Vice President, Manufacturing and Procurement

Vention helps some of the most innovative manufacturing companies automate their production floor in just a few days. Vention's online-first manufacturing automation platform (MAP) enables its clients to design, automate, order, and deploy manufacturing equipment directly from their web browser.

Vention is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with offices in Berlin and Boston, and is used in over 3,000 factories on 5 continents. As one of Canada’s Most Admired Cultures and Great Place to Work, we are a performance driven culture that cares deeply about happiness. We like ambitious goals, facts & data, and constructive debates. But at the same time, we know that we can’t repeatedly push ourselves if we are not surrounded by an uplifting and caring work environment. Those two sides of our culture, feed each other and are safeguarded with the same level of attention. Our values & principles include: 

• We make our clients successful - we do what’s right for our customers, even when it makes our roles more challenging.

• We execute and deliver - we set ambitious goals for ourselves and are energized about meeting them.

• We debate, then commit - we challenge our own perspectives and ideas in pursuit of the best solutions.

• We innovate to inspire - we value innovation in products, user experiences, and business practices.

• We collaborate to achieve more - we work as one team to achieve more than we would on our own.

• We empower our people to reach their full potential - we hold ourselves to high standards but know when to celebrate progress & achievements

As part of Vention's Operations team, and reporting to our Chief Supply Chain Officer, you will empower and lead all manufacturing, inventory management and procurement functions at Vention. Leveraging a team of 30 supply chain and manufacturing professionals, and operating a global procurement network made of 200+ suppliers and 3,000+ SKUs, you will be responsible for scaling manufacturing operations, optimizing inventory turns, improving services level, conducting strategic negotiations, and reducing product unit costs. More specifically, your role will include:

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Manufacturing operations

• Develop and implement the global manufacturing strategy of Vention across the North America and EMEA distribution centers 
• Scale production capacity of Vention’s portfolio of “productized-applications” by setting-up structured assembly processes and cadences
• Improve assembly productivity of Vention automation and hardware components with intent to reduce unit cost
• Operate the client-assembly services, ensuring quality, margin and lead-time target
• Support EMEA operations by implementing local-production capacity in sync with growth of revenue in the region
• Partake in Vention’s product development process, driving supply chain and manufacturing deliverables
• Work collaboratively with the Quality team, to drive quality and continuous improvement initiatives across all assembly activities
• Drive selected manufacturing outsourcing activities in order to drive cost reductions
• Monitor and improve assembly activities and drive reduction in unit cost 

Procurement and strategic sourcing

• Develop Vention supplier network, ensuring suppliers can scale their capacity and quality in sync with Vention’s growth strategy
• Lead strategic negotiation projects with key suppliers in order to drive unit cost reductions
• Monitor and improve supplier performance, including quality and lead-time 
• Ramp-up new product introduction at suppliers, ensuring understanding of technical and quality requirements
• Maintain collaborative relationships with suppliers while effectively resolving performance/capability issues
• Optimize inventory level for both working capital optimization and parts availability in building an adequate Open to buy tool
• Build procedures for inventory management, ensuring right-sizing of initial inventory level on new SKUs, and subsequent purchases
• Support supplier audits, ensuring proper capacity planning and quality improvement in the context of rapid growth
• Drive master supply agreement contract negotiations across a portfolio of category
• Work closely with a dedicated team of software developers, improving inventory planning software and underlying algorithms

• You have a bachelor’s degree in mechanical or electrical engineering (or equivalent)
• You bring 10+ years’ experience of manufacturing experience in context of medium/high-throughput assembly lines
• You bring 5+ years of experience in sourcing, supplier management and negotiations
• You are skilled with at least one quality methodology (i.e., Lean, Six Sigma, etc.)
• You have a strong data analytic background with the ability to run complex analysis independently
• You have strong communication skills and are at ease presenting to employees as well as upper management;
• You have passion for optimizing assembly lines, and supply chains 
• You showed the ability to work in a fast-paced (next day deliveries) and high volume with energy and enthusiasm;
• You have experience with a global distribution network with multiple warehouses in Europe, North America, and Asia;
• You have an interest in engineering topics and are curious to learn more.

How We Take Care of You

• Flexible paid time off and remote work policies
• Complimentary beverages and snacks so that you are fueled and ready for your day
• Global comprehensive health plans so you feel your best
• Career growth opportunities. Your future matters.
• Fun-filled social events curated based on diverse interests for our team to celebrate together. From sponsored sports teams to trivia nights
• Time off to volunteer and give back to your community.

What to Expect in Your Interview

• Initial Call
• Meet the Team
• Challenge
• Decision & Offer

‍Commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity
Our culture is an uplifting environment for high achievers. The fast-paced, high-performance environment will give you the opportunity to build products, processes and strategies that will have a lasting impact.

When you join Vention, you join a team of professionals with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. Together, we strive to nurture a supportive and inclusive work environment for all. We push each other to achieve extraordinary results and forge long term relationships as a result of the intensity and passion. 
We’re passionate about helping you do your best work. Claim your seat and find out what you can do!

If you're unsure if your experience perfectly matches our job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway! We are happy to chat and get to know you better while you can understand the role as well.