Chief Operations Officer-Hackney Truck Bodies & Trailers

Who YOU are and what You can become:  

Are you an experienced operations leader who thrives on driving efficiency, leading change, and positioning businesses for growth?  We’re looking for a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to take charge of day-to-day operations across multiple plants and product lines, enabling our CEO to focus on strategic priorities. In this critical role, you’ll oversee the entire order-to-delivery process, champion lean manufacturing initiatives, and lead transformative projects that shape the future of our business. You’ll work with products that support the food and beverage delivery industry, playing a key role in positioning the company for future expansion. This role is also positioned as a potential successor to the Senior Vice President/General Manager, offering a unique opportunity to grow into the top leadership position.  If you want to be part of a profitable, growth-oriented business with a product line essential to food and beverage distribution, we are looking for you!

Note: This position requires the individual to reside within a daily commutable distance to Kidron, OH.  Remote arrangements or commuting on a weekly basis will not be permitted.

Who WE are and where WE are going:  

ST Engineering Hackney is part of ST Engineering’s diverse portfolio of businesses spans the aerospace, smart city, defence and public security segments.  Since 1946, ST Engineering Hackney has been an engineering leader in the design and manufacturing of custom truck bodies and trailers for beverage, specialty, and refrigerated applications. Marketed under the Hackney and Kidron brands, our product lines serve multiple industries including multi-stop beverage and food service distribution as well as contractor services.

Known as a pioneer in beverage distribution, Hackney is the largest manufacturer of beverage vehicles in the world. With more than 18,000 aluminum beverage truck bodies delivered from 26 international manufacturing locations to users in over 60 countries, our reputation is built on quality, durability, safety, and exceptional customer service.  Our Kidron brand of refrigerated products is a well-established market leader, known for its quality and reliability.

Our mission is to solve distribution challenges by engineering vehicles tailored to customer needs—optimizing delivery performance while enhancing driver safety. We pride ourselves on cultivating long-term relationships and delivering solutions that keep our customers moving.

What YOU will do: 

As Chief Operating Officer, you will lead all day-to-day operations across multiple plants and product lines, ensuring efficiency, quality, and scalability.

• Operational Leadership: Manage daily operations across several manufacturing plants and product lines.
• Order-to-Delivery Process: Oversee the full lifecycle from order intake through sales and production to final delivery.
• Strategic Planning and Execution: Partner with the CEO on long-term business strategy, market expansion, and organizational transformation.
• Workforce Planning: Develop and execute strategies for labor-intensive environments.
• Change Management - Lead strategic change initiatives, optimizing plant operations and rationalizing product lines.
• Lean Manufacturing: Advance the organization’s lean journey to reduce waste and improve efficiency, while improving quality.
• Automation Strategy: Drive the implementation of automation technologies and smart manufacturing systems to enhance operational performance, reduce manual processes, and increase scalability.
• P&L Management: Drive profitability through cost optimization and margin improvement.
• People Leadership: Build and sustain a high-performing team culture.
• Business Cycle Management: Adapt operations to navigate market cycles and maintain resilience.
• Customer Focus: Ensure operational excellence for major foodservice and beverage customers such as Sysco, US Foods, Performance Food Group, and Red Bull.

What YOU need:

• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations within transportation equipment or related manufacturing industries.
• 10+ years in senior leadership roles, including plant management and multi-site oversight, preferably in a durable goods industry.
• Proven experience running plant operations, preferably with multiple facilities oversight.
• Experience implementing automation technologies and smart manufacturing systems to elevate efficiency, reduce waste, and future-proof operations
• Understanding of the sales pipeline process as well as a proven ability to interact with customers.
• Strong background in transportation equipment manufacturing, including familiarity with refrigerated and specialty vehicle production.
• Expertise in workforce planning, lean manufacturing, and change management.
• Demonstrated success managing order-to-delivery processes.
• Exceptional P&L acumen and ability to optimize profitability.
• Skilled in leading large, labor-intensive teams.
• Highly adaptive and capable of managing through complex business cycles.
• Track record of transformative leadership in operational settings.
• Strategic vision and executive presence to influence at the board level and prepare for CEO succession.

Base salary is only one component of our competitive Total Rewards package.

• Annual bonus incentive
• 401K with company match
• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance 

• Disability 
• PTO  
• Life and Accidental Death Insurance 
• Development and Career Growth Opportunities 

Background and Drug Screening Requirements- As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and secure workplace, successful completion of a background check and drug screening is a mandatory condition for employment.  All offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory results from these screenings. 

Equal Opportunity- It takes diverse talent to solve real-world problems.  ST Engineering is committed to building a workplace community where inclusion is valued, and everyone feels welcomed.   Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.  So, bring us your personal experience, your perspectives, and your background. It’s through our differences that innovative changes are made.

Reasonable Accommodations - ST Engineering is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation, please contact our Talent Strategies team at 1-571-771-0101.or by email at stena.careers@stengg.us.