The Company
Rittal GmbH & Co. KG (“Rittal”), based in Herborn, Germany, is the largest company of the Friedhelm Loh Group. Rittal designs and manufactures the world’s leading industrial and IT enclosures, racks, and accessories, including high efficiency, high density power management and climate control systems for industrial, data center, outdoor and hybrid applications. Rittal’s off-the-shelf standard, modified standard and custom-engineered products are known throughout the world as high-quality, affordable solutions for practically any industrial or IT infrastructure application – from single enclosures to comprehensive systems. Rittal operates 12 production facilities and employs over 10,000 people worldwide. Rittal North America is headquartered in Schaumburg, IL, operates a production facility in Urbana, OH, and has distribution hubs in Houston, TX, and Sparks, NV.
Situated on a 105-acre Midwest campus, Rittal North America’s manufacturing facility is filled with state-of-the-art equipment and processes, and contains in-house engineering and modification services, as well as the longest non-automotive paint line in North America, stretching more than 3 miles within the confines of the factory. The on-site warehouse is outfitted with an 8-story Automated Storage & Retrieval System. And training facilities and a fully equipped product showroom await customers and visitors. In a second Urbana location, Rittal maintains additional warehouse space and a product distribution center spanning nearly 60,000 square feet.
The Role
To support the continued growth of Rittal’s US business on the heels of record sales, Rittal seeks to hire a new VP of Operations for the Urbana, OH campus. The new Vice President will have responsibility for operations including manufacturing, maintenance, planning, procurement, purchasing, quality, continuous improvement and EH&S and will oversee a total team of over 300 people.
The objectives for the Vice President over the next 2 – 4 years will be to instill a culture of operational excellence & safety, develop and mature a Lean Six Sigma/Continuous Improvement program, and continue building an employee environment that promotes retention, engagement, and development. Additional priorities include improving material flow, creating additional production capacity, and evaluating opportunities to expand operations within North America.
Experience & Requirements
The ideal candidate will possess: (1) operations and supply chain leadership experience in a company of relevant size and complexity; (2) functional expertise in manufacturing, planning, sourcing, procurement, inventory management, and logistics; (3) a track record of building processes and organizational capabilities and driving continuous improvement results; and (4) superior advisory, relationship, and stakeholder management skills to handle a high-growth environment; a bias towards action and a player-coach mentality.
15+ years of progressive experience in high-volume manufacturing and supply chain environments of appropriate size and complexity.
• Experience in precision manufacturing and assembly preferred.
• Experienced in functions including manufacturing, planning, purchasing, quality, EHS, inventory management, and logistics.
• Experience using continuous improvement and Lean principles to lead operational transformation (i.e. improve material flow and create additional production capacity, improve plant layout, reduce operating costs, improve on-time delivery, safety, and quality, etc.).
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills in support of metrics, data, and process-oriented objectives; ability to succinctly report on operations measures to internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent financial, quantitative, and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated success as a people leader, including the ability to set and gain buy-in for strategic direction; attract, hire, retain, and develop operations leaders; and establish an engaging culture of accountability, quality, and customer focus.
• Excellent communication skills, including written, verbal and presentation skills; comfortable and credible with both internal stakeholders and external audiences.
• A flexible, dynamic, self-demanding and proactive individual; able to motivate him/herself and others.
• A willingness and ability to display a ‘roll up the sleeves’ approach, engaging in driving tactical execution when necessary.
• Bachelor’s degree required. Engineering, operations, or business preferred.
• Able to travel domestically up to 30%.
