Napoleon leads the way with innovative engineering, advanced manufacturing techniques, unsurpassed customer service and remarkable product quality. Our award-winning products offer a best-in-class experience for all customers’ home comfort needs. While we are proudly Canadian, Napoleon is also fortunate to operate on a world-wide scale.
The warmth and experience that Napoleon product brings to the homes of our customers transcends borders, language, and cultures to elevate everyday experiences, so you love being home. Throughout North America, Europe, South America and Asia, Napoleon creates memorable moments through our stunning designs and innovative technologies.
This posting is for an existing permanent / contract vacancy and is actively being recruited for.
Title: VP of Operations
Reports To: President
Job Purpose:
The Vice President, Operations is responsible for leading Napoleon’s manufacturing operations across Canada, Mexico, and China through a team of site and functional leaders, including the GM, Mexico; GM, China; Director, Operations Canada; and Director, Global Quality.
Reporting to the President, this role ensures the manufacturing network operates safely, efficiently, and profitably while supporting growth plans and delivering strong quality, service, and cost performance.
The VP, Operations translates sales demand, product mix, and business priorities into clear operating plans and leads the manufacturing network through a common operating system. This includes aligning plant leaders around shared goals and standards; owning KPIs, operating cadence, escalation, and problem‑solving discipline; and ensuring consistent execution and continuous improvement across all sites.
This role also owns workforce and labour strategy across the manufacturing network, including labour planning, skills development, productivity improvement, and maintaining operational stability through demand changes and growth.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead Napoleon’s manufacturing operations across Canada, Mexico, and China through site and functional leaders
- Translate sales plans, demand outlook, and product mix into practical operating plans for capacity, labour, equipment, materials, and plant readiness
- Own and continuously improve the manufacturing operating system across all sites, including KPIs, operating reviews, escalation processes, and disciplined problem‑solving
- Drive performance across core metrics, including safety, quality, service, labour efficiency, productivity, scrap, inventory, downtime, OEE, and cost
- Establish and maintain consistent operating discipline, performance management, reporting, and execution standards across sites
- Lead and develop site and functional leaders to identify issues quickly, solve root causes, and sustain operational improvements
- Provide strong operational leadership in partnership with Supply Chain to ensure effective S&OP execution, material availability, schedule adherence, inventory performance, and service commitments
- Oversee global quality performance and quality systems, ensuring standards are maintained, and issues are resolved thoroughly and promptly
- Lead manufacturing engineering, maintenance, and process improvement efforts to improve uptime, throughput, changeover, ergonomics, and overall plant performance
- Lead capital planning and CAPEX execution, ensuring investments are well justified, prioritized, delivered on time, and produce measurable operational benefits
- Drive waste reduction and cost improvement initiatives across labour, scrap, rework, downtime, conversion cost, and plant overhead
- Ensure new product introductions, product changes, and volume ramps are operationally ready and executed with discipline and stability
- Build leadership bench strength across operations through coaching, mentoring, and challenging leaders to raise performance and readiness
- Ensure compliance with all safety, environmental, regulatory, and quality requirements
- Partner with Finance on budgets, forecasts, productivity commitments, inventory management, and operational business cases
- Lead operational change initiatives and performance turnarounds where required
- Support the Company’s long‑term strategy by ensuring the manufacturing network can scale competitively, profitably, and consistently
Education & Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in engineering or MBA preferred
- 10+ years of manufacturing leadership experience, including managing teams
- Experience leading through plant managers, general managers, or senior site leaders in a multi‑site environment
- Experience with regional or global manufacturing networks, ideally across North America and Asia
- Strong understanding of quality systems and the role of quality in sustaining operational performance
- Extensive experience with lean manufacturing and continuous improvement
- Strong communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills
- Proficient in MS Office and ERP systems
- This role requires a credible, hands‑on operations leader with the energy, judgement, and people leadership capability to lead a multi‑site manufacturing organization. The successful candidate will engage directly with plant teams, lead confidently through country and functional heads, and raise operating discipline, accountability, and performance across Napoleon’s global operations.
- Regular travel between facilities is required. A valid passport is required.
At Napoleon, we believe in creating an environment where our Associates can thrive personally and professionally. Here’s what you can look forward to when you join our team:
Benefits, Health, Well-being & Support
- Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage – 100% of premiums paid by the Company!
- Long Term Disability Protection
- Well-being support programs and virtual medical visits
- Employee & Family Assistance Program for mental health and well-being (EAP)
Career Growth & Development
- Training Allowance and continuous learning opportunities and programs
- Leadership development and mentorship programs
- Clear pathways for advancement
Culture & Community
- Appreciation events, raffles, and team building activities
- Napoleon Cares – A fund sponsored by Associates to help Associates in times of need
Financial Security
- Competitive total compensation package, inclusive of bonus opportunity
- Retirement savings plan with matching Company contributions (RRSP/DPSP)
- Exclusive Associate discounts on our award-winning products
Artificial Intelligence Disclosure: As part of our commitment to transparency and fairness in hiring, we disclose that automated tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), may be used to support parts of the recruitment process. This may include functions such as resume parsing, candidate ranking, or initial screening. These tools do not make final hiring decisions but may assist Talent Acquisition in evaluating applications. AI tools used may include systems based on algorithms, statistical models, or machine learning.
The Napoleon Group of Companies is committed to fair and accessible employment practices that attract and retain Associates with disabilities. This includes providing accessibility across all stages of the employment cycle. Accommodation is available upon request.
We thank you for your interest in The Napoleon Group of Companies and for participating in our competition. Only those candidates selected for consideration will be contacted.
