Director of Business Systems & Lean Transform

IEM is the largest independent full-line manufacturer of custom electrical distribution and power quality equipment in North America. Formed in 1957, IEM has delivered customer-specific solutions to meet the ever-changing power requirements of growth industries in North America for over half a century.  

At IEM, we’re not just growing – we're thriving! Our rapid expansion means new opportunities are always on the horizon. If you’re someone who gets excited by making an impact through interesting challenges, you’ll feel right at home.  

Purpose of the Position:  

IEM is currently seeking a Director of Business Systems & Lean Transformation. This Director will architect and lead our lean transformation strategy across multiple sites, embedding IEM’s Business System principles. The role requires deep expertise in strategy deployment (Hoshin Kanri), kaizen facilitation, and standard work development. This is a key leadership position driving culture change, operating discipline, and performance improvement across the enterprise. 

This remote position will report into our COO.  

Key Responsibilities:  

• Design and deploy the company-wide business system aligned to strategic priorities
• Lead the strategy deployment (X-matrix) and tiered management systems
• Coach senior and site leadership teams on lean leadership behaviors
• Plan and lead complex, multi-day kaizen events targeting flow, productivity, and quality
• Build a lean operating cadence, integrating daily, weekly, monthly tier reviews
• Drive standard work implementation for frontline and leadership roles
• Mentor and develop a team of lean managers and CI professionals

Ideal Candidate Profile:  

• Lean Manufacturing Expertise
  • Deep hands-on experience applying lean tools (standard work, takt time, value stream mapping, problem-solving, etc.)
  • Proven ability to implement lean systems in high-mix, low-volume or complex manufacturing environments
• Kaizen Leadership
  • Led numerous formal kaizen events (5–10+ per year ideally)
  • Skilled in pre-event planning, team facilitation, event execution, and post-event sustainment
  • Trained in or has led training in standard work development and implementation
• Strategy Deployment / Hoshin Kanri Experience
  • Demonstrated capability in translating company-level priorities into actionable functional goals
  • Has experience facilitating X-matrix, catchball, and tiered management systems
• Academy Company Background
  • Worked in a structured continuous improvement environment (e.g., Danaher, Parker Hannifin, Crane, Fortive, Illinois Tool Works, etc.)
  • Exposure to formal operating systems and cadence-based management practices
• Strong Change Management and Coaching Skills
  • Able to coach operators, supervisors, and executives on lean behaviors and systems
  • Experience with resistance management and organizational transformation
• Results-Oriented and Metrics-Driven
  • Has delivered measurable performance improvements (e.g., labor productivity, inventory turns, lead time, quality)
• Cultural Fit for Fast-Paced, High-Growth PE Environment
  • Comfortable working with urgency, ambiguity, and high accountability
• Flexible and pragmatic with strong bias for action

Qualifications:  

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, or a related field
• 10+ years of experience in lean manufacturing or business system leadership
• Significant kaizen event leadership experience (including pre- and post-event)
• Deep fluency in strategy deployment and lean transformation planning
• Demonstrated career ambition with a track record of growth and increasing responsibility; highly promotable with the potential to take on broader leadership roles within a fast-paced, high-growth organization
• Prior leadership experience in an academy company (e.g., Danaher, Fortive, ITW)
• Strong executive presence and ability to influence across functions

Workplace Conditions:  

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