Description
Rockford Systems is seeking a Senior Vice President of Operations & Engineering reporting to the Chief Executive Officer to join the executive leadership team and help lead the company through its next stage of growth. This is a broad, hands-on leadership role for an executive who combines strong mechanical and electricial engineering expertise with practical experience in project execution, supply chain, manufacturing, controls, automation, and industrial safety.
The individual will initially assume executive oversight of the Engineering organization, including
leadership of the Vice President of Engineering, while working across multiple departments and
business divisions to improve execution, capacity, quality, profitability, and customer delivery. Over
time, the role is expected to expand into broader operational leadership as the organization evolves.
The role will also support customers and operations across North America, requiring experience
working internationally and across facilities in sectors such as steel, aerospace, and industrial
manufacturing.
We are looking for someone who understands the complete lifecycle of a custom-engineered project
from an initial RFQ and concept through drawings, estimating, procurement, production, installation,
commissioning, and final customer acceptance.
What You Will Lead
Engineering & Technical Leadership
• Provide executive leadership and oversight of the Engineering organization, including the Vice
President of Engineering.
• Drive engineering capacity planning, resource allocation, technical execution, productivity,
quality, and on-time performance.
• Oversee the processes used to create, review, approve, revise, and release engineering drawings,
specifications, bills of materials, and other technical documentation.
• Maintain strong working knowledge of CAD/design software and mechanical design practices; be
capable of reviewing drawings, challenging assumptions, and ensuring designs are
manufacturable, cost-effective, safe, and aligned with customer requirements.
• Possess sufficient familiarity with electrical schematics and control-system architecture to
effectively lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and identify technical or project risks.
• Understand the application and variability of PLC platforms, industrial controls, safety controls,
HMIs, sensors, and related automation technologies.
• Develop engineering talent, leadership depth, technical standards, and scalable processes.
RFQ, Estimating & Project Management
• Provide technical and operational leadership throughout the RFQ, estimating, and quotation
process.
• Partner with Sales and Engineering to review customer requirements, drawings, specifications,
scope, labor assumptions, materials, controls requirements, lead times, costs, and project risks
before commitments are made.
• Oversee complex engineered projects from A to Z: RFQ, concept, quotation, order acceptance,
design, procurement, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, customer acceptance, and
closeout.
• Strengthen project-management disciplines around schedules, milestones, budgets, resources,
change orders, risk management, documentation, and customer communication.
• Create strong handoffs and accountability among Sales, Engineering, Project Management, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Field Operations, and Finance.
Supply Chain & Operations
• Bring a strong understanding of sourcing, procurement, supplier management, material planning,
lead-time management, inventory, cost management, and supplier performance.
• Partner with Engineering and Procurement to improve component and supplier standardization,
control costs, and reduce unnecessary complexity.
• Ensure alignment among drawings and BOMs, purchasing, production schedules, fabrication,
assembly, installation, and field execution.
• Identify supply-chain and operational constraints early and drive corrective action before they
affect customer commitments.
• Drive continuous improvement in productivity, throughput, quality, lead times, project margins,
and on-time delivery.
• Assume increasing responsibility for the broader Operations organization as the company and
leadership structure evolve.
Automation, Controls & Safety
• Provide executive-level leadership for projects involving mechanical, electrical, controls, and
automation disciplines.
• Support the continued development and application of automation technologies in customer
solutions and internal processes.
• Bring experience working in industrial safety or safety-critical environments, ideally involving
machine safety, safeguarding, controls, manufacturing safety, combustion safety, or related
applications.
• Maintain a safety-first mindset in engineering decisions, project execution, field activities, and
operational processes.
• Familiarity with OSHA, ANSI, NFPA, and other applicable industrial safety standards is strongly
preferred.
Business Leadership
• Lead across multiple departments and business divisions, creating alignment, accountability, and
consistent operating disciplines.
• Establish and manage KPIs for engineering productivity, project execution, quality, supply chain,
margins, delivery, and operational effectiveness.
• Partner with the CEO and Finance organization on budgeting, forecasting, project profitability,
capital planning, and strategic initiatives.
• Build leadership depth and succession plans across Engineering and Operations.
• Serve as a key operating partner to the CEO and member of the senior leadership team.
What We Are Looking For
• 10+ years of progressive engineering, project, and operational leadership experience in industrial
manufacturing, automation, capital equipment, machine safety, engineering services, or a related
technical environment.
• Master's degree in mechanical engineering or an equivalent advanced technical discipline.
• Demonstrated experience leading multiple departments, functions, and/or business divisions.
• International experience across North America, including working with customers, teams,
suppliers, and industrial facilities across multiple countries and cultures.
• Proven experience managing custom-engineered projects from RFQ through design,
procurement, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and customer acceptance.
• Strong experience with engineering drawings, specifications, bills of materials, revision control,
and CAD/design software.
• Working knowledge of electrical schematics, PLCs, industrial control systems, and automation
technologies. Hands-on PLC programming is not required.
• Strong project-management capabilities, including responsibility for schedules, budgets,
resources, risks, change orders, and customer deliverables.
• Strong knowledge of supply chain and procurement, including sourcing, supplier performance,
lead times, material planning, and cost management.
• Experience in industrial safety or safety-critical environments.
• Experience supporting complex industrial facilities, particularly in steel, aerospace, heavy
industrial, capital equipment, or related sectors.
• Proven ability to manage senior leaders and develop high-performing technical and operational
teams.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, including project margins, labor utilization, forecasting,
budgets, and operating KPIs.
The Leadership Profile
This role is not simply an engineering leadership position. The successful candidate must understand
how an engineered solution moves through the entire business and must be equally comfortable
discussing a drawing, an RFQ, a project schedule, a supplier constraint, a control-system issue, or the
financial performance of a project.
We are looking for a technically credible leader with enough breadth to understand the
technology, ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, identify risk, develop people, and hold
teams accountable for results.
For the right individual, this is an opportunity to take on increasing enterprise-level operating
responsibility and play a significant role in shaping the next stage of Rockford Systems' growth.
