Senior Vice President

Job Summary:

The Senior Vice President, Military Operations is a key member of the executive leadership team and is responsible for providing strategic direction, operational leadership, and financial stewardship across a multi-site food manufacturing and/or foodservice organization. This executive will lead large-scale operations, drive sustainable growth, ensure regulatory compliance, optimize performance, and build a high-performing culture focused on safety, quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction. The SVP will partner closely with senior leadership to execute the company's long-term strategic vision while delivering exceptional operational and financial results.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Provide enterprise-wide leadership for operations, including production, quality, supply chain, warehousing, logistics, and field operations.
• Develop and execute operational strategies that support organizational growth, profitability, and market expansion.
• Drive operational excellence
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to improve productivity, service levels, quality, safety, and profitability.
• Lead large, geographically dispersed teams and foster a culture of accountability, engagement, inclusion, and high performance.
• Serve as an executive sponsor for major transformation initiatives, process improvements, and organizational change efforts.
• Build strong partnerships with clients, customers, suppliers, and key stakeholders while serving as a senior ambassador for the organization.
• Collaborate with Sales, Finance, Human Resources, Quality, Supply Chain, and other functional leaders to align operational execution with business objectives.
• Ensure consistent execution of policies, procedures, compliance standards, and risk management practices across all locations.
• Drive succession planning, leadership development, and talent strategies that strengthen organizational capability.

Financial Leadership:

• Maintain full responsibility for operational financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and profit optimization.
• Lead P&L management and identify opportunities to improve margins, productivity, and return on investment.
• Evaluate business performance through data-driven analysis and implement strategies that drive sustainable growth.

Quality, Food Safety & Compliance:

• Ensure compliance with all applicable food safety, quality, regulatory, and customer requirements.
• Lead audit readiness, regulatory inspections, corrective action programs, and continuous compliance improvement initiatives.

Executive Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic thinker with the ability to balance long-term vision and operational execution.
• Proven ability to lead through complexity, change, and rapid growth.
• Exceptional business acumen, executive presence, and decision-making capability.
• Strong relationship-building, influencing, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to inspire teams, develop leaders, and build high-performing organizations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering, Food Science, Hospitality Management, Supply Chain, or a related field required.
• Master's degree (MBA or related discipline) strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive executive-level operations leadership experience.
• Significant experience leading multi-site operations within food manufacturing, foodservice, hospitality, consumer products, supply chain, or related industries.
• Proven track record of delivering operational excellence, financial performance, and organizational growth.
• Demonstrated success managing large teams and complex organizational structures.
• Strong knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies, quality systems, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Experience in high-growth, transformational, private equity-backed, and/or turnaround environments is highly desirable.
• Military leadership, service, and/or operational experience is highly preferred.

Travel:

Extensive travel, up to 60+%, is required based on business needs and the locations supported by the organization.