Executive Search Success Story: Recruiting a VP of Operations to Scale Manufacturing and Restore Delivery Performance for a Growing Orthopedic Implant Company
How JRG Partners executed a confidential North American executive search that equipped a private-equity-backed orthopedic implant and instrument manufacturer with the VP of Operations and manufacturing leadership required to expand validated capacity, eliminate backorders to hospital customers, and build a compliant, scalable operations function to support national growth.
Engagement Snapshot
| Client | Confidential — private-equity-backed orthopedic implant and instrument manufacturer with $190M in annual revenue (name withheld at client’s request) |
| Industry | Medical Devices — Orthopedic Implants & Surgical Instruments — encompassing precision machining, cleaning and passivation, packaging and sterilization, validated manufacturing, and hospital and distributor supply |
| Geography | North America — wide-scale candidate mapping across orthopedic, surgical, and precision medical device manufacturers and regulated contract manufacturers |
| Engagement | Confidential retained search — VP of Operations placement with validated capacity expansion, backorder elimination, and operations professionalization mandate under a private equity value-creation plan |
| Roles Searched | VP of Operations, Director of Manufacturing Engineering, Director of Supply Chain & Planning |
| Talent Assessed | 280+ medical device operations and manufacturing leaders evaluated across the industry |
| Timeline | VP of Operations placed in 45 days; manufacturing engineering and supply chain leadership deployed within five months |
The Challenge
A private-equity-backed orthopedic implant and instrument manufacturer had won new hospital system contracts and a national distribution agreement that pushed demand well beyond validated manufacturing capacity. Backorders to hospital customers were rising, surgeons were experiencing case delays, and the sponsor’s growth plan was at risk. The founder-era operations team had never scaled a regulated manufacturing operation, and capacity expansion was constrained by validation, cleanroom, and sterilization requirements. Executive leadership identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the plan:
- Backorders exceeding 15% of open orders with hospital customers escalating supply concerns
- Validated capacity on machining, cleaning, and packaging lines fully consumed
- No manufacturing engineering function to lead process validation and capacity projects
- Supply planning run on spreadsheets with no sales and operations planning process
- Sterilization and packaging bottlenecks dependent on a single outsourced provider
- Sponsor expectations for revenue growth dependent on operational scalability
Recognizing that growth required a professional medical device operations executive, the CEO and sponsor engaged JRG Partners to recruit a VP of Operations, supported by a Director of Manufacturing Engineering and a Director of Supply Chain & Planning. The company required an executive search partner with deep medical device expertise and access to operations leaders who had scaled validated manufacturing in orthopedic and surgical device companies.
Why They Chose JRG Partners
Medical Device Operations Focus
JRG Partners possesses deep recruiting expertise across orthopedic, surgical, and precision medical device manufacturers, including operations, manufacturing engineering, and supply chain leadership. This domain knowledge ensured an immediate understanding of validated manufacturing, cleanroom and sterilization constraints, and hospital supply expectations.
VP of Operations Search Specialization
Our firm maintains a dedicated practice for VP of Operations searches in medical device and medtech companies, with a proven methodology for evaluating candidates on validated capacity expansion, regulated operations leadership, and measurable delivery improvement.
Private Equity Value-Creation Alignment
JRG Partners has extensive experience serving healthcare-focused private equity sponsors and portfolio companies, with a clear understanding of growth targets, customer retention risk, and the urgency of operations leadership placements.
Our Executive Search Strategy
Phase 1 — Operations Review
Our consultants partnered directly with the CEO, sponsor operating partners, CFO, and head of quality to review backorder data, capacity utilization, validation status, supplier dependencies, and planning maturity. This review defined a VP of Operations profile combining validated capacity expansion and high-growth medical device operations experience.
Phase 2 — Talent Identification & Mapping
Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting operations leaders at orthopedic, surgical, and precision medical device manufacturers and regulated contract manufacturers who had led documented capacity expansions in validated environments. Over 280 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.
Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement
Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of eliminating backorders, expanding validated capacity, building manufacturing engineering functions, implementing sales and operations planning, and diversifying sterilization and packaging supply. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.
Phase 4 — Selection Process
Finalists completed facility assessments and presented a capacity and delivery improvement plan to the CEO and sponsor, followed by structured leadership assessments and reference verification focused on quantified backorder, capacity, and compliance outcomes.
Results Delivered
JRG Partners successfully completed the mandate, placing a VP of Operations and supporting manufacturing engineering and supply chain leadership.
- VP of Operations Appointed: A former Director of Operations from a publicly traded orthopedic company who had led two validated capacity expansions joined within 45 days.
- Backorders Eliminated: Backorders fell from over 15% of open orders to under 2% within twelve months, restoring hospital customer confidence.
- Validated Capacity Expanded: Manufacturing engineering leadership validated new machining, cleaning, and packaging capacity, increasing output by 70% without compliance findings.
- Sterilization Supply Diversified: A second qualified sterilization provider and in-house packaging expansion eliminated the single-source bottleneck.
- Planning Professionalized: A monthly sales and operations planning process replaced spreadsheet scheduling and aligned commercial and production priorities.
- Growth Enabled: Operational scalability supported 40% revenue growth in the following year under the sponsor’s plan.
Key Outcomes
- 280+ medical device operations and manufacturing leader profiles mapped across North America.
- Placed a VP of Operations with proven validated capacity expansion experience in 45 days.
- Reduced backorders from over 15% to under 2% of open orders.
- Increased validated manufacturing output by 70% with no compliance findings.
- Eliminated single-source sterilization and packaging risk.
- Enabled 40% revenue growth through scalable, compliant operations.
Planning a Confidential VP of Operations Search in Medical Devices or Medtech?
JRG Partners recruits VPs of Operations and senior manufacturing, supply chain, and manufacturing engineering leadership for medical device, medtech, and diagnostics companies across North America — discreetly, and with deep sector expertise.
Connect with our medical device operations search experts today to discuss your mandate.
Connect With Our VP of Operations Search Experts