Chief Production Officer at The Lighthouse for The Blind in New Orleans – New Orleans, Louisiana

JOB SUMMARY

The Chief Production Officer (CPO) is an integral member of the executive management team/C-Suite, who leads all production and manufacturing activities, including shipping and receiving functions for Lighthouse Louisiana. The CPO reporting directly to the President and CEO, develops attainable strategies for the Production & Manufacturing Department and oversees the execution of objectives to attain short-term and long-term production and manufacturing goals. The CPO establishes production & manufacturing policies and procedures that promote organizational vision and culture, supports business growth, and minimizes risk for the organization. This position oversees production and manufacturing operations for any Lighthouse location, collaborating with the President & CEO and other C-Suite Executives as appropriate, to ensure consistent, appropriate procedures are established and adhered to according to sound business practices so the core mission of the Lighthouse is carried out and adequate revenue is generated through the social enterprise system to promote the stability and sustainability of the Lighthouse’s business model.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The Chief Production Officer will be responsible for the following core job duties:

Global Responsibilities

1. Provide leadership, strategy, planning, and guidance for all Lighthouse Louisiana production & manufacturing and shipping and receiving operations, consistent with the organization’s goals and mission.
2. Be instrumental in developing a culture that emphasizes high quality service, diversity, and inclusion that supports the core mission of the Lighthouse and all Lighthouse employees.
3. Develops procedures for day-to-day management of all production, manufacturing and sales operations, while supporting and leading senior and mid-level managers to successfully carry out the social enterprise objectives of the Lighthouse.
4. Demonstrates strong, creative, energetic, strategic leadership on all social enterprise initiatives and sets ambitious, but attainable goals to increase the Lighthouse’s production & manufacturing footprint and to better support our employees, customers, and business partners.
5. Develop and manage strategies to ensure goals are achieved from both a social enterprise and financial standpoint. Strive to develop a social enterprise model that is sustainable and revenue-generating to ensure Lighthouse longevity and growth.
6. Assist the CEO in developing strategies to meet organizational performance metrics and capabilities for the social enterprise system. Develop production, manufacturing, and performance standards and standard operating procedures, and work with other C-Suite Executives and department leaders in the development of organizational performance metrics and strategies.
7. Develop a vision and set the strategic direction for production and manufacturing which all aligns with the Lighthouse business model, customer needs, growth potential and overall technology strategy.
8. Own and drive products’ lifecycles from design, launching and developing cross functional partnerships to ensure the successful deployment, production, and sale of Lighthouse products.
9. Collaborate with the Purchasing & Inventory Manager to ensure adequate raw material acquisition. Ensure and maintain adequate machinery acquisition, maintenance, engineering, operations, product requirements and roadmaps to production & manufacturing sufficiency, including feasibility, labor, time, cost, sales, and impact to Lighthouse financial standing, and growth opportunities.
10. Pursue a deep understanding of user and customer needs through research and data analysis.
11. Build, mentor and manage a production team, including managers, and production staff, as well as business partners, nurturing a customer-driven product culture with focus on the Lighthouse return on investment.
12. Manage and drive scalable processes and innovation around the product development cycle, collaborating with local, state, federal and national partners, and oversight entities as appropriate.
13. Develop metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of operations and identify areas of improvement.
14. Collaborate across teams to communicate product strategies with internal and external stakeholders and adjust priorities according to feedback received.
15. Collaborate with national partners, colleagues, peers, and other C-Suite Executives to ensure a stable and successful social enterprise model.

Leadership

1. Manage and nurture a strong team of production, manufacturing, shipping & receiving staff.
2. Evaluate staff, develop a strong sense of teamwork, and establish an environment of mentoring and support.
3. Coach the team, bring strategic focus, and foster a work ethic deeply rooted in innovation and a commitment to excellence.
4. Acquire a deep understanding of the mission and goals of the Lighthouse to enhance operationalizing the mission of the Lighthouse and the goals of the social enterprise model.
5. Perform duties with the highest integrity and in compliance with ethical practices.
6. Assist the CEO, other C-Suite Executives, and senior leaders to accomplish organizational goals and set priorities
7. Represent the Lighthouse and its interest with federal/government, national, state, and local stakeholders and business partners to ensure consistent collaboration and relationship building opportunities.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

1. Education: Bachelor’s degree in industrial manufacturing, engineering, business, or relevant field.
2. Special Knowledge/Skills: Demonstrate high standards of speaking and writing; Must be able to communicate complex subjects clearly; Strong business acumen and market awareness; Outstanding people skills to build and cultivate relationships; Excellent manager who can work under pressure; Good knowledge of public relations; Proficient computer skills using business productivity tools ; Excellent working knowledge of industry platforms to advance objectives; Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; Ability to effectively manage budgets and operations.
3. Experience: A successful history in leadership with at least five years’ experience in a leadership position overseeing production/manufacturing and at least three years managing business strategies; Direct or Indirect experience in managing successful teams of production and manufacturing employees is required. Ability One program or National Industries for the Blind experience is a plus.
4. Supervisory Responsibility: Supervise mid-level directors and managers in the Production & Manufacturing and shipping and receiving departments.
5. Physical: Able to effectively perform the specified duties.
6. Personality Traits: Dependable; Mission-driven; Innovative; Personable; flexible; Calm under pressure; quick thinking; Team oriented; Self-directed.
7. Working Conditions: Office setting; frequent travel between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
8. Work Schedule: Full-time / Salaried.
9. Background Check and Drug Testing required: Employment is contingent upon satisfactory results.
10. Federal Suitability Requirements: Employment is contingent upon satisfactory results.

This job description does not imply that these are the only duties to be performed. The incumbent in this position will

perform such other tasks as may be required for the effective operation of the Division/Department upon request by

his/her supervisor.