Director, 5S & Workplace Organization

Zekelman Industries•Rochelle, IL

5d•$140,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

At Zekelman Industries, we believe operational excellence starts with an organized, disciplined, and highly visual workplace. We are seeking a strategic and influential Director, 5S & Workplace Organization to lead the development and deployment of an enterprise-wide 5S program across our steel pipe and tube manufacturing operations. This is a unique Director-level individual contributor opportunity for a proven manufacturing and continuous improvement leader who is passionate about creating sustainable systems that drive safety, productivity, quality, equipment reliability, and employee engagement. As the organization’s recognized subject matter expert, you will build and lead the strategy, standards, governance, training, auditing, and implementation roadmap for a best-in-class 5S operating system across multiple facilities. The ideal candidate is a hands-on change leader who thrives in industrial manufacturing environments and can influence teams at all levels without direct reporting authority.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Industrial Technology, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in manufacturing, operational excellence, lean manufacturing, industrial engineering, or continuous improvement.
Demonstrated success designing and implementing formal 5S programs in complex manufacturing environments.
Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles and methodologies.
Experience leading large-scale operational change initiatives.
Proven ability to influence leaders and drive results without direct authority.
Excellent facilitation, coaching, communication, and presentation skills.
Ability to travel extensively throughout North America.

Nice To Haves

Experience within steel manufacturing, metals, pipe and tube, automotive, heavy industrial, or related manufacturing environments.
Lean Practitioner, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or similar certification.
Experience building enterprise operating systems and governance structures.
Experience implementing visual factory or visual workplace programs across multiple facilities.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive enterprise-wide 5S strategy aligned with operational excellence objectives.
Establish company-wide standards, governance structures, audit methodologies, and maturity models.
Serve as the corporate owner of all 5S tools, documentation, training programs, and implementation processes.
Build and execute a multi-year roadmap that advances workplace organization capabilities across all facilities.
Partner with plant leadership teams to implement and sustain 5S initiatives throughout manufacturing, maintenance, warehousing, shipping, receiving, laboratory, and office environments.
Facilitate kaizen events, improvement workshops, and workplace organization initiatives.
Coach leaders and frontline teams on 5S principles, visual management, and sustainable operating behaviors.
Conduct site assessments, audits, and reviews that ensure continued progress and accountability.
Develop enterprise standards for: Workplace organization, Visual controls, Material staging, Tool management, Storage systems, Equipment ownership, Area accountability, Performance boards, Floor marking and visual identification systems.
Create scalable visual workplace practices that improve communication, safety awareness, productivity, and operational discipline.
Identify and share best practices across multiple facilities.
Design and manage a formal 5S audit program.
Develop KPI dashboards, scorecards, and reporting systems to track performance and maturity progression.
Monitor implementation progress and drive corrective actions where needed.
Benchmark performance and identify opportunities to accelerate adoption and excellence.
Act as the primary champion for workplace ownership and organizational discipline across the company.
Create training programs and certification pathways for leaders and frontline associates.
Embed 5S principles into daily management systems and standard operating routines.
Recognize and celebrate successes while promoting a culture of continuous improvement.
Work closely with Operations, Plant Leadership, Safety, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, HR, and Supply Chain teams to ensure 5S initiatives support broader business objectives, including: Safety improvement, Reliability enhancement, Productivity growth, Quality excellence, Cost reduction, Employee engagement.