Executive Search Success Story: Placing a VP of Manufacturing Automation to Lead a Multi-Plant Robotics Program for a Consumer Durables Manufacturer

How JRG Partners executed a confidential North American executive search that equipped a publicly traded consumer durables manufacturer with the VP of Manufacturing Automation and automation engineering leadership required to design and deliver a $140M robotics and automation program across nine plants, offset structural labor shortages, and improve productivity, quality, and safety at scale.

The Challenge

A publicly traded consumer durables manufacturer faced structural labor shortages across its nine plants, with unfilled production roles constraining output, overtime inflating costs, and quality escapes rising on manually intensive lines. The board had approved a $140M, three-year robotics and automation program, but automation had historically been pursued plant by plant with integrators, producing isolated cells, inconsistent platforms, and disappointing returns. No executive owned automation strategy or delivery at the enterprise level. Executive leadership identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the program:

• More than 600 unfilled production positions across nine plants constraining output and driving overtime
• A $140M automation program with no enterprise owner, standards, or delivery organization
• Prior plant-level automation projects delivering below projected returns with poor uptime and integrator dependence
• Multiple robot, controls, and vision platforms with no standardization or internal support capability
• Quality escapes rising on manual assembly and inspection operations
• Investor expectations for productivity and margin improvement from the approved capital

Recognizing that the program required dedicated executive automation leadership, the Chief Operating Officer and CEO engaged JRG Partners to recruit a VP of Manufacturing Automation, supported by a Director of Automation Engineering & Integration and a Director of Automation Program Management. The company required an executive search partner with deep industrial automation expertise and access to leaders who had delivered enterprise-scale robotics programs across multi-plant networks.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Industrial Automation and Robotics Deployment Expertise

JRG Partners possesses deep recruiting expertise across automotive, consumer durables, appliance, and diversified industrial manufacturers, automation integrators, and robotics OEM application organizations, including automation, controls, and program leadership. This domain knowledge ensured an immediate understanding of application selection, platform standardization, integrator management, and the uptime and return disciplines that distinguish successful automation programs.

Enterprise Automation Program Experience

Our team specializes in identifying automation leaders who have moved manufacturers from plant-by-plant automation to governed enterprise programs, bringing the standards, internal engineering capability, and program management required to deliver returns at scale.

Public Company Capital Program Alignment

Our firm has extensive experience recruiting automation and engineering executives for publicly traded manufacturers, with a clear understanding of capital governance, productivity commitments, and investor expectations.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Automation Program Review

Our consultants partnered directly with the CEO, Chief Operating Officer, CFO, and plant leadership to review labor constraints, prior automation results, platform landscape, program scope, and governance needs. This review defined a VP of Manufacturing Automation profile combining enterprise program leadership, robotics application expertise, and multi-plant delivery experience.

Phase 2 — Talent Identification & Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting automation leaders at automotive, consumer durables, appliance, and diversified industrial manufacturers, automation integrators, and robotics OEM application organizations who had delivered documented enterprise automation programs. Over 290 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of delivering multi-plant robotics programs above $100M, standardizing automation platforms, building internal automation engineering capability, achieving projected returns and uptime, and improving quality and safety through automation. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Selection Process

Finalists presented an automation program strategy and delivery plan to the CEO, Chief Operating Officer, and board, completed structured leadership and technical assessments, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified program delivery, productivity, and return outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 290+ manufacturing automation and robotics deployment leader profiles mapped across North America.
• Placed a VP of Manufacturing Automation with proven enterprise program experience in 51 days.
• Delivered more than 180 robotic cells across nine plants on schedule and within budget.
• Offset more than 500 unfilled production positions and eliminated structural overtime.
• Raised automation cell uptime above 95% and delivered returns ahead of projections.
• Reduced quality escapes by 40% and injuries on automated lines by more than half.