Dir, Financial Systems/Continuous Improvement

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Director, Financial Systems & Continuous Improvement

Reports To: CFO

Position Location: Vernon Hills, IL

FLSA Status (Exempt/Non-Exempt): Exempt

Position Summary

The Director of Systems & Continuous Improvement is a strategic leader responsible for driving operational excellence through data, systems integration, and process optimization. This role has a strong emphasis on financial performance, including gross margin expansion, cost visibility, and the development of activity-based costing (ABC) models. The Director will play a critical role in designing and implementing a scalable data infrastructure, including the development of a centralized data lake sourced from ERP systems, to enable advanced analytics and informed decision-making across the organization.

Why This Role Matters

This role sits at the intersection of finance, systems, and operations, making it a critical driver of profitability and scalability. By enabling deeper cost insights, modernizing data infrastructure, and fostering continuous improvement, the Director of Systems & Continuous Improvement will directly influence the organization’s ability to grow efficiently and competitively.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Performance & Cost Optimization

• Lead initiatives to improve gross margin through detailed cost analysis, pricing insights, and operational efficiencies.
• Design, implement, and maintain activity-based costing (ABC) models to provide granular visibility into product, customer, and operational costs.
• Partner with Finance and Operations to align cost structures with strategic objectives and identify margin improvement opportunities.
• Develop standardized financial and operational KPIs to monitor performance and drive accountability.

Systems Strategy & Data Architecture

• Lead the development and governance of a centralized data lake, integrating data from ERP and other enterprise systems.
• Collaborate with IT and business stakeholders to ensure data accuracy, consistency, and accessibility across the organization.
• Define data models and architecture to support financial analysis, reporting, and predictive analytics.
• Drive ERP optimization initiatives to enhance data capture, reporting capabilities, and process efficiency.

Continuous Improvement & Process Excellence

• Champion a culture of continuous improvement using methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, or similar frameworks.
• Identify, prioritize, and execute process improvement initiatives that reduce waste, improve quality, and increase throughput.
• Establish and monitor performance metrics to measure the impact of improvement initiatives.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to streamline workflows and eliminate inefficiencies.

Analytics & Decision Support

• Build and lead advanced analytics capabilities to support strategic decision-making.
• Translate complex data into actionable insights for executive leadership.
• Develop dashboards and reporting tools that provide real-time visibility into financial and operational performance.
• Support scenario modeling and forecasting to guide business strategy.

Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead and develop a high-performing team focused on systems, data, and process improvement.
• Serve as a key liaison between Finance, Operations, IT, and Executive Leadership.
• Communicate progress, insights, and recommendations clearly to stakeholders at all levels.
• Foster a data-driven culture across the organization.

Success Metrics

• Measurable improvement in gross margin and cost efficiency.
• Successful implementation and adoption of activity-based costing models.
• Development and utilization of a robust data lake supporting enterprise analytics.
• Increased visibility and accuracy of financial and operational data.
• Demonstrated impact of continuous improvement initiatives on business performance.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field (MBA or advanced degree preferred).

Experience

• 8–12+ years of experience in systems, finance, operations, or continuous improvement roles.

Minimum Requirements / Qualifications:

• Strong expertise in financial analysis, gross margin optimization, and cost accounting methodologies, including activity-based costing.
• Proven experience working with ERP systems and leading data integration or data lake initiatives.
• Experience with data visualization and analytics tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, or similar).
• Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement frameworks (certification preferred).
• Strong leadership, communication, and change management skills.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Salary Range: $160,000-$185,000, depending on location, experience, and qualifications.
• Annual-Incentive Plan (AIP): 20%
• Benefits coverage begins day 1, including the following:
  • Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • 401(k) company match
  • Paid Time Off (15 days annually)
  • Paid Holiday time (10 company-designated days)
  • Tuition Assistance
  • Additional benefits available with company package

This position has not been approved for Relocation Assistance.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not an exhaustive list of all of the duties and responsibilities associated with it.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.