President

Salary: Based on Experience - Competitive Total Compensation Package

The President, reporting directly to our CEO, David Boulay, provides day-to-day leadership and operational management to ensure that IMEC delivers on its strategic plan. This role translates the CEOs vision into actionable goals, oversees all departments and programs, and ensures operational excellence and financial sustainability. The President drives collaboration across teams, supports staff development, and ensures services are delivered effectively to clients.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Leadership

• Champion IMECs mission, vision, and values in the IMEC operations.
• Lead the execution of the strategic and annual operating plans, ensuring alignment across all teams and functions.
• Provides organizational leadership continuity in the CEOs absence.
• Partner with the CEO and leadership team to ensure coordinated decision-making and effective collaboration across the organization.
• Contribute to strategic plan development by providing operational insight, market intelligence, and execution strategies.
• Monitor organizational performance metrics, including stakeholder performance measures (e.g., MEP), and take action to ensure targets are met or exceeded.
• Prepare and present operational updates at Board of Directors meetings; support Board committees as needed.
• Ensure policies, procedures, and budgetary recommendations are developed for CEO approval.

Customer and Market

• Ensures customer needs are met through consistent operational excellence.
• Drive customer satisfaction and retention through clear metrics and responsive service delivery.
• Execute market strategies that align with IMECs growth and impact goals; support business development initiatives.
• Continually assess the needs of Illinois small and mid-sized manufacturers and develop innovative programs, solutions, and engagement approaches to meet those needs.
• Promote a continuous learning culture that adapts to changing customer requirements.
• Continually assess the needs of Illinois small and mid-sized manufacturers and develop innovative programs, solutions, and engagement approaches to meet those needs.
• Partner with the CEO on marketing and communications to ensure alignment with strategic positioning and drive the implementation of outreach initiatives.

Operations and Execution

• Direct daily operations, ensuring efficiency, quality, and accountability across all departments.
• Implement processes, systems, and tools that support scalability and operational effectiveness.
• Monitor and report operational performance metrics to the CEO and Board.
• Resolve operational challenges and ensure consistent application of organizational policies and procedures.
• Design organizational structures and workflows that support IMECs strategic direction.
• Provide leadership for continuous improvement efforts across business systems and service delivery processes.
• Lead the development and management of contracts with subrecipients and special project partners; establish clear performance monitoring guidelines.
• Collaborate with leadership and management teams to set performance objectives, evaluation criteria, and merit-based compensation structures aligned with resources and goals.

Workforce and Talent

• Foster a highly engaged, values-driven organizational culture.
• Champion clear, transparent communication across the organization.
• Ensure appropriate staffing levels and talent strategies are in place to meet organizational needs.
• Coach and develop leaders at all levels to maximize team performance and employee engagement.
• Partner with HR on key talent management decisions, including hiring, development, and employee relations.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Maintains relationships with internal stakeholders, customers, and partners at an operational level.
• Supports the CEO in preparing Board materials and communicating organizational progress.
• Engage with industry peers, economic development organizations, and other stakeholders to share best practices and strengthen IMECs presence.
• Represent IMEC in client-facing and operational forums.
• Serve as an effective liaison to businesses, government agencies, trade associations, educational institutions, and other partners in support of IMECs mission.

Financial Stewardship and Administration

• Manage day-to-day financial operations to ensure organizational sustainability and compliance.
• Monitor financial performance and take proactive measures to address variances.
• Provide accurate, timely narrative, financial, and statistical reports on IMECs operations.
• Oversee preparation of funding proposals and grant applications in collaboration with relevant teams.
• Ensure operational controls are in place to safeguard resources and support informed financial decision-making.

Additional Responsibilities

• Manage operational risk (program delivery, staffing, contracts) in alignment with CEOs enterprise risk framework.

Education & Experience

• Bachelors degree in manufacturing, engineering, technology, business management, or a related field required
• MBA or other relevant post-graduate degree
• At least fifteen years of professional experience, with five in senior management, including significant leadership experience in manufacturing or directly serving the manufacturing sector. Federal and state contract development and compliance experience is preferred.
• Proven ability to motivate personnel to work effectively in a team environment to meet organizational goals for growing consultative service fee revenues.

Skills & Attributes

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following high-index competencies essential to success in this role:

• Strategic Thinking: Aligns tactics to organizational mission, impacts, and strategic objectives.
• Leadership: Guides and supports people and teams toward achieving individual and organizational goals. Models integrity by approaching all interactions in an ethical, respectful, and honest manner.
• Communication: Listens actively, shares information clearly and honestly, and communicates effectively through both oral and written communication.
• Execution: Anticipates, plans, and delivers work despite barriers and setbacks. Manages time and effort effectively to obtain desired results.
• Collaboration: Works with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders to produce impactful results. Operates from a we versus a me mindset.
• Problem-Solving: Uses a structured and proactive approach to identify and solve complex problems.
• Financial and Administrative Acumen: Demonstrates sound financial judgement and attention to internal processes. Is a responsible steward of financial resources.

Additional attributes include:

• Ability to lead the organization through operational changes, new initiatives, and growth while maintaining stability and engagement.
• Strong focus on building efficient systems, processes, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Skilled at inspiring, coaching, and developing leaders at all levels while fostering a high-performance culture.
• Deep commitment to understanding customer needs and embedding that focus into daily operations.
• Can pivot quickly in response to external shifts, funding changes, or operational challenges.
• Uses data to inform decisions, identify trends, and drive continuous improvement.
• Builds consensus across teams, departments, and with the CEO to ensure alignment without silos.
• Deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within the manufacturing sector, with the ability to translate that knowledge into strategies that support Illinois manufacturers.

Work Environment

• Highly flexible and dynamic work environment with access to a dedicated physical office but may also work remotely as needed.
• Frequent travel throughout the state and occasionally across the country by automobile and aircraft to meet with clients and IMEC employees.
• Must be accessible and responsive regardless of location, balancing on-site presence, virtual collaboration, and in-person engagements to advance the organizations mission.
• Requires driving, sitting for extended periods, and working in facilities that may not be ADA accessible.
• Must be legally eligible to work in the U.S without Sponsorship.

Please submit an electronic application, including (1) a cover letter, (2) a resume, and (3) the names and contact information of three references. The University of Illinois conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer of employment. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

About IMEC:

IMEC is a team of improvement specialists dedicated to providing manufacturers in Illinois with the tools and techniques to excel and compete globally. The experienced hands-on team at IMEC works closely with its clients to plan critical business improvements in all areas of their organization from: Leading their Company, Planning for Success, Growing their Business, Improving their Operations, Focusing on their People, and Deciding with Data.

With more than 50 full-time staff and partners positioned statewide, IMEC delivers the local expertise to not only plan and strategize but to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of client improvements. In fact, IMEC assists more than 2,500 companies each year with successful business improvement projects.

As a result,IMEC has demonstrated a return on investment that exceeds 19:1. This is made possible as organizations become more effective and efficient.

IMEC team members enjoy their jobs because of the challenge of working with a variety of organizations in a broad range of industries. They also gain satisfaction from providing assistance and advisement to help organizations succeed in a demanding marketplace. ClickHEREto learn more about IMEC.

IMEC and its Subrecipient organizations, including Bradley University, SIU, NIU, and UIC are EOE/AA/M/F/Disabled/Veteran Employers.

This description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with the position. It is, instead, a description of the essential elements of the position that are needed for recruitment, placement, orientation, training, competency and performance assessment, classification, compensation determination, and other Human Resource actions.