven, family-owned engineering, and manufacturing company, focused on AGV technology, custom engineering, and automation. From employees to vendors and suppliers to key partners, end users and community stakeholders, it’s an intentional commitment to a core set of values, a people-centric culture, and a foundation built on continuous improvement and innovation that makes this a unique place to learn, work and grow.  

Our new Chief Operating Officer (COO) will be a learning-agile leader, capable of driving transformation across multi-sites, to create increased value for our stakeholders and customer base. Reporting to the Owner/President, the COO will serve as a key advisor and a partner to senior leadership, leading all company operations while optimizing supply chain and enhancing productivity, quality, and safety. Specifically, the Company is seeking a candidate to lead the company on its commitment to lean management, innovation, and customer value. Direct reports will include engineering manager, plant operations manager, and supply chain manager. 

YOUR ROLE AS Chief Operating Officer (COO) 

• SERVE AS A SMART, HUMBLE, SENIOR PARTNER [Entrepreneurial Lean Management] – Seeking a COO with a people-centric mindset, an owner’s mentality, and a broad base of lean management, engineering and operational experiences to help take its current capabilities to the next level. Serving a key partner on Senior Leadership Team, you will serve as a cross-functional partner to ensure profitable and sustainable company growth as the Company moves to operationalize as a multi-site in pursuit of its three, five and ten-year growth initiatives.
• EMPOWER AND BUILD A HIGH-PERFORMING TEAM [Team Leadership Employee Development] – Inspire, motivate, evaluate, and develop a team that provides oversight for multi-locations. Foster a culture that promotes employee engagement, teamwork, customer service, accountability, and continuous improvement. Partner with HR leadership to create a best-in-class learning and development model for meaningful career progression.
• LEAD LEAN INITIATIVES & TRANSFORM OPERATIONS [LEAN-Influenced, Multi-Site Operations]: From engineering and design to production planning to manufacturing, quality testing and inspection to assembly and shipping, you will coordinate, control, and optimize all engineering and manufacturing processes in alignment with Lean-influenced people, process, equipment, and technology strategies, maximizing efficiencies to yield finished goods that exceed customer expectations. Partner closely with HR to ensure people resources and production planning are aligned.
• OVERSEE SAFETY & PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE [Safe Facilities & Equipment Excellence] – Own, direct and implement best practices and policy deployment to foster a culture of safety awareness. Manage and steer a robust preventative maintenance program to assure equipment is reliable and available to meet customer demand.

IS THIS A MATCH FOR YOU? 

• You excel in a people-centric environment and bring a passion for growing privately held, family-owned business. You enjoy being part of a senior team, each willing to bring their “whole self” to work. You understand the challenges of scaling entrepreneurial businesses. You consider yourself to be a student of lean management and a hands-on, people-first leader.
• You have gained 10 years of progressive, multi-site lean management operations and engineering leadership. Ideal candidates bring a demonstrated record of success in growing people, products, and processes in alignment with LEAN. Exposure to Lean philosophies and continuous improvement methodologies is highly desired.
• Your experience includes knowledge and demonstrated success in a highly configured, custom, low-volume/high-mix, and or job shop manufacturing environment. Familiarity with mechanical, electrical controls engineering, heavy metal fabrication, assembly of hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical a plus.
• You are well-versed in proactively communicating in a transparent manner with internal and external stakeholders. You confidently interact at all levels and react with diplomacy and tact. You bring experience communicating a vision and a road map with patience and clarity to a wide range of stakeholders.
• You are willing to serve as a hands-on leader with the ability and desire to flex between strategic and tactical priorities required. A superior project management proactive and flexible skill set is required.
• You have developed a solid business acumen, well-honed negotiation skills, and are tech-savvy, including Microsoft Office, Solidworks, PDM, and ERP. Four-year college degree is required. Engineering, MBA or advanced degree a plus.

WHY JOIN US? 

WE ARE COMMITTED TO EXECUTING STRATEGIC PLANNING AND INTENTIONAL MANAGEMENT – Owner and senior leadership are aligned for an intentional strategic goal setting journey. Laser-focused on becoming industries go to provider for AGV technology, engineered production solutions, creating the industry’s most proactive and interactive model for customer success and product support, our new COO will influence and transform an already-people centric culture to ensure continuous improvement and smart operational decisions during a period of high growth. 

CORE VALUES AND LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES ALIGN US – Guided by a culture of high expectations and desire for clarity, energy creation, results, and meaningfulness in our work, every team member is asked to bring their whole self to work.  

COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION PACKAGE – Company offers a competitive base salary and comprehensive benefits plan, including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance; MTO; generous paid holidays; bonus incentive compensation; employee assistance program; and a 401k plan. 

LOCATION & TRAVEL 

This position is based at our headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, but will require travel on regular basis to other site locations, including occasional international travel. 

The role requires an on-site presence at both of our facilities and affords professional flexibility. Relocation assistance available and relocation will be desired upon hire. Travel between our facilities is estimated at 25%, as necessitated by business and growth initiatives, but will require at least 1 days of travel every 2 weeks minimum to have presence at other locations.  Travel beyond our facilities is estimated at less than 10%.