Operational Excellence Lead

Who We Are

Standex International (NYSE:SXI), is a global industrial growth company operating through our market-leading brands in electronics, cutting-edge forming technologies, engraving and scientific refrigeration. We work with our customers to advance progress through innovation. From inventing and producing parts for next-generation space vehicles, to evolving vaccine refrigeration, designing functional textures for everyday products, improving renewable energy technology and much more, we are focused on making what’s next possible.

We are seeking a dedicated Operational Excellence professional to lead the change management and associated Human Resources processes optimization initiatives as our organization transitions from an older legacy payroll system to the implementation of a new Human Capital Management (HCM) system.

What You'll Do

Join our team and play a pivotal role in driving successful change management initiatives, optimizing HR processes, and eventually expanding process optimization efforts across various corporate functions for organizational excellence. This role will primarily focus on driving successful change management initiatives with our global Standex HR community, managers, and employees to ensure smooth adoption of the new system while identifying opportunities to optimize HR processes for greater efficiency and effectiveness, both during and after the system implementation. Additionally, the successful candidate will expand their process optimization and continuous improvement work beyond HR into other corporate functions such as finance, IT, and M&A. The priority for the first 12-18 months will be HCM change management and process optimization.

Change Management Leadership:

• Develop a change management roadmap to optimize implementation of the new HCM system to include but not limited to using the Switch Framework (Heath) and other change management protocols to assess, develop and implement change management strategies for the global Standex HR community, Corporate HR Operations, managers, and employees.
• Proactively assess the impact of HCM access and usage on HR processes, the global Standex HR community, Corporate HR Operations, managers, employees, and other stakeholders.
• Build trust and rapport with all stakeholder groups (Teams calls, site visits, and related) to understand the concerns and challenges of the user community to inform change management approach.
• Develop and execute comprehensive change management plans and initiatives to facilitate User (HR, manager, employee) acceptance and adoption of new processes and technologies by listening to, articulating, and addressing User concerns while employing change adoption strategies and processes that ensure user adoption and sustained usage of the HCMS.
• Assess areas of risk that could derail or impact the success of the implementation and create mitigation actions to address the priority issues identified.
• Recommend and implement improvements to change management processes based on lessons learned and feedback.

HR Process Optimization:

• Collaborate with the global Standex HR community to assess existing processes and identify areas for improvement, such as recruitment and onboarding procedures, performance management frameworks, talent development initiatives, employee engagement strategies, and HR administrative tasks. Utilize Lean, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement principles to streamline these processes and enhance operational efficiency.
• Utilize Lean, Six Sigma and other continuous improvement principles to streamline HR processes and enhance operational efficiency.
• Ongoing development and maintenance of the Corporate HR Operations’ policies and procedures library as we evolve and as regulations change; Assess how HR Operations communicates and ensures accountability of the policies and procedures and recommend improvements and enhancements.
• Assist HR Operations team members responsible for managing and maintaining the organization’s HR technology systems with configuration design, focusing on tailoring the new HCM system to align with optimized processes and compliance requirements, including but not limited to module configurations, workflow setups, user permissions, and reporting structures.
• Develop standard work and process for onboarding of new HR personnel to ensure they are properly trained to utilize and leverage the benefits of the HCMS; Develop training materials for managers and employees that can be utilized by local site HR as part of the implementation process and for use in onboarding new employees.
• Develop standard work and processes on change management related to user training and adoption related to the integration of newly acquired businesses.
• Collaborate with Corporate HR Operations team to develop standard work and processes to ensure efficient system integrations with acquisitions and divestitures.

Project Management:

• Collaborate with Corporate Director of Communications on all communication activities and related assets to ensure alignment with Standex values and culture.
• Responsible for creating and communicating a change management project plan to include but not be limited to actions and timelines associated with planning, executing, and monitoring change management and process optimization initiatives.
• Provide regular updates to senior management on project highlights.
• Develop project timelines and success metrics, recommend resources needed, and track progress to ensure successful outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with all stakeholders (HCMS Project Team, Global Standex HR Community, and Corporate HR Operations to align change management activities with project timelines.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Engage with key stakeholders across the organization to solicit multiple perspectives related to the implementation and post go-live of the HCMS, drive change actions and initiatives that build trust and inspire users to use the system in alignment with project objectives.
• Build and sustain strong relationships with all stakeholder groups that lead to a high level of user adoption and sustained usage of the HCMS, ongoing feedback loops pre and post go-live to incorporate learnings into continuous improvement actions and high leverage of the HCMS capabilities.

Training and Development:

• Design and deliver training programs to equip the global Standex HR Community, managers and employees with the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to adapt to new HR systems and processes.
• Design and deliver training programs aimed at fostering a culture of continuous learning, adaptability, and innovation within the global Standex HR Community, managers, and employees. Encourage a collaborative and supportive environment where individuals feel empowered to contribute ideas, take ownership of their learning journey, and strive for personal and organizational growth.
• Monitor and provide updates to the Standex Leadership team on ongoing progress of training and organizational readiness activities, providing ongoing support and resources to the global Standex HR Community, managers, and employees.

Data Analysis and Insights:

• Conduct thorough analysis of HR processes, data, and performance metrics to identify root causes of inefficiencies.
• Translate data into actionable insights to drive process improvements and inform decision-making.

Corporate Function LEAN and Continuous Improvement:

• Build relationships with Corporate Function management and employees (Finance, IT, Legal and M&A) to work collaborative to identify opportunities to identify opportunities for process optimization and LEAN initiatives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify inefficiencies and implement solutions aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and overall effectiveness across corporate functions such as Finance, IT, Legal, and M&A. Focus on streamlining processes, reducing waste, improving resource allocation, and optimizing workflows to drive sustainable improvements in productivity, quality, and strategic alignment with organizational goals.

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience with a proven track record in driving successful change initiatives and optimizing processes to enhance organizational performance.
• Proven experience in change management and process optimization, or a related role.
• Demonstrated track record of successfully implementing Lean, Six Sigma and other Continuous Improvement principles and methodologies which met or exceeded desired outcomes and success metrics.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to lead cross-functional teams and ensure accountability to project goals and metrics.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Analytical mindset with proficiency in data analysis and process metrics.
• Ability to adapt to evolving priorities and thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Travel is estimated to be 20-30% in first year of implementation.