President - Manufacturing Experience

Job Description

Job Description

Reports to: Board of Directors

Location: Gainesville, FL (On-site)

Employment Type: Full-time, Executive

Direct Reports: Engineering & Product Development, Operations/Manufacturing, Sales & Business Development, Finance/Administration

With approximately 50 employees spanning engineering & design, manufacturing and assembly, field service, and commercial functions, we deliver engineered products that solve complex production challenges for our customers. We compete on engineering depth, build quality, and responsiveness rather than scale.

Position Summary

The President holds full operational and P&L responsibility for the business. This is a hands-on leadership role for a company of our size: the President sets strategy and also stays close enough to engineering, the shop floor, and key customers to make sound day-to-day decisions. Success means profitable growth, on-time delivery of technically demanding projects, a strong engineering and manufacturing culture, and durable customer relationships. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated history of leading commercial growth initiatives, manufacturing organizations, driving profitable growth, and developing management teams.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Own and execute the company's strategic plan, translating it into annual operating plans, budgets, and measurable goals.
• Identify growth opportunities, new products, product-line extensions, markets, and channels, and decide where to invest limited resources.
• Advise the Board on performance, risks, capital needs, and major decisions.

Financial & P&L Management

• Carry full P&L accountability: revenue, gross margin, operating income, and cash flow.
• Set list pricing, discount structures, and margin targets across the product portfolio.
• Manage working capital, inventory investment, and capital expenditures.

Operations & Manufacturing

• Drive efficient, high-quality production of standard products to meet demand and lead-time commitments.
• Improve throughput, cost, quality, and on-time delivery through sound processes and accountability without adding bureaucracy.
• Lead production scaling efforts to match sales growth

Engineering & Product Management

• Own the product roadmap: prioritize new product development, product-line extensions, and improvements to existing models based on market needs and margin potential.
• Ensure the engineering organization (mechanical, electrical/controls, software) produces robust, manufacturable, well-documented product designs.

Sales & Business Development

• Lead commercial strategy across direct sales, distribution, manufacturers' reps, and key accounts.
• Build relationships with major customers and channel partners; serve as a senior point of contact on significant opportunities and escalations.

People & Culture

• Recruit, retain, and develop strong leaders and skilled technical and manufacturing talent.
• Build a culture of ownership, craftsmanship, safety, and accountability across the office and the shop floor.
• Set clear expectations and hold the leadership team to them.

Customer & Quality

• Make customer satisfaction and product performance central to how the company operates.
• Ensure quality, safety, and compliance standards are met across products and the workplace.

Qualifications

Required

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in an engineered-products or automation equipment business with a defined product line, including P&L or general management responsibility.
• Demonstrated success leading both engineering/product development and manufacturing/operations functions.
• Strong commercial acumen — comfortable with product pricing, portfolio margin management, and channel/distribution strategy.
• Track record of bringing products to market and managing a product line profitably over its lifecycle.
• Proven ability to lead and develop a leadership team in a small-to-midsize company (≈30–150 employees) where leaders remain hands-on.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, business, or a related field.

Preferred

• Background in automation, robotics, print and apply labeling equipment, converting equipment, controls, or industrial equipment.
• Experience scaling a privately held or family-owned business, or working closely with a Board.
• MBA or equivalent business training.
• Lean or continuous-improvement experience in a repetitive or mixed-volume manufacturing environment.

Key Attributes

• Decisive and pragmatic, with sound judgment under resource constraints.
• Technically credible with engineers while also conversant with customers and finance.
• Comfortable moving between strategy and execution.
• Direct, honest communicator who builds trust across all levels of the organization.

Ontech Talent, is where innovation meets expertise in the dynamic realm of IT and Engineering recruiting and staffing. Founded by industry visionary Nicole Whitbeck Dohnal, Ontech Talent has emerged as the premier strategic partner for Fortune mid to large companies seeking unparalleled talent solutions.

Company Description

Ontech Talent, is where innovation meets expertise in the dynamic realm of IT and Engineering recruiting and staffing. Founded by industry visionary Nicole Whitbeck Dohnal, Ontech Talent has emerged as the premier strategic partner for Fortune mid to large companies seeking unparalleled talent solutions.