How to apply for Director, Enterprise Lean Champion - Relocation to Montreal

About Smardt Chiller Group

Smardt makes oil-free centrifugal chillers that cut HVAC energy use by up to 50%. It has over 900 employees and manufacturing sites in the US, Canada, Germany, China, and Australia. The company is in a period of global growth and is building a Lean-focused operating culture.

About the role

This director-level role reports to the CEO and owns the design, deployment, and sustainment of the Smardt Lean Operating System across the enterprise. You will connect strategy deployment, daily management, value-stream performance, structured problem solving, and leadership behaviors. The job is remote but requires relocation to Montreal.

A typical day

A typical day may include a call with plant leaders on daily management metrics, a session with the CEO on strategy deployment, and work on a structured problem-solving initiative. You would also spend time coaching site leaders and reviewing value-stream performance across Smardt's global footprint. Exact routines depend on the CEO's priorities and the current phase of the Lean deployment; ask about this in interviews.

Who Smardt Chiller Group is looking for

• Has led a Lean transformation at enterprise or multi-site scale, not just one plant or one department.
• Can design and deploy an integrated Lean management system that ties strategy deployment to daily management and value-stream performance.
• Has worked directly with a CEO or executive team and can act as a change agent across manufacturing, supply chain, and corporate functions.
• Is willing to relocate to Montreal and work across time zones with sites in the US, Canada, Germany, China, and Australia.

Tips for this application

• State clearly in your resume summary and cover letter that you will relocate to Montreal. This is a listed requirement and remote work is tied to that location.
• Use the exact phrase 'Lean Operating System' in your materials and describe systems you have built, not just tools you have used.
• Quantify outcomes from past Lean deployments: cost saved, lead time reduced, inventory turns improved, or sites transformed.
• Name the specific Lean elements from the job description (strategy deployment, daily management, value-stream performance, structured problem solving) and give one example for each.
• Address the global scope directly. Mention experience with multi-country manufacturing or supply chains, especially in North America, Europe, or Asia.

What to cover in your cover letter

Explain why you want to build a Lean system from the top down at a chiller manufacturer. Describe one enterprise-wide Lean deployment you led and the results. Show how you would connect Lean work to Smardt's growth and its five manufacturing locations. Confirm your intent to relocate to Montreal.

Research before applying

• Read Smardt's product materials on oil-free centrifugal chillers and how they differ from traditional oil-based systems.
• Look up the locations and scale of Smardt's manufacturing sites in the US, Canada, Germany, China, and Australia.
• Find public information on Smardt's ownership, leadership, and recent growth announcements.
• Research common Lean operating system frameworks (for example, Toyota Production System, Danaher Business System) so you can compare and contrast them in an interview.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you design a Lean Operating System for a company with plants in five countries and a remote corporate structure?
• Describe a time you changed executive behavior or decision-making to support Lean. What did you do and what was the result?
• How do you deploy strategy from the CEO level down to daily management on the shop floor?
• What is your approach to structured problem solving, and how have you trained leaders to use it?
• How would you measure whether the Smardt Lean transformation is working in the first 12 and 24 months?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without addressing the relocation requirement. The posting says relocation to Montreal, so ignoring it suggests you did not read the details.
• Talking about Lean tools only (5S, kaizen events) without showing how you built a management system that changed how leaders run the business.
• Focusing only on manufacturing floor experience when the role is enterprise-wide and reports to the CEO. Show you can work across functions and geographies.