Vice President, Global Operations & Supply Chain

Vice President, Global Operations And 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 :

Preferred Qualifications That Set You Apart :

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 includes a workplace where every employee is valued, respected, and empowered to grow. We foster an environment that encourages innovation, collaboration, and diverse perspectivesbecause 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. 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, and much more. Our culture offers flexible time off plans, including paid parental leave (maternal and paternal), vacation and holiday leave.