Swagelok

Manufactures industrial fluid systems and services

Vice President of Operations

Operations & LogisticsUpdated on Nov 13

Full-timeFremont, CA, USA$218.1k - $327.1k /yr

About the Job

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Logistics, Engineering, or a related field is required.
At least 10 years of progressive operations or industry-related experience is required, including at least 5 years leading multiple functions or teams through subordinate supervisors or managers, with demonstrated P&L, budget, or capacity-planning accountability.
The role requires proficiency with SAP Business One, QT9, and Microsoft Office Suite to plan, track, and report operational performance.
The role requires the ability to occasionally lift and carry up to 25 pounds.
Safety glasses are required in production and warehouse areas.

Responsibilities

Translate the strategic plan into a rolling operational roadmap with clear milestones, owners, and resourcing, and raise resourcing needs and emerging risks with the executive team as soon as they are identified.
Own the Operations Quality Management System, including documentation, capability enhancement, audit readiness, and continuous improvement cadence; drive improvement commitments to on-schedule completion and escalate blockers immediately.
Adapt operational plans and priorities to changes in circumstances, direction, strategy, and work environment.
Oversee and improve the performance of Estimating and Planning, Assembly Services Production, Manufacturing Engineering, and Warehouse Operations through subordinate leaders.
Lead the direct labor workforce development program to build the capability needed to meet customer needs and Swagelok quality standards.
Lead proactive capacity planning across Assembly, Warehouse, and Planning & Scheduling, aligning workforce, equipment, and certification coverage with current and forecasted demand.
Partner with HR to improve performance management, training, and succession planning programs, providing input on Operations-specific needs and opportunities.
Expand assembly technician certifications across disciplines to build a cross-trained workforce that can shift to meet demand.
Identify high-potential associates for advancement and partner with HR on succession and leadership pipeline planning.
Interview, hire, onboard, and train new associates.
Lead, coach, and mentor associates to build technical capability, professional growth, and career development.
Maintain professional relationships with associates through consistent communication, trust, and responsiveness.
Apply leadership practices consistently and fairly, including company policies and procedures.
Translate company goals, expectations, and communications so associates understand and align with them.
Resolve conflicts and associate concerns using appropriate communication and escalation channels.
Oversee the efficient and effective daily operations of the department.
Ensure alignment between financial management, procurement, inventory control, and operational execution.
Conduct regular performance conversations with associates, including review of department goals, key metrics, and individualized training plans aligned with position requirements.
Support associate technical, interpersonal, and educational growth through formal training, on-the-job learning, rotational assignments, and continuous development opportunities.
Establish performance expectations and monitor associate performance through regular feedback, coaching, and documented performance conversations.
Escalate performance concerns to the next-level supervisor and HR when improvement is not occurring within required timelines.
Maintain clear written documentation of performance and behavioral concerns to ensure fair and transparent supervision.
Administer associate operations, including workstation readiness, payroll coordination, vacation planning, training compliance, safety practices, and operational process control.
Participate in the leadership development program and model effective dialogue, financial fluency, effective interactions, prioritization, radical candor, vulnerability, intrinsic motivation, and servant leadership.
Occasionally travel, including overnight travel, for Swagelok and industry meetings, supplier and customer site visits, and training.
Use SAP Business One, QT9, and Microsoft Office Suite to review plans, metrics, and reports.
Communicate with the executive team, department leaders, associates, customers, and suppliers in person, by phone, and in virtual meetings.
Move between office, production, and warehouse areas to observe operations, review performance, and respond to escalations.

Desired Qualifications

An MBA is preferred.
Experience with quality management systems such as ISO 9001 or similar is preferred.
Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies is preferred.

The primary purpose of the Vice President of Operations role is to build and lead the operational capabilities needed to execute the company's strategic priorities. This role is responsible for ensuring Assembly, Warehouse Operations, Planning & Scheduling, and Estimating operate as an integrated system that safely delivers quality products, responds effectively to customer demand, and supports profitable growth through disciplined execution, continuous improvement, and proactive capacity planning.

Success in this role is measured by continuous improvement in operational reliability and process maturity, as shown by sustained On-Time-to-Need-Date (OTND) performance, a quality management system that continues to strengthen through disciplined feedback loops, and a leadership bench that grows in capability year over year. This role is expected to identify opportunities for improvement early and act on them quickly, treating speed of response as a core measure of leadership effectiveness.

Strategic Leadership:

Translate the strategic plan into a rolling operational roadmap with clear milestones, owners, and resourcing, and raise resourcing needs and emerging risks with the executive team as soon as they are identified rather than at the next scheduled review.
Own the Quality Management System (QMS) within Operations, including documentation, capability enhancement, audit readiness, and continuous improvement cadence; drive improvement commitments to on-schedule completion and escalate blockers immediately.
Adapt operational plans and priorities to changes in circumstances, direction, strategy, and work environment.

Operational Execution:

Oversee and improve the performance of Estimating and Planning, Assembly Services Production, Manufacturing Engineering, and Warehouse Operations through subordinate leaders.
Lead the direct labor workforce development program to build the capability needed to meet customer needs to Swagelok quality standards.
Lead proactive capacity planning across Assembly, Warehouse, and Planning & Scheduling, aligning workforce, equipment, and certification coverage with current and forecasted demand.

Workforce Development:

Partner with HR to improve performance management, training, and succession planning programs, providing input on Operations-specific needs and opportunities.
Expand assembly technician certifications across disciplines to build a cross-trained workforce that can shift to meet demand.
Identify high-potential associates for advancement and partner with HR on succession and leadership pipeline planning.

Supervisory Responsibilities:
Staffing & Team Leadership

Interview, hire, onboard, and train new associates.
Lead, coach, and mentor associates to build technical capability, professional growth, and career development.
Maintain strong, professional relationships with associates through consistent communication, trust, and responsiveness, recognizing that the manager-associate relationship is the foundation of team engagement and performance.
Maintain consistent leadership practices and fair application of company policies and procedures.
Translate company goals, expectations, and communications so associates clearly understand and align with them.
Resolve conflicts and associate concerns using appropriate communication and escalation channels.

Department Operations

Oversee the efficient and effective daily operations of the department.
Ensure alignment between financial management, procurement, inventory control, and operational execution.

Performance Management

Conduct regular performance conversations with associates, including review of department goals, key metrics, and individualized training plans aligned with position requirements.
Promote associate development by supporting technical, interpersonal, and educational growth through formal training, on-the-job learning, rotational assignments, and continuous development opportunities.
Establish performance expectations and monitor associate performance through regular feedback, coaching, and documented performance conversations.
Escalate performance concerns to the next-level supervisor and HR when improvement is not occurring within required timelines.
Maintain clear written documentation of performance and behavioral concerns to ensure fair and transparent supervision.

Associate Administration

Administer associate operations, including workstation readiness, payroll coordination, vacation planning, training compliance, safety practices, and operational process control.

Leadership Norms of Behavior:
Executives, managers, and supervisors are expected to participate in our leadership development program and model the following behaviors:

Hold Crucial Conversations – Engage in effective dialogue when there are opposing opinions, high stakes, and strong emotions
Apply Financial Fluency – Continuously seek out ways to increase the gross margin per invoice and reduce the cost to serve.
Model Effective Interactions – Communicate effectively with both internal and external customers by being modifiable, inviting participation, and clearly stating intentions.
Employ Essentialism – Prioritize tasks that support the achievement of our vision, mission, and strategic plan while living our core values.
Communicate with Radical Candor – Challenge Directly while caring personally to promote effectiveness and associate growth and development
Embrace the Power of Vulnerability – Create a culture where honest sharing of weaknesses, feelings, and experiences is recognized as an opportunity for growth, improved relationships, and better outcomes.
Align with Intrinsic Motivators – As much as possible, manage associates so that they have an appropriate amount of autonomy, can master a specific skill set, and are aligned with the broader purpose of the company.
Servant Leadership – Be of service to associates by removing obstacles and providing support that enables their success and well-being.

Work Environment & Travel

On-site position at our Fremont office, Monday–Friday.
Occasionally required to travel, including overnight travel, for Swagelok and industry meetings, supplier and customer site visits, and training.
Continually required to sit or stand while performing office work, leading meetings, and observing operations.
Continually required to use a computer and business systems, including SAP Business One (ERP), QT9 (quality management system), and Microsoft Office Suite, to review plans, metrics, and reports.
Continually required to communicate with the executive team, department leaders, associates, customers, and suppliers in person, by phone, and in virtual meetings.
Occasionally required to move between office, production, and warehouse areas to observe operations, review performance, and respond to escalations.
Ability to occasionally lift and carry up to 25 lbs.
Personal protective equipment (PPE), such as safety glasses, required in production and warehouse areas; moderate noise levels in production areas.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Skills & Competencies

Operational Leadership – Leads multiple functions through subordinate leaders to deliver safe, high-quality, on-time output.
Strategic Planning & Execution – Translates strategy into operational roadmaps, capacity plans, and measurable milestones, and tracks them to completion.
Quality & Continuous Improvement – Applies quality management system principles and Lean or continuous improvement methods to strengthen processes.
Problem Solving & Urgency – Identifies issues early, leads structured root cause analysis, and drives corrective action to closure.
Financial & Business Acumen – Manages budgets and makes resource decisions that improve margin and reduce cost to serve.
Data-Driven Decision-Making – Analyzes operational metrics, including OTND, capacity, and escalation data, to set priorities and measure results.
Executive Communication – Communicates clearly, verbally and in writing, with the executive team, associates, customers, and suppliers.
Talent Development – Builds leadership bench strength and cross-trained teams through coaching, certification, and succession planning.
Systems Proficiency – Uses SAP Business One, QT9, and Microsoft Office Suite to plan, track, and report operational performance.

Education & Work Experience
Required:

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Logistics, Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum of 10 years of progressive operations or industry-related experience, including a minimum of 5 years leading multiple functions or teams through subordinate supervisors or managers, with demonstrated P&L, budget, or capacity-planning accountability.

Preferred:

MBA. Experience with quality management systems (ISO 9001 or similar) and with Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies.

About the Company

Swagelok

Manufactures industrial fluid systems and services

Swagelok provides industrial fluid-system components and engineering services to contain, control, and transfer liquids and gases in critical applications. It designs and manufactures fittings, tubing, valves, hoses, sensors, and related hardware, backed by engineering support that tailors solutions to specific processes. It differentiates itself with a global, privately held, asset-light manufacturing and distribution network across 70 countries and a long track record since 1947, delivering broad product coverage and local support. Its goal is to meet evolving customer needs by delivering reliable products and services while investing in people, capabilities, and the supply chain for the benefit of customers, communities, and colleagues.

Company size: 1,001-5,000
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: Solon, IA
Founded: 1965

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