Aufgaben About Us

Mercedes-Benz USA is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. In our people, you will find tremendous commitment to our corporate values. Our products and employees reflect this dedication. We are looking for diverse top-notch individuals to join the Mercedes-Benz Team and uphold these hallmarks

Job Overview
Mercedes-Benz Vehicle Processing Centers (VPCs) are responsible for the timely and quality delivery of vehicles imported into the United States. VPCs perform comprehensive quality inspections of each vehicle and possess the ability to perform factory campaign resolution and mechanical/paint/body repair to Mercedes-Benz factory standards. The Baltimore Vehicle Processing Center is Mercedes-Benz USA's largest VPC by volume and is the entry point for vehicles destined for dealerships in the Northeast USA (primarily) and all of Canada
The Manager, VPC Ops - Baltimore is responsible for leading and optimizing daily vehicle processing operations within a high-volume automotive environment. This role ensures safe, efficient, and high-quality execution while building the capabilities, system, and culture required for long-term operational success. The Manager, VPC Ops leads a team of 35-50 full-time employees and 55-70 third-party employees and must be equally strong in execution and strategic thinking; that is: running today's operations efficiently while developing tomorrow's processes through continuous improvement, data-driven decision making, and cross-functional collaboration

Responsibilities

Daily VPC Operations (30%)

• Lead day-to-day vehicle processing operations to meet safety, quality, delivery, cost, and morale (SQDCM) objectives
• Own operational achievement performance against defined operational KPIs such as throughput, scrap, downtime, and on-time delivery
• Ensure production plans are executed safely and effectively to support customer and business requirements
• Serve as the primary escalation point for operational issues, ensuring timely root cause analysis and resolution
  
  Safety, Quality, and Compliance (10%)
• Champion a strong safety culture, ensuring compliance with all safety, environmental, and regulatory standards
• Ensure adherence to Mercedes-Benz vehicle quality standards
• Collaborate with Mercedes-Benz Quality Management and Engineering teams to address quality escapes, process variation, and corrective actions
  
  People Leadership & Development (20%)
• Directly lead three (3) VPC Supervisors; indirectly lead employees and technical staff
• Build a strong bench through coaching, performance management, and targeted development
• Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous learning
• Ensure labor planning, training, and succession strategies align with operational needs
  
  Continuous Improvement & Future Readiness (15%)
• Drive a structured continuous improvement culture using LEAN, Six Sigma, TPS/MPS, or similar methodologies
• Lead kaizen events and improvement initiatives targeting waste reduction, efficiency, and process capability
• Proactively identify future capacity, technology, and skill needs to support business growth and changing market and/or customer demands
• Leverage data and analytics to anticipate trends, prevents issues, and improve decision-making
  
  Strategic Planning (10%)
• Translate leadership objectives and business conditions into clear site-level operational plans
• Assess current site performance and identify near- and mid-term operational risks (capacity constraints, skill gaps, equipment health, layout limitations, etc.)
• Establish routine performance reviews to track progress against site goals and adjust plans as business conditions change
• Serve as the "operational voice" of the site, providing data-driven input into broader business planning discussions
  
  Inventory & Materials Management (10%)
• Ensure materials availability to support daily production while maintaining site inventory targets
• Own site-level performance related to inventory accuracy, line shortages, and material-related downtime
• Drive adherence to site material standards, including FIFO, point-of-use storage, visual controls, and standard work
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for material disruptions, inventory discrepancies, and excess of obsolete inventory
• Support implementation and maintenance of pull systems appropriate to site processes and product mix
• Monitor supplier material performance impacts at site level and escalate systemic issues through appropriate channels
  
  Cross-Functional Collaboration (5%)
• Partner with cross-functional internal areas (i.e., Quality Management, Engineering, Logistics, Finance, etc.) to optimize end-to-end performance
• Contribute operational input to budgeting, capital planning, and long-range strategy discussions

Qualifikationen Qualifications
Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Operations Management or related field

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing or processing operations within automotive or similar industry
• Proven experience leading frontline leaders and managing complex operations
• Proven ability to manage and develop a high-performance team
• Experience using data analytics to find actionable insights
• Experience managing third-party labor vendors preferred
• Production/Manufacturing background a plus, but not required
• Quality Assurance background a plus, but not required
• Experience tracking performance by utilizing KPI's and providing feedback on KPI effectiveness and performance trends
• Experience in high-volume environment preferred
• Prior experience managing change in a growing or transforming operation required

Skills

• Demonstrated ability to drive measurable operational results
• Ability to interact effectively and enact change at all levels of an organization
• Ability to manage multiple priority sets within a complex, dynamic environment
• Meticulous attention to detail and critical thinking
• Ability to translate data into operational context
• Proficient with all common Microsoft applications including, but not limited to, Excel and PowerPoint

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Special knowledge
• Strong understanding of LEAN manufacturing principles and continuous improvement tools
• Six Sigma Green or Black Belt certification a plus
• Exposure to automation, digital manufacturing, or Industry 4.0 initiatives a plus

Key Competencies

• Operational Excellence & Execution
• Strategic and Systems Thinking
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Change Management
• Talent Development and Coaching
• Strong Communication and Influence Skills

Success in This Role Looks Like

• Stable, predictable operations rooted in safety and quality performance
• Continuous improvement embedded in daily work, not treated as a side activity
• Fostering capable leadership and operational teams that can solve problems independently
• Processes and systems that are scalable, resilient, and ready for future demands

EEO Statement
Mercedes-Benz USA is committed to fostering an inclusive environment that appreciates and leverages the diversity of our team. We provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, ethnicity, gender, age, national origin, religion, marital status, veteran status, physical or other disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law