Title: Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Compensation: $300-400K + 40% Bonus + Equity
Location: Salt Lake City, UT (Headquarters) | Remote flexibility for candidates located near a major airport
Travel: Approximately 50% nationwide
Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Position Summary
The Chief Operating Officer will serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, responsible for overseeing and optimizing complex, multi-site industrial manufacturing operations focused on large equipment, heavy fabrication, and engineered industrial products.
This executive will have full responsibility for operational performance, driving efficiency, standardization, profitability, and alignment across manufacturing facilities and key business functions.
The ideal candidate brings extensive experience leading industrial manufacturing organizations with revenues exceeding $250 million, a strong technical and operational foundation in large equipment manufacturing, and a proven track record of scaling businesses in high-growth, private equity-backed or acquisition-driven environments.
This role requires a strategic yet hands-on executive who is equally comfortable partnering with the CEO and Board on long-term growth initiatives as they are engaging with operational teams to drive execution, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
Executive Leadership & Operational Strategy
- Provide executive oversight of the company's national manufacturing and operations platform, ensuring alignment with strategic growth objectives.
- Develop and execute operational strategies that improve scalability, efficiency, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
- Establish a performance-driven operating model with clear accountability, standardized processes, and measurable objectives across multiple facilities.
- Partner closely with the CEO and executive leadership team on strategic planning, organizational development, and long-term capital investments.
- Build and mentor a high-performing leadership team across Engineering, Production, Supply Chain, Quality, and Project Management.
Manufacturing Operations & Engineering
- Oversee complex, custom-engineered manufacturing operations involving heavy metal fabrication, structural and mechanical assembly, and industrial equipment production.
- Ensure operational excellence throughout the project lifecycle, including engineering, estimating, procurement, fabrication, testing, delivery, and installation readiness.
- Drive improvements in manufacturing throughput, production scheduling, capacity planning, product quality, and on-time delivery.
- Establish consistent manufacturing standards and best practices across geographically dispersed facilities.
- Partner with engineering leadership to optimize product design, manufacturability, production efficiency, and quality.
Multi-Site Operations, Growth & Acquisitions
- Lead operational integration efforts associated with strategic acquisitions, aligning newly acquired businesses with common processes, systems, and performance expectations.
- Build scalable infrastructure capable of supporting rapid organic and acquisition-driven growth.
- Standardize operational procedures, reporting, KPIs, and continuous improvement initiatives across multiple manufacturing locations.
- Lead or sponsor ERP implementations and modernization initiatives, transitioning legacy systems into integrated enterprise platforms.
- Identify opportunities to improve operational visibility, cross-functional collaboration, and resource utilization.
Financial Performance & Operational Excellence
- Own operating and capital expenditure budgets across the manufacturing and operations organization.
- Drive sustainable margin improvement through productivity gains, cost optimization, estimating accuracy, and improved project execution.
- Develop and monitor operational KPIs, including safety, quality, throughput, project profitability, on-time delivery, and manufacturing efficiency.
- Implement continuous improvement methodologies to reduce waste, minimize rework, and optimize production processes.
- Evaluate and prioritize capital investments in facilities, equipment, automation, and technology to support growth.
Field Service & Installation Alignment
- Serve as the primary executive partner between manufacturing operations and the organization's national field service and installation teams.
- Ensure seamless coordination between engineering, fabrication, logistics, field installation, and ongoing service support.
- Establish standardized project handoff procedures, documentation requirements, and communication protocols.
- Improve installation readiness and reduce field-related delays, quality issues, and rework.
- Incorporate feedback from field service teams into manufacturing, engineering, and quality improvement initiatives.
Talent Development & Organizational Leadership
- Assess organizational capabilities and develop leadership structures that support continued expansion.
- Recruit, mentor, and develop senior operational leaders while building succession planning and leadership depth.
- Foster a culture of accountability, safety, collaboration, and operational excellence.
- Lead organizational change initiatives, ensuring successful adoption of new systems, processes, and operating standards.
Required Qualifications
Industrial Manufacturing Leadership
- 15+ years of progressive operational leadership experience, including a minimum of 5 years in an executive-level role.
- Demonstrated success leading operations within a mid-market industrial manufacturing organization, ideally generating $250 million or more in annual revenue.
- Proven ability to balance strategic executive leadership with hands-on operational execution.
Heavy Fabrication & Technical Expertise
- Deep experience in heavy metal fabrication, structural and mechanical assembly, and custom-engineered industrial equipment.
- Working knowledge of electrical controls and integrated mechanical systems.
- Experience with overhead cranes, hoists, rigging, lifting equipment, or similar industrial capital equipment is highly desirable.
- Strong understanding of engineering-driven, project-based manufacturing environments.
Multi-Site Operations & Business Scaling
- Proven experience overseeing multiple manufacturing facilities across geographically dispersed locations.
- Demonstrated success standardizing operations, integrating acquisitions, and supporting rapid organizational growth.
- Experience leading ERP implementations, system integrations, or large-scale operational transformations.
- Background operating within a private equity-backed or acquisition-driven industrial platform is highly valued.
Complex Project Manufacturing
- Experience managing long-cycle, custom-engineered capital equipment projects from initial design through fabrication, delivery, and field installation.
- Strong understanding of project costing, estimating, production planning, resource allocation, and margin management.
- Experience partnering with regional installation or field service organizations to ensure successful project execution.
Financial & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Demonstrated ownership of operating budgets, CapEx planning, margin improvement, and operational performance.
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams spanning Engineering, Production, Supply Chain, Quality, and Project Management.
- Strong analytical capabilities and experience implementing KPI-driven operational management.
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field required.
- MBA or advanced degree in Operations Management preferred.
Ideal Leadership Profile
Our client is seeking a highly accomplished, growth-oriented industrial executive who brings:
Strategic Vision with Hands-On Execution: Comfortable developing enterprise-level strategy while remaining deeply connected to manufacturing operations and shop-floor execution.
Technical Manufacturing Expertise: Strong command of heavy fabrication, mechanical engineering, and complex custom-equipment manufacturing.
Proven Scaling Experience: A successful track record of expanding multi-site operations, integrating acquisitions, and implementing scalable operating systems.
Financial & Operational Discipline: Strong business acumen with a demonstrated ability to improve margins, optimize resources, and deliver measurable operational results.
Collaborative Executive Leadership: Ability to build alignment across manufacturing, engineering, and field service organizations while developing strong leadership teams.
Change Management & Continuous Improvement: Experience leading meaningful organizational transformation while maintaining employee engagement, safety, and operational accountability.
Location & Travel
The company's headquarters are located in Salt Lake City, Utah. While proximity to headquarters is beneficial, our client is open to remote-based executives who reside near a major airport and can accommodate approximately 50% nationwide travel.
The COO will maintain a visible leadership presence across manufacturing facilities and operating locations throughout the United States.
