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Vice president of operations resume example

A VP of operations resume with 23 years in manufacturing, leading a multi-site network. CEOs and private equity boards hire operations VPs to improve margin, deploy capital well and keep people safe, so the resume reads like an investment case backed by results.

Vice president of operations resume example, page 1 of 2CONSTANCE WEATHERBYVice President of Operationsconstance.weatherby@example.com · (412) 555-0123 · Pittsburgh, PA · linkedin.com/in/constanceweatherbySUMMARYOperations executive with 23 years in industrial manufacturing, now leading 7 plants, 3 distribution centers and 2,600 peoplefor a $750 million building products company. I have raised EBITDA margin by 5 points through network consolidation andan operating system the plants own, while making safety the first item in every review.EXPERIENCEVice President of OperationsJan 2020 – PresentAllegheny Industrial BrandsPittsburgh, PA•Lead manufacturing, supply chain, engineering, EHS and quality for 7 plants and 3 distribution centers in 5 states; 9 directreports and a $60 million annual capital budget.•Consolidated 9 plants into 7, moving 30 production lines with no lost customers, for $28 million in annual savings.•Built the company operating system (daily management, standard work, problem solving) across all sites; EBITDA marginrose from 13% to 18% in five years.•Cut the company recordable rate from 3.4 to 1.1 and serious injuries by 80% with leader safety walks and a near-missprogram.•Raised on-time delivery from 87% to 97% and cut lead times by a third, supporting 6% annual organic growth.•Led operational due diligence and integration for 2 acquisitions ($140 million combined revenue), delivering cost savings20% above the deal model.Director of OperationsApr 2013 – Dec 2019Three Rivers Glass ProductsPittsburgh, PA•Led 4 plants and 1,100 employees with $320 million in sales; improved operating income by $22 million over 6 years.•Introduced a capital approval and post-investment review process; average project payback fell from 4.2 to 2.6 years.•Negotiated 3 collective bargaining agreements with the United Steelworkers with no work stoppage.Plant Manager, Operations Manager and EngineerJun 2003 – Mar 2013Monongahela Metal WorksWashington, PA•Rose from process engineer to plant manager of a 350-person forging plant; doubled plant profit in 3 years as plantmanager.EDUCATIONMBA2008 – 2011Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of BusinessPittsburgh, PAB.S. in Industrial Engineering1999 – 2003Penn State UniversityUniversity Park, PAConstance Weatherby · 1 / 2
Vice president of operations resume example, page 2 of 2SKILLSMulti-site operations · Manufacturing network strategy · Lean operating systems · EBITDA and P&L leadership ·Capital allocation · M&A integration · EHS leadership · Supply chain · Labor relations · Board and investor communication ·Executive team developmentCERTIFICATIONSCertified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB)2010ASQConstance Weatherby · 2 / 2
Vice president of operationsUse this example

What recruiters look for

  • Scale: revenue, sites, countries, headcount, capital budget and the functions that report to you.
  • Financial impact: EBITDA or operating margin, cost savings, working capital, capital returns.
  • Strategic moves: network consolidation, new plants, automation programs, acquisitions and integrations.
  • An operating system: how you made improvement repeatable across sites, not a one-off project.
  • Safety and culture at scale: company-wide injury rates and the leaders you developed.

Writing the summary

Open with the size of what you lead and the industry, then two or three company-level results (margin, safety, growth). Make clear you can work with the CEO and board, not only the plants.

The summary in this example

Operations executive with 23 years in industrial manufacturing, now leading 7 plants, 3 distribution centers and 2,600 people for a $750 million building products company. I have raised EBITDA margin by 5 points through network consolidation and an operating system the plants own, while making safety the first item in every review.

VP of operations at a private equity-backed company

Operations executive with twenty years in industrial products, the last eight in private equity-backed companies. I have led operations through two exits, delivering EBITDA growth of 60% and 45% over the hold periods through footprint, pricing support and procurement.

VP of operations in services or distribution

Vice president of operations for a $500 million wholesale distributor, leading 14 branches, 6 distribution centers, a fleet of 220 trucks and 1,400 people. I cut cost to serve by 11% while raising same-day fill rate to 98%.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Designed and built a $90 million greenfield plant in 22 months, reaching target output 4 months after start-up.
  • Reduced working capital by $45 million through inventory programs at 9 sites.
  • Automated packaging and palletizing across 5 plants, saving $8 million a year with a 2.1-year payback.
  • Reorganized operations leadership from 4 regions to 2 business units, cutting overhead by $6 million.
  • Created a plant manager academy that filled 7 of 9 plant manager openings internally over 4 years.
  • Cut procurement spend by $19 million through a company-wide category management program with finance.
  • Led the operations side of a sale to a strategic buyer, presenting the plan to 12 bidders in management meetings.
  • Moved the network from 61% to 92% of sites with zero lost-time injuries in a year.
  • Reduced energy and emissions intensity by 22% across all plants, meeting the company’s 2025 sustainability targets early.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • Multi-site operations leadership
  • Manufacturing footprint and network strategy
  • Operating systems (Lean, TPS-based)
  • P&L, EBITDA and capital allocation
  • M&A due diligence and integration
  • Procurement and supply chain strategy
  • EHS and sustainability programs
  • Automation and digital manufacturing

Soft skills

  • Working with a CEO and board
  • Building senior leadership teams
  • Leading large-scale change
  • Clear, numbers-first communication

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • Rarely decisive at VP level: results and scope carry the decision.
  • Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or an engineering license: worth a line if you hold one, because it shows how you came up.
  • Executive education (for example a general management program): list it briefly if recent.

Length and format

Two pages. The top half of page one should show your current scope and three company-level results. Roles earlier than about fifteen years ago can be grouped into one line with your progression (engineer to plant manager).

Common mistakes

  • A list of plant-level projects. At VP level, show company-level outcomes and how you got many sites to deliver them.
  • No financial language. Margin, EBITDA, capital and working capital are what CEOs and boards read for.
  • Leaving out the people you developed. Building plant managers is a core part of the job.
  • Too much detail on early roles while the current role gets the same space.

Questions and answers

What should a VP of operations resume focus on?

Scope, company-level financial results, strategic moves (consolidations, new sites, acquisitions) and the operating system and leaders you built. Plant-level detail belongs in interviews.

How is a VP of operations resume different from a COO resume?

A COO resume usually covers the whole business beyond operations (sometimes sales or customer service) and board-level strategy. A VP of operations resume focuses on manufacturing, supply chain and the results they produce. See the chief operating officer example for the step up.

Should I include board or investor work?

Yes, briefly. Presenting to a board, supporting a sale or working with private equity owners tells a reader you can work at the next level.

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