Director, 5S & Workplace Organization
Zekelman Industries · Rochelle · $140,000–$180,000 (stated in the posting)
You may not know our name, but you know our products. What we make is part the places where we live, work and play – all day, everyday.
Zekelman is a family of companies — 100% domestic manufacturers — with a legacy dating back to 1877. We’re proud to be the largest independent steel pipe and tube manufacturer in North America and the leading innovator in multi-family housing development.
We believe in what we build and what we build, builds the world around us. Hospitals, hotels, schools, bridges, airports and more.
Come build a career you believe in.
About The Role:
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.
What You'll Do
Enterprise 5S Leadership
- 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.
Drive Implementation Across the Network
- 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.
Establish Standardization & Visual Management Excellence
- 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.
Lead Auditing & Continuous Improvement
- 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.
Shape Culture & Drive Change
- 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.
Collaborate Across Functions
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
What Success Looks Like
In this role, you will help drive:
- Enterprise-wide adoption of 5S standards and practices
- Higher facility audit scores and maturity levels
- Improved workplace organization and visual management consistency
- Reduced operational waste and inefficiencies
- Improved housekeeping and safety performance
- Enhanced productivity and workflow effectiveness
- Stronger employee ownership and engagement
- Sustainable integration of 5S into daily operations
What We're Looking For
Required Qualifications
- 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.
Preferred Qualifications
- 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.
Leadership Competencies
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Operational Excellence
- Strategic Thinking
- Change Leadership
- Influencing Without Authority
- Coaching and Development
- Continuous Improvement Mindset
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Executive Communication
- Accountability and Execution
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
Compensation for this role is $140,000 - $180,000 plus bonus
Zekelman Industries offers competitive compensation and excellent benefits, including low-cost, high-quality medical and dental benefits. In addition, we have an amazing tuition assistance program, a bonus plan, a 401(k) plan with a generous company match, immediate vesting, and much more.
M/F/D/V
We are Zekelman Industries.
We manufacture superior quality tubular and related products, and provide outstanding service for our valued customers.
We seek to continuously advance the skills and opportunities of our employees, utilizing the latest technology and management tools available to consistently increase profitability and the enterprise value of Zekelman Industries and of our customers.