VP of Engineering

About Value Driven Solutions

Value Driven Solutions (VDS) is a management consulting firm dedicated to Operational Excellence for middle-market and private equity-backed manufacturers. Senior executives and PE investors worldwide rely on VDS to enhance enterprise value, expand margins, improve capital efficiency, reduce working capital, optimize supply chains, and prepare companies for sale. Our network of 10,000+ Interim Executives and Experts is fully vetted, with an average of 20–30 years of experience — the top 1% of operating talent globally.

Our experts enjoy a work culture that promotes hands-on impact, executive-level autonomy, and meaningful results.

Role Overview

Value Driven Solutions (VDS) is looking for a VP of Engineering to join our interim executive bench, with this engagement deploying on-site at our PE-backed manufacturing client in the [Location] region. The VP of Engineering will own product, process, and manufacturing engineering and partner with Operations, Supply Chain, and Commercial leadership to translate the value-creation roadmap into engineered, manufacturable, and profitable products.

The ideal candidate will enjoy taking complex products from concept to volume manufacturing and have the ability to dig into a technical situation, weigh trade-offs across cost, quality, and time, and deliver the best possible engineered outcome. The ideal candidate will apply their command of stage-gate NPI, FMEA, and APQP discipline and communicate effectively with engineers, operators, customers, and the board.

Responsibilities

• Engineering leadership – Own the engineering organization across product, process, design, R&D, and sustaining engineering across multiple sites or business units. Build and develop engineering leadership talent; create a pipeline of Principal Engineers and Engineering Managers.
• NPI and product development – Drive design-for-manufacturing, design-for-cost, and design-for-quality discipline into every new product introduction. Partner with Operations on yield, scrap, throughput, and OEE improvement programs grounded in root cause analysis.
• Strategic alignment – Set the technology roadmap and align engineering investment with the client's strategic plan and PE thesis. Lead capital project pipeline including automation, equipment qualification, validation, and ROI tracking. Represent engineering in board, investor, and customer reviews.

Requirements

• 20+ years of engineering leadership with 5+ years in a VP-level role over multi-disciplinary teams
• Track record bringing complex products from concept through volume manufacturing
• Strong command of stage-gate NPI processes, FMEA, DFMEA, PFMEA, and APQP
• Demonstrated ability to manage capital portfolios of $10M+
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering required; MS or PhD strongly preferred
• Experience in regulated environments (FDA, FAA, ITAR, automotive IATF, or equivalent) preferred
• Familiarity with Industry 4.0, robotics, AI/ML in manufacturing, and digital twin deployment a plus

VDS Engagement Benefits

• Competitive contract rates commensurate with experience and seniority
• Structured engagement support through a dedicated VDS Engagement Partner
• Proven methodology and toolkits including the Value-Driven Approach® and Everything OpEx® frameworks
• Continued business development between engagements
• Access to our 360° Client Alignment® process
• Deployment within days of engagement start
• Exposure to diverse industries (aerospace, food, consumer goods, industrial products, medical device, semiconductor, and battery manufacturing)
• A structured Contract-to-Hire path that lets both Expert and client validate fit before conversion.

All positions are Contract-to-Hire engagements; VDS facilitates the transition to permanent employment if and when the client and Expert elect to convert.

Value Driven Solutions is an equal-opportunity employer.