Director, Operational Excellence

ImageFIRST Healthcare Laundry Specialists•Lancaster, PA

2d•Remote

About The Position

Founded in 1967, ImageFIRST® is the largest and only national linen rental and laundry service specializing in the healthcare market. Acquired by private equity firm Calera Capital in 2018, ImageFIRST serves medical facilities nationwide providing linen, patient gowns, scrubs, and more while managing their clients’ linen inventory for cost management. As leaders in infection prevention, they currently own and operate the most HLAC-accredited facilities in the industry. With one of the highest customer retention rates in the industry – 97% – ImageFIRST is dedicated to improving patient satisfaction and making staff happy with our white glove service! ImageFIRST is seeking a strategic, hands-on Director, Operational Engineering & Asset Strategy to lead enterprise-wide engineering initiatives, equipment lifecycle management, capital project planning, and operational improvement efforts across our national network of healthcare laundry facilities. This newly created leadership role will serve as a key partner to Operations and the Senior Leadership Team, driving long-term asset strategy, capital investment planning, engineering support, maintenance excellence, and operational sustainability. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable developing strategic initiatives, leading complex projects, and rolling up their sleeves to solve operational challenges in the field. This role offers a unique opportunity to build foundational processes that will improve reliability, increase equipment longevity, standardize engineering practices, and strengthen operational performance across the organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
10+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, industrial operations, engineering, maintenance, or capital project management.
Experience leading multi-site engineering or operational initiatives.
Proven experience managing capital projects and developing ROI-driven business cases.
Strong knowledge of asset management, equipment lifecycle planning, reliability, and maintenance strategies.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders at all organizational levels.
Strong financial acumen with experience presenting recommendations to executive leadership.
Ability to travel approximately 50%.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting multiple manufacturing or industrial facilities.
Plant management or operations leadership experience.
Lean Manufacturing, TPM, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement experience.
Military leadership experience is highly valued, particularly candidates who have transitioned into manufacturing, engineering, or operations leadership roles.
Experience within healthcare services, industrial laundry, textiles, food manufacturing, consumer products, or other asset-intensive industries.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a comprehensive enterprise Equipment Lifecycle Management program.
Establish standards for equipment evaluation, monitoring, replacement planning, and asset optimization.
Create processes for asset health assessments and long-term capital planning.
Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, efficiency, and overall return on investment.
Identify, prioritize, and develop capital expenditure (CapEx) opportunities across the network.
Build financial justifications, ROI analyses, and business cases for capital investments.
Present capital recommendations and project proposals to the Senior Leadership Team.
Partner with Finance and Operations to align capital investments with business strategy and growth objectives.
Lead enterprise engineering projects from concept through implementation.
Provide technical leadership for facility upgrades, equipment installations, automation initiatives, and operational improvements.
Ensure projects are completed safely, on schedule, within budget, and with measurable business impact.
Serve as a technical resource for manufacturing and plant leadership across the ImageFIRST network.
Provide engineering guidance and problem-solving support for facilities requiring operational or technical assistance.
Partner with General Managers and Operations Leaders to resolve complex equipment and process challenges.
Design and implement a scalable rebuild shop strategy supporting ImageFIRST’s equipment rebuild and refurbishment initiatives.
Develop processes, standards, inventory requirements, and operational workflows to maximize equipment utilization and lifecycle value.
Develop enterprise maintenance standards and best practices.
Build preventive and predictive maintenance strategies.
Establish maintenance KPIs, reporting, project plans, and performance metrics that improve equipment uptime and operational reliability.
Drive consistency across facilities through standardized maintenance processes.
Lead cross-functional operational improvement initiatives that support network stabilization, sustainability, and long-term operational performance.
Partner with Operations Leadership to identify opportunities for increased efficiency, standardization, and continuous improvement.
Serve as a trusted resource for high-impact operational projects across the business.
Champion a culture of safety across engineering and operational initiatives.
Ensure engineering projects and equipment installations meet all applicable safety standards and regulatory requirements.
Partner with Environmental Health & Safety leadership to proactively reduce operational risk.