Vice President Operations

Description

Make a Difference in YOUR Career!

Our vision is both simple and ambitious: to put our drinks on every table.

We are the leading global independent beverage solutions provider. We serve a broad range of national and international retailers as well as Global, National and Emerging (GNE) brands. Our products are distributed worldwide from our production sites in Europe, North America, and Australia. Although our own branding may not appear on the labels of the beverages we produce, there is a good chance you are reading this while sipping one of our drinks.

Our ambition is to continually improve and it’s what keeps us at the top of our game. We are solutions-based. We are innovative. We seek out new challenges and conquer them. This is our company ethos, but it’s our people’s too: Refresco is at the cutting edge of a fast-moving industry because we have passionate people pushing the boundaries of what’s best.

Stop and think: how would YOU put our drinks on every table?

Summary Description

The Vice President, Operations provides executive leadership for three of the five North American operating regions, with accountability for manufacturing performance, safety, quality, service, cost, productivity, employee engagement, and financial outcomes across a significant portion of the Refresco North America network.This role is responsible for driving operational transformation, building disciplined operating systems, improving consistency across regions, and creating a culture focused on running better every day. The Vice President, Operations will partner closely with the NA Operating Board, and cross-functional executive leaders to deliver strategic priorities and strengthen long-term business performance.This position requires an enterprise-minded leader capable of influencing at the highest levels of the organization.

Role Mandate

• Lead three North American regions with clear ownership for operational, financial, safety, quality, service, and people outcomes.

• Drive enterprise strategy and disciplined execution across the manufacturing network to deliver 3 yr plans and year-of-year improvement.

• Build scalable operating systems that improve consistency, accountability, decision-making, and sustainable performance.

• Partner with Supply Chain, Commercial, Finance, Quality, HR, Engineering, Procurement, and other executive stakeholders to improve total business performance.

Essential Job Functions

Regional Leadership & Execution

• Lead three North American operating regions, ensuring each region has clear priorities, disciplined execution routines, and measurable performance improvement plans.

• Accountable for achieving annual operating objectives related to safety, quality, service, productivity, cost, employee engagement, and financial performance through the direct leadership of regional and plant operations teams.

• Provide leadership to Regional Operations Directors and Plant Managers across a multi-site manufacturing network of 15+ facilities.

Operational Oversight & Governance

• Lead operational performance reviews, challenge assumptions, strengthen root-cause thinking, and drive accountability for sustainable corrective actions.

• Establish governance expectations and ensure disciplined execution of priorities, scorecards, operating rhythms, and escalation processes.

• Ensure compliance with food safety, quality, safety, regulatory, and internal control requirements while fostering a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement.

Continual Improvement & Operating System Discipline

• Lead the Refresco Management System (RMS) across regional operations to establish disciplined operating routines, consistent execution, and standardized ways of working across plants and regions.

• Set the enterprise agenda for operational excellence, driving sustained improvement in safety, reliability, quality, cost, OEE, yield, waste, inventory, labor productivity, and manufacturing performance.

• Build a better culture anchored in accountability, speed of execution, problem solving, waste reduction, and measurable business outcomes.

• Strengthen organizational capability by scaling best practices, daily management systems, Lean/Six Sigma disciplines, Kaizen events, and enterprise change initiatives across the manufacturing network.

Financial Accountability

• Own and influence regional financial performance, including manufacturing cost, labor productivity, yield, waste, inventory, working capital, conversion cost, capital execution, and margin improvement.

• Evaluate the impact of operational decisions on margins, cost structure, working capital, inventory performance, growth initiatives, innovation, and SOX compliance to ensure alignment with business objectives.

• Partner with Finance to convert operational performance insights into clear financial actions and sustainable results.

Capital Investment & Asset Management

• Provide oversight on major capital expenditures, including new production lines, automation initiatives, facility expansions, and facility upgrades.

• Evaluate ROI, payback assumptions, execution risk, operational readiness, and resource requirements associated with capital projects.

• Provide governance oversight of asset lifecycle, reliability, maintenance strategies, and manufacturing network optimization.

Customer, Commercial & Supply Chain Partnership

• Partner with Commercial and Supply Chain leaders to ensure manufacturing performance supports customer commitments, innovation timelines, service reliability, and profitable growth.

• Translate customer, service, and demand signals into operational priorities that strengthen responsiveness and business performance.

Culture, Talent & Engagement

• Build, coach, and hold accountable a high-performing regional leadership team capable of delivering current-year results while developing the next generation of operational leaders.

• Strengthen site leadership capability, frontline engagement, labor stability, and employee trust by ensuring consistent communication, strong operating routines, and visible leadership across the regions.

• Mentor and advise senior operational leaders and contribute to succession planning and leadership capability discussions across the Operations organization.

• Build succession-ready enterprise leaders across the sites capable of assuming broader Plant Manager/Director, Sr. Director of Operations and VP Operations roles in the future.

Risk, Compliance & ESG Oversight

• Provide oversight of operational risk management, business continuity, emergency response, and crisis preparedness.

• Review environmental and sustainability initiatives relevant to beverage manufacturing, including water usage, waste, energy efficiency, and resource optimization.

• Ensure operational considerations are integrated into ESG, food safety, quality, safety, regulatory, and enterprise risk frameworks.

Board & Executive Collaboration / Succession Readiness

• Represent operations in executive and Board-level reviews as appropriate, translating complex operational issues into clear business implications and recommendations.

• Serve as a subject-matter expert to the Operating Board and relevant committees on manufacturing performance, transformation, capital, risk, and operational capability.

• Build the enterprise leadership capability, business acumen, executive presence, presence, and governance exposure required to serve as a future successor to the senior-most Operations leadership role.

Required Skills

• Strong technical, manufacturing, and industry expertise, preferably in beverage, food, CPG, or highly regulated manufacturing environments.

• Strategic and financial acumen with the ability to interpret operational and financial performance data at an executive level.

• Clear, concise communication and influencing skills, including the ability to translate complex operational issues for executive and Board-level audiences.

• Ability to influence without authority and maintain strong working relationships with executives, directors, plant leaders, and cross-functional partners.

• In-depth knowledge of operational excellence processes, manufacturing best practices, Lean/Six Sigma, capital governance, and performance management routines.

• Ability to interact, influence, and execute at the highest levels of the company.

• Ability to hire, coach, develop, motivate, and assess performance of a multi-level operations team.

• Ability to work through others to achieve results while setting clear direction, accountability, and follow-up expectations.

• Ability to lead the operations team and support the broader leadership team through multi-functional enterprise agendas.

Competencies

• Enterprise Leadership

• Strategic Operations Oversight

• Transformation Leadership

• Operational Discipline

• Food Safety & Quality Governance

• Risk Management & Compliance

• Capital & Asset Governance

• Supply Chain Strategy

• Financial Acumen

• Executive Presence

• Change Leadership

• Talent Development

• Cross-Functional Influence

• Customer-Focused Operations

• Manufacturing Network Optimization

• Ethical Leadership & Judgment

Education and Experience

• 20+ years of operations management experience in progressively senior positions, including multi-site or regional manufacturing leadership experience.

• Minimum BS/BA degree in a relevant field; advanced degree preferred based on business need and experience.

• Professional certifications in Operations, Lean/Six Sigma, PMP, or capital governance are preferred.

• Experience in beverage, food, CPG, or highly regulated manufacturing environments.

• Exposure to public companies, private-equity-backed organizations, or board-governed environments preferred.

• Demonstrated success leading multi-person and multi-level teams across a regional or networked operating model.

• Experience building effective collaborative relationships with internal and external customers, suppliers, and executive stakeholders.

• Understanding systems and planning tools, including order management, forecasting, plant performance reporting, ERP/MRP, and ad hoc database management.

• Familiarity with business finances such as costing, conversion cost, margin, productivity, capital returns, and working capital.

• Commitment to ongoing personal and professional development, including participation in training, education, and executive development programs.

Working Conditions

• Physical Demands: Frequently sitting, standing, walking manufacturing floors, and traveling to support regional facilities and leadership engagement.

• Visual/Sensory: Requires attention to detail, often requiring focus with one or two senses at a time.

• Work Environment: Fast-paced manufacturing and executive environment requiring the ability to remain focused under pressure and adapt to changing priorities.

• Mental Stress: Pronounced pressure from Mental Stress: Pronounced pressure from business performance, deadlines, crisis management, accuracy, decision-making, and project execution demands.

Travel Requirements

Travel is expected up to 40-60% to support manufacturing facilities, leadership engagement, Board and executive-facing preparation, customer needs, and strategic business initiatives.

Other Duties

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

A Career with Refresco

Refresco is passionate about empowering leaders who reflect our core values and live by our leadership behaviors. These behaviors encourage effective leadership within the business, and focus on leading courageously, empowering individuals, and driving company growth as one team. Joining our team as a people manager means you’ll be encouraged to evolve as a leader who prioritizes the success of both you and your team, to deliver results, whilst bringing your authentic self to work.

Refresco Beverages US Inc. offers the following competitive pay and comprehensive benefits:  

• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance   

• Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts 

• Life and AD&D Insurance, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance

• Short-term disability and long-term disability  

• Pet Insurance 

• Legal Benefits 

• 401(k) Savings Plan with Company Match 

• 12 Paid Holidays

• Vacation Days and Paid Sick Time Off Days

• Well-being Benefit

• Discount and Total Reward Programs 

Join Refresco TODAY and enjoy a rewarding CAREER!  

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Refresco Beverages US Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity, gender expression, Veteran status, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law.

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