Job Description: The Vice President of Production leads the people, processes, equipment, and technology that turn each customer's design into a finished luxury carpet or rug. This leader is accountable for safe operations, product quality, reliable delivery, capacity, and workforce development across Scott Group Studio's multi-shift Grand Rapids manufacturing operation while focusing on the craftsmanship and customization that define the company's position in the market.
Scott Group's production environment is a custom job shop at scale. Each order follows a sequence of interdependent steps that may include sample yarn dyeing, sample production and customer approval, bulk yarn dyeing, monks cloth stamping, hand or robotic tufting, finishing, and quality inspection. Success requires disciplined scheduling and repeatable processes that support each order's distinct design, color, construction, and craftsmanship requirements.
Emotional and cultural intelligence are essential to success in this role. The VP must earn the trust of a predominantly Vietnamese-speaking workforce through listening, humility, consistency, and respectful communication. This leader values the expertise of experienced craftspeople, invites their input, and builds commitment to change while maintaining clear expectations and accountability.
Leadership ScopeLead Dyehouse, Yarn, Samples, Stamping, Tufting, Finishing, Technical Operations, and Maintenance through department leaders and supervisors. Technical Operations encompasses robotic tufting operators and the implementation, operation, and improvement of production technology.
Partner closely with Design, Customer Service/Quality, Sales, Supply Chain, and Technology to coordinate approvals, materials, production readiness, and customer commitments.
Job Responsibilities: Production Planning and Execution- Own the integrated production schedule from sample production through finished-product readiness. Plan against actual capacity by department, equipment, skill, shift, and order complexity; account for setup time, approval gates, material availability, and rework.
- Coordinate sample and production workloads, establish clear order-release criteria, and maintain reliable job routings, work instructions, status visibility, and handoffs. Ensure approved specifications and changes reach every affected team.
- Manage bottlenecks, work in process, queue time, and competing priorities across departments. Validate achievable delivery dates with Customer Service and communicate risks early with practical recovery plans.
Workforce Leadership and Craft Development- Coach supervisors to lead with empathy, fairness, and accountability across both shifts. Address conflict and performance concerns respectfully and privately; remain approachable under pressure. Maintain regular floor presence and equitable access to leadership, training, and support.
- Build trust across language and cultural differences. Learn how employees prefer to communicate, invite questions and concerns, and check understanding without assuming silence means agreement. Use bilingual leaders or interpreters, translated and visual instructions, and demonstrations.
- Capture the knowledge of experienced craftspeople through documented methods, hands-on training, apprenticeships, skills matrices, and cross-training. Develop successors for critical craft and leadership roles.
- Partner with Human Resources on recruiting, onboarding, retention, performance management, and workforce planning. Model People Come First, See It Solve It, Do the Right Thing, and Pursue Excellence.
- Partner with sales leaders to provide solutions to customer needs for expedited orders, complex project challenges, and customer-specific process requirements.
Quality and Continuous Improvement- Build quality into each production step, with clear checks for color, construction, dimensions, texture, and finish against approved samples and specifications. Partner with Quality on inspection criteria, traceability, nonconforming product, and release requirements.
- Own production containment, root-cause analysis, and corrective action for defects, rework, and customer complaints. Respect Quality's hold and release authority and escalate unresolved issues promptly.
- Improve flow, schedule reliability, material usage, and labor productivity while protecting craftsmanship. Standardize repeatable methods and handoffs while preserving appropriate flexibility for bespoke work.
- Use daily floor reviews, visual measures, and a disciplined problem-solving cadence to address constraints. Translate improvement priorities into accountable actions, including EOS Rocks and Level 10 reviews as appropriate.
Technical Operations and Maintenance- Lead robotic tufting and the adoption of new production technologies. Partner with Design to validate product suitability, operating methods, quality, throughput, and operator readiness before expanding use.
- Develop implementation plans for equipment and process changes, including trials, training, documentation, maintenance support, and production ramp-up. Balance automation with the craft requirements of each product.
- Lead preventive maintenance, equipment reliability, critical spare-parts readiness, and downtime response. Coordinate planned maintenance with production schedules and address recurring equipment failures.
Safety and Operating Discipline- Establish safe work practices, effective training, and prompt hazard resolution across dyeing, yarn handling, tufting, finishing, maintenance, and both shifts. Partner with appropriate specialists on environmental, health, and safety requirements.
- Maintain accurate production data and practical performance measures. Use ERP and scheduling tools to improve visibility, resource allocation, and follow-through; provide operational capacity and equipment requirements for leadership decisions.
Required Experience and Capabilities- High emotional intelligence demonstrated through self-awareness, active listening, empathy, and composure under pressure. A record of building employee trust, adapting one's leadership approach, receiving feedback without defensiveness, and sustaining respectful accountability is essential.
- Significant progressive manufacturing leadership experience, including responsibility for multiple production departments, frontline supervisors, and shift operations.
- Demonstrated success managing a high-mix, low-volume, custom or made-to-order job shop at meaningful scale. Experience must include variable routings, shared resources, specialized labor, and multistep scheduling; repetitive production experience alone is insufficient.
- Proven ability to leverage ERP system to translate backlog and order complexity into realistic capacity, staffing, and production plans, and to improve delivery reliability without compromising quality.
- A record of developing supervisors and skilled production employees, transferring craft knowledge, and building workforce capability through structured training and succession planning.
- Demonstrated success earning trust and leading a multilingual workforce across cultural differences. Experience working effectively with Vietnamese-speaking employees is strongly preferred; Vietnamese language proficiency is valued but does not substitute for emotional intelligence or cultural awareness.
- Practical experience with continuous improvement, quality problem-solving, equipment reliability, production systems, and the implementation of automation or other manufacturing technology.
- Strong cross-functional judgment and communication. Able to resolve competing priorities, explain constraints clearly, and maintain accountability for execution.
- Continuous Improvement mindset, and experience with LEAN Six Sigma practices / 5S.
Preferred Background- Experience in custom carpet, rugs, textiles, luxury furnishings, or another craft-intensive manufacturing business where appearance, customer approval, and specialized finishing are central to product quality.
- Experience supporting a certified quality management system (AS9100) and using ERP, production scheduling, and shop-floor performance data.
- Bachelor's degree in operations, manufacturing, engineering, textiles, or a related discipline preferred. Equivalent relevant production leadership experience will be considered.
Required Physical Requirements- Ability to stand and walk on the production floor for extended periods of time.
- Ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds occasionally.
- Frequent bending, stooping, reaching, and climbing stairs as needed.
- Ability to work in a manufacturing environment with noise and varying temperatures.
- Ability to wear proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
- Ability to operate standard office equipment (computer, phone).
- Visual ability to inspect products, review data, and monitor equipment.
- Ability to work with wool products.
- Ability to pass Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test.
Measures of SuccessSuccess will be assessed through schedule attainment and on-time completion; departmental efficiency results; weekly production output; sample and production lead times; first-pass quality, rework, and scrap; bottleneck throughput and equipment downtime; employee trust and willingness to raise concerns; retention, cross-training, and readiness for critical roles; and safety performance. Establish baselines and improvement targets with the CEO/VP Finance, accounting for order complexity and product mix.
Work Environment and Quality SystemThis role requires regular onsite leadership in office and manufacturing environments, presence across both shifts, and periodic travel to other company facilities or relevant suppliers. The leader must be able to perform essential responsibilities, including regular floor engagement, with or without reasonable accommodation.
This role must support Scott Group Studio's quality management system, including applicable AS9100 requirements, through disciplined production processes, training, records, traceability, and corrective action. Maintain product conformity and adherence to customer requirements throughout production.
