Vice President, Global Operations & Supply Chain

Appleton Group is seeking a transformational and accomplished leader to serve as Vice President, Global Operations and Supply Chain, located in Rosemont, IL or Houston, TX. The VP of Operations & Supply Chain will define and execute all aspects of manufacturing operations across our global footprint, and the end-to-end supply chain strategy to drive business growth, operational excellence, and financial performance.

You will provide leadership and direction for global manufacturing operations, ensuring safety, quality, delivery, asset utilization, cost effectiveness, and capital investment planning. You will drive strategic sourcing, supplier excellence and continuous improvement, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and delivering sustainable business results. You will lead and inspire a team of highly skilled professionals, fostering collaboration across Appleton locations, external suppliers, and senior leadership.

The scope will include 8 manufacturing plants, 1 global distribution center and 4 mod centers that collectively employ ~225 Salaried and 1,300 Hourly employees. The position will have 8 direct reports.

In this Role, Your Responsibilities Will Be:

• Develop and execute a world-class, global operations, supply chain and distribution strategy ensuring alignment with business goals and customer expectations
• Key KPIs include Safety Performance, Sales Output, Past Due Backlog, Site Profitability, Site Productivity, Quality PPM, Distribution Center Fill Rate and Stockouts
• Lead multi-site manufacturing operations and a global distribution center to deliver industry-leading performance in safety, quality, on-time delivery, and cost effectiveness.
• Champion Lean, Six Sigma, and digital transformation initiatives to optimize processes, increase efficiency, and improve agility.
• Drive strategic inventory planning and demand forecasting to minimize stockouts, reduce excess inventory, and optimize working capital.
• Lead global procurement initiatives, including best-cost country sourcing, strategic supplier negotiations, and supplier rationalization to deliver measurable savings.
• Implement risk mitigation strategies for supply chain and operations disruptions.
• Provide leadership on trade compliance and logistics, ensuring efficient and compliant movement of goods globally.
• Partner with EHS and plant leadership to drive a strong safety culture across all facilities.
• Drive network expansion and location strategy to support growth and geographic coverage.
• Ensure compliance with corporate governance, regulatory, and quality standards across all regions.
• Ensure operations strategies are tightly aligned with customer requirements, driving improved service levels, shorter lead times, and enhanced customer satisfaction.
• Champion workforce planning, talent development, and succession planning across operations and supply chain teams to ensure long-term capability and performance.
• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing global operations and supply chain team, fostering accountability, agility, and continuous improvement.

Who You Are:

You are a transformational leader who thrives on solving complex challenges with a global perspective. You balance strategic vision with hands-on operational execution. You inspire teams to achieve ambitious goals while fostering a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement. You are decisive, collaborative, and resilient in the face of change.

 For This Role, You Will Need: 

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, or a related field. 
• Minimum 15 years of proven operations and supply chain management experience, in a leadership role with multi-site responsibility. 
• Proven success in developing and implementing strategic supply chain initiatives that delivered measurable results. 
• Strong understanding of sourcing, procurement, planning, inventory management, trade compliance, and supplier relationships. 
• Excellent negotiation, contract management, analytical, and critical thinking skills. 
• Persuasive communication and people skills, with the ability to influence and interact efficiently at all organizational levels. 
• Willingness to travel 30-40% of the time, including international travel. 
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship now and in the future.

Preferred Qualifications that Set You Apart:

• Deep experience in industrial automation, engineering, or advanced manufacturing environments.
• Track record of driving cultural and operational transformation in a global, matrixed organization.

Our compensation philosophy is simple: We pay a competitive base salary, within the local market in which we operate, and reward performance during the annual merit review process. The total target comp range for this position is $174,000 - $248,000 plus bonus annually, commensurate with the skills, talent, capabilities, and experience each candidate brings to a role.

Our Offer To You:

At Emerson, we prioritize a workplace where every employee is valued, respected, and empowered to grow. We foster an environment that encourages innovation, collaboration, and diverse perspectives—because we know that great ideas come from great teams. Our commitment to ongoing career development and growing an inclusive culture ensures you have the support to thrive. Whether through mentorship, training, or leadership opportunities, we invest in your success so you can make a lasting impact. We believe diverse teams, working together are key to driving growth and delivering business results.

We recognize the importance of employee wellbeing. We prioritize providing flexible, competitive benefits plans to meet you and your family’s physical, mental, financial, and social needs. We provide a variety of medical insurance plans, with dental and vision coverage, Employee Assistance Program, 401(k), tuition reimbursement, employee resource groups, recognition, and much more. Our culture offers flexible time off plans, including paid parental leave (maternal and paternal), vacation and holiday leave.

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Why Emerson

Our Commitment to Our People

At Emerson, we are motivated by a spirit of collaboration that helps our diverse, multicultural teams across the world drive innovation that makes the world healthier, safer, smarter, and more sustainable. And we want you to join us in our bold aspiration.

We have built an engaged community of inquisitive, dedicated people who thrive knowing they are welcomed, trusted, celebrated, and empowered to solve the world’s most complex problems — for our customers, our communities, and the planet. You’ll contribute to this vital work while further developing your skills through our award-winning employee development programs. We are a proud corporate citizen in every city where we operate and are committed to our people, our communities, and the world at large. We take this responsibility seriously and strive to make a positive impact through every endeavor.

At Emerson, you’ll see firsthand that our people are at the center of everything we do. So, let’s go. Let’s think differently. Learn, collaborate, and grow. Seek opportunity. Push boundaries. Be empowered to make things better. Speed up to break through. Let’s go, together.

Work Authorization

Emerson will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States. This is not a position for which sponsorship will be provided. Individuals with temporary visas such as E, F-1(including those with OPT or CPT) , H-1, H-2, L-1, B, J or TN, or who need sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, are not eligible for hire.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Emerson is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status. We are committed to providing a workplace free of any discrimination or harassment.

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About Emerson

Emerson is a global leader in automation technology and software. Through our deep domain expertise and legacy of flawless execution, Emerson helps customers in critical industries like life sciences, energy, power and renewables, chemical and advanced factory automation operate more sustainably while improving productivity, energy security and reliability.

With global operations and a comprehensive portfolio of software and technology, we are helping companies implement digital transformation to measurably improve their operations, conserve valuable resources and enhance their safety.

We offer equitable opportunities, celebrate diversity, and embrace challenges with confidence that, together, we can make an impact across a broad spectrum of countries and industries. Whether you’re an established professional looking for a career change, an undergraduate student exploring possibilities, or a recent graduate with an advanced degree, you’ll find your chance to make a difference with Emerson. Join our team – let’s go!

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