twenty-eight year skin in the game VP Operations (VP Ops) hiring experience is heavily tilted towards lower middle market diverse manufacturing portfolio companies. There are a number of good points worth noting from this focus. PEGs typically focus on hiring hands-on VP Ops candidates responsible for the production of goods or provider of services. They consistently track KPIs to drive internal and external customer satisfaction and to encourage constructive behavior from the entire workforce. The VP Ops additionally hold subordinates accountable to goals and objectives. These characteristics are key ingredients for all VP Ops.
The VP Ops is the “go to” position to deliver the promised goods and/or expected company services to always satisfy the customers. The VP Ops is typically a take charge leader by example with a sense of urgency and accountability, taking initiative in identifying, analyzing, and solving problems. He needs strong oral and written communications skills to deal with all levels of the business, and must especially express numerics including metrics, percentages, margins, and profit and loss numbers.
The VP Ops oversees the production of company products and/or provision of services. Their role is ensuring that the organization is running comfortably and efficiently according to plan, and that the products and/or services meet client or customer needs.
The VP Ops reports to the CEO and typically manages all company functions except IT, finance, sales and marketing, and is responsible for the Operations Department P&L. Responsibilities are:
Hands-on management of functional areas of supply chain, manufacturing engineering, quality assurance, production, shipping and receiving, inventory, and facilities
Reducing the labor content across all products by targeted percentage objective as percentage of sales
Exceeding operating plan goals in measurements of safety, productivity, quality, and on-time delivery within an ISO9000 2008 workplace
Integrating product acquisitions, new product/ technology introductions (NPI), lean strategy implementation, production transfers, and facilities/ equipment investment
Turning around underperforming operations by transforming company operations and culture into a highly effective manufacturing entity
Incorporating lean manufacturing techniques and continuous improvement to create a sustained favorable cash flow position while increasing production capacity on a global basis
Showing specific metrics and percentages for having improved EBITDA , improved productivity, improved Direct Labor (DL) costs, improved on-time delivery, improved quality metrics, reduced OSHA recordable incident rate plus submitting a company record of consecutive days without a lost time accident
A major driver in successful new ERP system implementation and in establishing a land not previously developed (Greenfield) facility for a new product launch
Overhauling manufacturing flow of materials from receipt to shipment
Conducting training for knowledge and practical application of lean manufacturing methodologies and world class principles to continually drive improvements in EBITDA, cost, delivery, quality, safety, and employee involvement while placing the customer at the center of everything
Rearranging a facilities plan to create flow and eliminate waste
Being grounded in shop floor fundamentals with ability to connect with shop floor personnel in both union and non-union environments
Having extensive experience in buy and sell side M&A, product line consolidation and rationalization, functional consolidation, and re-engineering of business processes post acquisition
Possessing personal characteristics which include being a high integrity, trustworthy, hands-on executive leader with credibility amongst customers, employees, board members, suppliers, and other stakeholders that is underscored by an intuitive business focus
Retaining a reputation for driving positive change that enhances the bottom-line, translates strategy into reality, and implementing best practices across organizations, unifying a winning company culture
Having expertise in operating budget management, acquisitions and integration, product development and introduction, supply chain, operational excellence, lean Six Sigma, quality, customer service, customer satisfaction, facilities, human resources and environmental, and health and safety
Providing multi-operational site responsibility for products, including annual operating budgets, three year strategic planning, and being sponsor/champion of process improvement programs utilizing operational excellence and lean Six Sigma disciplines
Taking responsibility for manufacturing, materials, procurement, manufacturing engineering, quality engineering, customer service, order entry, facilities and environmental, and health and safety
Achieving all the above responsibilities is utopic; it would be considered unusual for anyone to achieve every single responsibility.
The above criteria for VPs of Operations of PEG’s portfolio companies in the aggregate is overwhelming, but it is unlikely that any SITG for VPs of Operations candidate has mastered them all. I am providing a pattern of similar traits and requirements to help SITG for VP of Operations candidates with hiring traits particular to skin in the game for VPs of Operations.
Regardless of the SITG C-Level job you apply for, after you ask for and receive a copy of the PEG’s job specifications, you should complete a self-rating quiz, rating yourself from one to ten against the job requirements. Then write down the name of one or two references who can verify your high ratings. Also include their contact info for the PEG (see the self-rating quiz example in chapter 10).
CHAPTER 4
WRITING YOUR INDIANA JONES BIO
Definition of an IJ Bio and its Purpose
Before you produce a final resume, consider first writing your IJ Bio, especially if you haven’t looked for a job in a while. Making the effort to complete your IJ Bio can help you conduct more effective networking and PEG job interviews. Our PEG clients liked the due diligence aspect of the IJ Bio. Our C-Level candidates grew to appreciate it after completion. I discovered years ago that a significant number of our A player skin in the game C-Level search candidates from the Midwest, Southwest, and from manufacturing industries had unimaginative, job responsibility-dominated resumes. Top level candidates, particularly at the full P&L and operations level, found it difficult to legitimately give themselves credit for their major career employment achievements.
The majority of my PEG clientele for the past twenty-eight years has been the lower middle market, not the billion dollar companies serviced by the big name headhunters. The skin in the game search assignments I fill demand hands-on C-Level candidates able to do more than the job for which they were hired. Their resumes need to demonstrate an ability to wear many hats in small portfolio companies. If you are trying for a job in this market, your resume must show these skills and characteristics. Bringing out such legitimate abilities in your Indiana Jones Bio will provide you with ammunition for a more effective resume that addresses your target audience’s hiring priorities.
I began calling my candidate bio request the Indiana Jones Bio based on the adventurous Indiana Jones movies, and the bio moniker stuck. Afterwards, our senior level candidates began focusing
