Assembly Equipment, Automation, Cadence, Capacity Analysis, Commissioning, Continuous Improvement, Cost Control, Electromechanics, Equipment Maintenance/Repair, Leadership, Lean Manufacturing, Machine Tool, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Assembly, Manufacturing Engineering, Manufacturing Systems, Mechanical Assembly, Metrics, Operating Systems, Performance Metrics, Problem Solving Skills, Process Improvement, Product Design, Project/Program Management, Qt GUI (Graphical User Interface) Toolkit, Quality Metrics, Resource Management, Risk Analysis, SAP ECC (fka SAP R/3 and SAP ERP), Safety/Work Safety, Standards Development, Strategic Planning, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Management, Systems Engineering, Systems Reliability, Team Building, Testing, Time Management, Wire Harness
Position Title: Vice President, Manufacturing and Assembly
Location: Louisville, KY
FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports To: COO
POSITION SUMMARY
The Vice President of Manufacturing and Assembly leads all pre‑installation manufacturing and build activities associated with Fives' engineered sortation and material handling systems. This includes workforce leadership, throughput optimization, manufacturing engineering, industrialization, safety, quality, cost, and delivery performance (SQDC). The Vice President will drive functions and resources to position Fives to be able to scale to meet the capacity needs of the business.
The VP works in close partnership with Engineering, Supply Chain, Project Management, Site Management, and especially the Center of Excellence (CoE)-which owns all quality standards, inspection protocols, and approval criteria.
This role ensures that every assembly action, work instruction, inspection, and test follows CoE governance to guarantee consistency, reliability, and system performance.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Operations Leadership
- Lead the Assembly organization including supervisors, technicians, manufacturing engineering, and CI teams.
- Establish the assembly operating system: tiered accountability, KPIs, visual management, standard work, task planning, and problem‑solving cadence.
- Maintain equipment, tooling, fixtures, and workflows to improve throughput and reduce variation.
- Assess production capacity capabilities, develop efficient strategies to control cost, and implement growth/scaling of production
Industrialization & Process Optimization
- Champion industrialization of new product designs, including work instructions, tooling plans, assembly sequences, and manufacturability reviews.
- Partner with Engineering and CoE to drive design rationalization, standardization, and reduction in build complexity.
- Implement continuous improvement plans that reduce rework, scrap, labor hours, and cycle times.
Safety, Quality & Compliance - in partnership with the Center of Excellence
Safety
- Ensure a zero‑incident culture through rigorous training, risk assessments, safe work practices, and alignment with Fives' Field Safety Manual.
Quality - CoE Governance
- Execute all quality checkpoints, inspections, and FAT processes in accordance with CoE‑defined standards.
- Ensure Assembly adheres strictly to CoE‑approved checklists, specifications, inspection criteria, and NCR/8D workflows (QT9, ECN, documentation control).
- Support the CoE by providing data, feedback, and continuous improvement insights that strengthen standardization across all Fives installations.
Delivery & Cost
- Ensure all builds meet project schedule needs, with proactive management of constraints and resource allocation.
- Drive productivity and labor efficiency; track hours vs. estimates, rework rates, and unit throughput.
- Collaborate with Supply Chain to ensure timely material flow, kitting accuracy, line‑side presentation, and shortage resolution.
Cross‑Functional Integration
- Partner closely with Engineering, Supply Chain, Manufacturing Engineering, Project Management, and the CoE to ensure flawless execution and hand‑off to Site/Commissioning.
- Ensure FAT readiness and alignment to CoE quality acceptance criteria prior to shipping equipment.
QUALIFICATIONS
- 15+ years' leadership in assembly or manufacturing of engineered systems, automation, or large mechanical/electromechanical equipment.
- Demonstrated success managing SQDC metrics in high‑mix/low‑volume environments.
- Strong understanding of mechanical and electrical assembly processes.
- Experience with ERP (SAP preferred), QMS systems (QT9), and lean manufacturing.
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, or related discipline; advanced degree preferred.
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Operational Excellence
- Manufacturing & Industrialization Expertise
- Quality Execution via CoE Standards
- Leadership & Team Development
- Communication & Influence
- Continuous Improvement / LEAN