Vice President of Operations
Vice President of Operations
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Job Description
Reports to: President and CEO
Company Overview
Calcium Products manufactures high-quality calcium-based fertilizers that help maximize soil fertility and deliver essential nutrients to support strong crop performance. Our pelletized limestone (98G) and gypsum (SO4) products are made from some of the purest deposits in the Midwest and trusted for their reliability and consistency.
With production facilities in Iowa and a fourth pelletizing plant under construction in Nebraska we continue to scale in response to growing demand. As we expand our footprint and complexity this leadership role marks an important step in strengthening operations across multiple states.
Location
Primary location is within reasonable proximity to our Iowa and Nebraska facilities with frequent on-site presence requiredespecially during onboarding and integration. While a hybrid or partially remote setup may be considered strong visibility at the plants is essential. The role also involves periodic time at our Ames Iowa headquarters to collaborate with the executive team as well as team members in accounting customer service and quality.
Position Summary
The Vice President of Operations will oversee all production facilities at Calcium Products including our sites in Fort Dodge and Gilmore City Iowa and our new facility in Nebraska. This expanded leadership role is a direct response to the increasing complexity of operating in multiple states and scaling our production capacity to meet growing demand.
Reporting directly to the President & CEO and serving as a member of the executive leadership team the VP of Operations will be responsible for safety training quality production maintenance and standard operating practices across all sites. The role will bring strategic oversight and operational discipline to ensure consistency accountability and continuous improvement across the organization. It will also play a critical part in developing future operational leaders and aligning best practices companywide.
This is a hands-on leadership position that requires someone who can guide day-to-day operations while shaping the systems structure and people needed to support long-term growth.
Key Responsibilities
1. Safety and Compliance
Champion a proactive safety culture across all sites
Ensure compliance with MSHA OSHA EPA DNR and other applicable regulatory agencies
Support the development and execution of safety training auditing and continuous improvement programs
2. Operational Leadership
Lead day-to-day operations at all manufacturing sites ensuring safe high-quality and efficient production
Provide support to plant managers and step in during critical gaps or absences
Maintain operational continuity across facilities while managing seasonal demand and long-term capacity
3. Process Improvement & Maintenance Systems
Implement structured systems and metrics to improve safety quality uptime and efficiency
Oversee the ongoing development and continuous improvement of the companys tailored preventative maintenance system to support long-term equipment reliability and performance
Foster an environment of continuous improvement by engaging the workforce at all levels using Kaizen and other lean tools to drive performance increase morale and support a culture of ownership
Leverage automation and process control technologies where appropriate to enhance consistency and reduce downtime
4. Team Leadership and Workforce Development
Build and mentor a high-performing plant operations team
Set clear expectations and drive accountability at all levels
Foster an environment where people want to stayby focusing on leadership consistency strong communication and frontline engagement especially with employees in their first few years
Partner with HR to support hiring training compensation and retention strategies that align with company values
5. Capital Projects and Site Expansion
Lead the planning and execution of new facility builds and major equipment investments
Integrate cross-functional input and lessons learned to ensure scalable cost-effective design and implementation
Ensure new sites are launched on time on budget and aligned with operational goals
6. Strategic Collaboration
Work closely with the CFO VP of Sales & Marketing and VP of R&D and Technical Sales to ensure operations are aligned with business priorities financial goals and product performance expectations
Establish strong working relationships with these functions to improve planning communication and execution across departments
Participate actively in leadership conversations bringing operational insight to strategic decisions around growth customer service product innovation and capital planning
7. Supply Chain and Inventory Management
Work closely with the CEO and CFO to maintain strong reliable partnerships with our raw material suppliers particularly for gypsum and limestone
Ensure production and inventory levels are maintained to prevent customer allocations factoring in seasonality weather patterns ag economic conditions and broader industry trends
Align production planning with sales marketing and financial strategies by collaborating closely with the CFO VP of Sales & Marketing and VP of R&D and Technical Sales
Qualifications
15 years of manufacturing or processing operations experience with at least 5 years in senior multi-site leadership
Proven background in industrial minerals chemicals aggregates or other continuous flow/process environments
Bachelors degree in Engineering Manufacturing or Business
Strong project management skills including budgeting capital planning and cross-functional coordination
Demonstrated ability to implement systems improve performance and lead teams through change
Financial fluency in manufacturing cost structures operational ROI and budget management
Preferred
Advanced degree (MBA or MS in Engineering)
Familiarity with ERP systems and data-driven performance tracking
Who Were Looking For
This role requires a steady practical leader who knows how to build systems coach people and manage complexity. You bring structure without red tape. You listen closely communicate clearly and lead with integrity. You understand the value of hands-on leadership and know how to help teams operate with discipline consistency and pride in their work.
Required Experience:
Chief
Employment Type
Full Time
