Vice President, Latin America

Company Description

At Konecranes, we believe that great customer experience is built on the people behind the Konecranes name. Everything we do, we do with passion and drive. We believe diversity drives business success and is the foundation for our growth. We welcome different backgrounds and skills that enrich our community and we promote a place where we can ALL be ourselves. This is what makes Konecranes a unique place to work.

Job Description

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Vice President of Latin America sub region for leading and managing operations across multiple countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and Chile.

This leadership role ensures strategic alignment with corporate objectives, drives operational excellence, and fosters a high-performance culture across the Service, Equipment, and Parts businesses. Based in Brazil, the VP will oversee country leaders and functional heads, ensuring compliance, profitability, and sustainable growth in the manufacturing sector.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement sub-regional business strategies aligned with global and regional goals.
• Act as a Latin American key contributor to the global executive team, providing insights and recommendations from the regional perspective.
• Anticipate and respond to market trends, competitive pressures, and regulatory changes within each country.

Operational Management

• Oversee end-to-end manufacturing, supply chain, and service operations within the region, ensuring safety, efficiency, and quality.
• Drive productivity and profitability through operational efficiency and process standardization.
• Ensure compliance with local laws, trade regulations, and health and safety standards.

Financial Oversight

• Own the Latin American sub-region P&L, delivering sustainable revenue growth and profitability. Ensure effective pricing strategies, contract management, and cost controls are in place.
• Ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory obligations, including board and legal representation duties.
• Manage risk and safeguard company assets through robust internal controls and governance. Identify and capitalize on new business opportunities, partnerships, and customer segments.

People And Culture

• Build leadership bench strength, ensuring succession planning and talent development at all levels, promoting a culture of safety, diversity, and inclusion.
• Ensure effective hiring practices with demonstrated high retention rates.
• Provide strong leadership to the country and functional leaders, accountability, collaboration, and performance.

Customer and Market Development

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers, partners, government agencies, and industry associations.
• Monitor market trends and competitive dynamics to drive business development and market penetration.
• Serve as a senior representative of the company in the region, ensuring brand reputation and thought leadership.
• Partner with internal functions (Sales, HR, Finance, Engineering, etc.) to align strategies and deliver a seamless customer experience.

Qualifications

What should you bring?

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in industrial, equipment, or service-oriented businesses, with at least 5 years in a senior executive/regional role.
• Demonstrated track record of managing multi-country operations, including P&L responsibility.
• Strong knowledge of change management, manufacturing processes, supply chain, and distribution networks.
• Strong understanding of Latin American business environments, including regulatory, financial, and labor practices.
• Proven ability to lead large, diverse teams across multiple cultures and geographies, managing complex stakeholder relationships.
• Fluency in English, Portuguese and Spanish.

Ideal Attributes:

• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and execution capability.
• Exceptional leadership, influencing, and decision-making skills.
• Able to balance long-term growth with near-term performance.
• Cross-cultural sensitivity and ability to navigate complex regulatory environments.
• High integrity, resilience, and commitment to continuous improvement.

Additional Information

• Reporting line: SVP, IS & Equipment, Region AME
• Location: Cotia, Brazil

Interested?

If this opportunity excites you, please submit your application along with your CV via the “Apply” link below.

Konecranes moves what matters. We are a global leader in material handling solutions, serving a broad range of customers across multiple industries. We consistently set the industry benchmark, from everyday improvements to the breakthroughs at moments that matter most, because we know we can always find a safer, more productive and sustainable way. That's why, with 16 000+ professionals in over 50 countries, we are trusted every day to lift, handle and move what the world needs.

Konecranes is committed to ensuring that all employees and job applicants are treated fairly in an environment which is free from any form of discrimination.