VP, Supply Chain and Operations

Peerless: having no equal; matchless, unrivaled. At Peerless, a Grundfos subsidiary, our team of experts come together with a common passion for manufacturing sustainable pumps that provide peace of mind. Founded in 1923, Peerless Pump Company is a US-based manufacturer of horizontal and vertical centrifugal pumps for fire, industrial, and municipal applications. With pump installations in 145 countries, Peerless is globally recognized for engineering tough, reliable, and versatile pump solutions with extensive flow and pressure capabilities. From our production facilities in Indianapolis and Houston to our service centers in Lubbock and Fresno, Peerless pumps are designed to protect people and property from fire and to bring water where it’s needed most. Our product quality is second to none, but it’s our people who’ve made us Peerless for over 100 years. Our legacy of innovation is fueled by attracting, training, and retaining employees from diverse backgrounds. With competitive benefits and a strong emphasis on development, growth, and innovation, Peerless employees come seeking a job but stay to build a career.

What is the job about?  

The Vice President of Operations is a senior executive responsible for setting the short and long-term direction to transform and enhance end-to-end operational capabilities in the make-to-order/engineered-to-order manufacturing environment at Peerless Pump. The Vice President oversees a diverse team of +100 professionals across supply chain planning, strategic sourcing, quality, logistics, maintenance, manufacturing engineering etc. in the main plant in Indianapolis, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence. Collaborating closely with the two business units and other functional teams in Peerless, the VP of Operations leverages data analytics to make informed decisions, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and delivering on customer promises. This position reports directly to the General Manager and will operate  out of our Indianapolis, Indiana site. 

Your main responsibilities:  

• Operational performance: Assume accountability for day-to-day operations in the Indianapolis plant incl. operating metrics around safety, quality, delivery, inventory, cost and people performance (SQDICP).
• Plant leadership: Secure a transparent and performance-focused environment across the various teams in the plant, nurturing operational excellence, a continuous improvement culture and ONE joint operating model for day-to-day operations.
• Footprint and plant layout: Own the Indianapolis plant strategy incl. long-term plant layout and capacity expansion and deploy into concrete initiatives for the various teams to support delivery of the company’s growth strategy.
• Strategic sourcing: Lead the sourcing strategy across Peerless and build up future-proof capabilities to deploy into concrete plans and capabilities for supply base expansion, insourcing/outsourcing activities, tactical purchasing etc.
• Supply chain management: Own the SIOP process and optimize supply planning processes and tools to improve lead times, responsiveness, accuracy, and inventory mgmt. in a supply chain with a significant reliance on 3rd party components.
• Logistics: Lead and optimize all logistics activities across the Indianapolis plant including receiving goods, in-process component picking and warehousing activities
• Quality: Lead end-to-end quality activities across Peerless to secure quality standards are continuously enhanced for Peerless to deliver on our premium quality promise to our customers.
• Manufacturing engineering: Guide the manufacturing engineering team in implementing innovative plant layout improvements including introduction of new machinery, new production capabilities etc.
• Plant maintenance and facility management: Drive advancements in plant maintenance and tool room operations to support uptime and efficiency. Oversee facility services, ensuring the optimal maintenance and functionality of plant and office infrastructure.
• People leadership: Lead and nurture a high-p