Work Location: Minnesota, USA
Working Environment: On-site
NPK International Inc. (NYSE: NPKI) is the only site access solutions partner to manufacture and rent industry-leading sustainable composite matting, along with a full suite of services including planning, logistics, and remediation - so you can protect your people, the environment, and your bottom line.
Position Summary
The Operations Manager is responsible for building, launching, and leading a new business operation from the ground up while maintaining full profit and loss accountability. This role will establish the organization's presence in a new market, develop commercial opportunities, build operational infrastructure, recruit and develop a high-performing workforce, and create a strong labor-management partnership within a unionized environment.
This role requires an entrepreneurial operator who can seamlessly transition between strategic business development, operational execution, labor relations, regulatory compliance, and organizational leadership. The successful candidate will lead all aspects of startup execution, including obtaining business licenses and operating permits, establishing payroll and workforce systems, negotiating union agreements, hiring through union halls, developing customer relationships, implementing policies and procedures, and creating a culture that supports long-term growth and operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities
Startup Leadership & Market Development
- Lead the launch and growth of a new business operation from concept through full operational maturity.
- Develop and execute the market entry strategy, establishing the organization's presence and reputation within the region.
- Identify, pursue, and secure new business opportunities to create sustainable revenue growth.
- Build customer relationships, establish key partnerships, and drive commercial development efforts.
- Create and implement the strategic roadmap required to scale operations, workforce, and profitability.
- Serve as the senior business leader responsible for establishing credibility with customers, community stakeholders, regulatory agencies, and labor organizations.
Business Formation, Regulatory Compliance & Infrastructure Setup
- Oversee all startup activities required to legally establish operations within the state and local jurisdictions.
- Secure required business licenses, operational permits, registrations, certifications, and regulatory approvals.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment, labor, safety, and operational regulations.
- Establish foundational business processes, systems, controls, and governance structures.
- Partner with HR to implement payroll, timekeeping, workforce management, and operational reporting systems.
- Partner with legal, finance, HR, and compliance teams to build scalable operational infrastructure.
P&L Leadership & Business Performance
- Own full P&L responsibility, including revenue generation, budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and profitability.
- Develop annual operating plans and growth strategies aligned with business objectives.
- Monitor key performance indicators and implement corrective actions to achieve financial and operational targets.
- Drive productivity, efficiency, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Manage capital investments, resource allocation, and workforce planning to support growth.
Labor Relations & Union Leadership
- Establish positive labor-management relationships and serve as the senior company representative with union leadership.
- Lead collective bargaining negotiations and labor strategy development with local unions.
- Partner with union halls to develop staffing pipelines and workforce planning strategies.
- Administer collective bargaining agreements and oversee grievance, arbitration, and labor dispute resolution processes.
- Promote a collaborative labor environment while balancing operational requirements and business objectives.
- Ensure compliance with labor laws, union agreements, and company policies.
Workforce Planning, Recruiting & Talent Development
- Build the organization from the ground up, including frontline, skilled trades, supervisory, and management talent.
- Develop recruiting strategies utilizing union hall partnerships and external talent channels.
- Establish onboarding, training, and workforce readiness programs.
- Build leadership capability across supervisors and operational managers.
- Develop succession planning and talent strategies that support operational growth.
Operations Leadership
- Establish operational standards, workflows, and performance expectations.
- Create scalable operating procedures that drive safety, quality, customer service, and productivity.
- Lead daily operations while ensuring operational readiness and execution excellence.
- Implement Lean, continuous improvement, and operational excellence methodologies.
- Drive accountability for service delivery, customer satisfaction, financial performance, and workforce productivity.
Policy, Procedure & Culture Development
- Design and implement organizational policies, procedures, and operating standards.
- Establish a culture grounded in safety, accountability, teamwork, respect, and performance.
- Develop employee engagement and communication practices that reinforce organizational values.
- Create leadership expectations and workforce standards that support a positive and productive union environment.
- Champion organizational change and culture-building initiatives during periods of rapid growth.
Key Qualifications:
Required:
- 10+ years of progressive leadership experience with significant P&L responsibility.
- Demonstrated success launching, scaling, or transforming business operations.
- Extensive experience leading unionized workforces and negotiating collective bargaining agreements.
- Experience building labor-management partnerships and hiring through union halls.
- Proven ability to establish operational infrastructure, processes, and systems in a startup or high-growth environment.
- Strong business development, customer relationship, and market expansion experience.
- Experience leading multi-functional teams across operations, labor relations, finance, and workforce management.
Preferred
- Experience opening a new facility, branch, terminal, service center, distribution center, manufacturing location, or regional operation from inception.
- Multi-site operational leadership experience.
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Industrial Relations, Engineering, Human Resources, or related field.
- Experience in transportation, logistics, industrial services, manufacturing, construction, energy, utilities, or similar labor-intensive industries.
