As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I built this VP of Manufacturing job description template from the specifications that actually close searches. Copy the template below, then, more importantly, customize it with the guidance that follows: a job description is a positioning document read by candidates with options, and generic specs recruit generic slates.
Key Takeaways: Writing a VP of Manufacturing Job Description That Works
- The VP of Manufacturing owns the manufacturing network, its sites, leaders, and scorecards, delivering safety, quality, output, and cost across the footprint.
- Write the spec for the candidate you want to attract, not the file you need to complete; strong leaders read job descriptions as evidence of how the company thinks.
- Separate true requirements from preferences ruthlessly; inflated requirement lists shrink slates without improving them.
- Publishing the success metrics up front attracts operators and deters narrators, exactly the sorting you want.
- Map the network in the spec, sites, geographies, process types, and flag the hardest site honestly; credible candidates will find out anyway.
About the VP of Manufacturing Role
In market-standard structures, the role reports to the Chief Operating Officer or Chief Executive Officer and leads plant managers, manufacturing engineering, network quality, and EHS leadership. Scope varies by company, which is exactly why the customization guidance below matters, but the template reflects the specification most strong candidates will recognize.
VP of Manufacturing Job Description Template
Position Summary
[Company] is seeking a VP of Manufacturing. The VP of Manufacturing owns the manufacturing network, its sites, leaders, and scorecards, delivering safety, quality, output, and cost across the footprint. The position reports to the Chief Operating Officer or Chief Executive Officer.Key Responsibilities
- Own network performance: safety, quality, delivery, cost
- Lead plant managers and build site leadership bench
- Drive manufacturing strategy: footprint, capacity, capability
- Standardize operating system and best-practice transfer
- Command capex program and ramp execution
- Lead digital-manufacturing and automation roadmap
- Own network EHS and regulatory compliance
- Partner with supply chain on S&OP and inventory
Requirements & Qualifications
- 12+ years manufacturing leadership; multi-site command required
- Network-scorecard results verifiable by site
- Capex and expansion/ramp delivery experience
- Operating-system deployment (lean at network scale)
- Digital/automation implementations with measured OEE gains
- Regulatory regime command for the industry
- Talent record: plant managers developed and exported
Key Performance Indicators
- Network TRIR and safety leading indicators
- Quality (FPY, escapes, customer PPM)
- Schedule attainment and lead times
- Conversion cost and productivity
- OEE across sites
- Capex delivery on schedule and budget
- Site-leadership bench strength
Compensation
Mid-market base salaries for this role typically run $200,000-$275,000, scaling substantially with company size and mandate; see our VP of Manufacturing Salary Guide 2026 for full benchmarks by revenue tier, ownership structure, and industry.
How to Customize This Template
A template earns nothing until it is tuned. Map the network in the spec, sites, geographies, process types, and flag the hardest site honestly; credible candidates will find out anyway. Then prune the requirements to the honest minimum, rank the responsibilities so the first three carry the mandate’s weight, and confirm the KPI list matches how the executive will actually be reviewed, because candidates will hold you to it.
Common Mistakes in VP of Manufacturing Job Descriptions
The recurring specification failures are predictable. Requirement inflation: fifteen must-haves that describe a unicorn and guarantee a thin slate. Responsibility laundry lists with no hierarchy, leaving candidates unable to tell what actually matters. Missing success metrics, which signals the company has not decided what it is hiring for. Internal jargon that reads as noise to outsiders. And compensation silence in markets where transparency is now expected or required. Each mistake is cheap to fix in the document and expensive to discover in the search.
From Job Description to Hire
A locked spec sets up the two decisions that follow: pricing the role against the real market, and building an interview process that tests the requirements rather than admiring them. For the interview stage, our VP of Manufacturing interview questions guide pairs directly with this template.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What does a VP of Manufacturing do?
- A: The VP of Manufacturing owns the manufacturing network, its sites, leaders, and scorecards, delivering safety, quality, output, and cost across the footprint. Day to day, the role centers on own network performance: safety, quality, delivery, cost and lead plant managers and build site leadership bench.
- Q: Who does the VP of Manufacturing report to?
- A: Most commonly the Chief Operating Officer or Chief Executive Officer, with the role leading plant managers, manufacturing engineering, network quality, and EHS leadership. Reporting-line choices signal the seat’s real weight, and candidates read them that way.
- Q: How many years of experience should a VP of Manufacturing have?
- A: Market-standard specifications ask for 12+ years of relevant progressive leadership, but treat tenure as a proxy: the requirement that matters is demonstrated ownership of the outcomes in the KPI list at comparable scale.
- Q: How does VP of Manufacturing pay compare with VP of Operations pay?
- A: At equivalent scale the seats price within 10%; where operations includes the extended supply chain beyond manufacturing, that broader estate prices 10-20% above a manufacturing-only mandate.
- Q: How long should a VP of Manufacturing job description be?
- A: One page for posting, two for the internal version. Candidates decide in ninety seconds; committees need the full success profile. Maintain both from the same source document.
- Q: What requirements should we include for a VP of Manufacturing?
- A: The honest minimum. Every inflated must-have trades real candidates for imaginary ones.
![](https://www.jrgpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/tanya-gallardo.jpeg")
Tanya Gallardo
Managing Director, Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy
Tanya Gallardo is the Managing Director of Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy at JRG Partners, leading C-suite and Board engagements across key growth sectors including Technology, Financial Services, and Manufacturing.
With over 18 years of experience specializing in disruptive technology leadership, Tanya is recognized as a leading authority on talent architecture for future-focused executive roles, such as the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Her expertise lies in accurately assessing the cultural fit and technical depth required to ensure a high return on investment (ROI) for critical leadership appointments.
Prior to her role at JRG Partners, Tanya held senior roles directing global talent acquisition strategies at a major publicly-traded technology firm, advising on organizational design and succession planning for emerging executive functions. She is a recognized speaker and contributor to industry events, sharing data-driven insights on executive compensation, leadership development, and the measurable business impact of C-suite talent.
