IT Director - Europe

The organisation

In 1925, brothers William, Richard, and Donald Rheem established Rheem Manufacturing in California, focused on metal products. The company’s expansion into boilers and tanks a few years later set the first step in becoming the only manufacturer in the world that produces heating, cooling, water heating, pool and spa heating, and commercial refrigeration products for households and businesses. A century of innovation and entrepreneurship has led to Rheem’s portfolio of over fifty brands that provide comfort to millions of customers in almost ninety countries, making over six billion dollars in global sales.

Rheem Europe took shape with the acquisition of Intergas in 2019, DEJONG in 2022, and MHG in Germany in 2023. The company is rapidly building its presence in Europe through organic growth, including a new factory in Slovakia, and further acquisitions. As part of Rheem’s global sustainability program “A Greater Degree of Good,” Rheem Europe aims for ambitious Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) targets. Complemented with Rheem’s development of innovative and sustainable solutions like its hybrid heat pump combined with a gas-fired boiler, the company constantly empowers customers and employees to live and work more sustainably.

Rheem employs almost 16,000 people worldwide. In Europe, they work across (production) facilities in the Netherlands—in Utrecht, Coevorden, and Gorredijk, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Slovakia. Intentionally designed to stay close to the market, Rheem is a flat organization with a pragmatic, no-nonsense culture geared toward continuous innovation for its customers.

The position

Rheem Europe will continue its steady growth in the region organically and through acquisitions. As a result, the pan-European strategy and the further integration of the businesses are becoming increasingly important. The IT Director provides the strategic answer from the IT organization by offering shared support functions, working closely with teams across the businesses, and starting the move toward a more integrated organization in Rheem Europe that optimally supports the business.

The strategic priorities for the IT Director are twofold. On the one hand, he/she sets up the European IT organization for future success. This means putting the right people in the right place to start moving towards a more integrated Infrastructure and Applications team across Europe. The IT Director also aligns the strategic IT suppliers to provide the right level of support to the Rheem IT team and the business and revitalizes critical IT governance bodies helps to prioritize IT projects and the investment agenda. On the other hand, the Director drives strategic value through IT by transforming the internal value chain and driving the digital transformation of Rheem Europe. He/she helps integrate the operations of the European businesses through the roll-out of the Microsoft Dynamics ERP system and Manufacturing Execution System. The next ERP implementation waves are planned in Slovakia, DeJong Gorredijk, and MHG Germany.

At the same time, the IT Director and his/her team will support local and regional teams in the design and roll-out of digital Sales & Marketing, HR, and Analytics solutions. The standardization of processes, data, and applications will be key to the digital transformation of Rheem Europe, as will an increased focus on cybersecurity.

“The IT Director starts bringing the vision of a more integrated and digitally driven European organization to fruition. He/She understands how to bring people along in a transformation—both when it comes to changes in IT systems or processes and in the cultural shift required for those changes to be effective.” – Gert Karenbeld, Finance Director Rheem Europe

The IT Director reports to the Finance Director of Rheem Europe, works with the management team as a thought partner on IT, and contributes to business discussions from an IT perspective. As the IT teams in the US drive part of the infrastructure and application services, the Director works closely with his/her overseas colleagues and represents the European interests through stakeholder and change management.

Currently, the IT Director leads (in)direct the team of IT professionals in Coevorden, Gorredijk, Hamburg, and the IT team in the new production facility in Slovakia. As the European IT organization moves toward integration, he/she may ultimately lead about 15 people in the integrated Infrastructure and Application teams.. To successfully implement the strategy, the Director also works closely with the business process owners internally and with external IT partners.

Candidate profile

This is a unique opportunity to help shape the IT strategy, organization, and culture of a multinational dedicated to contributing to the energy transition with innovative and sustainable solutions while pursuing its ambitious growth plans. The IT Director is a change leader who communicates well at all levels of the organization. He/She is excited to be part of an entrepreneurial, flat organization where he/she can achieve impact for the business by delivering on his/her IT vision. His/Her excellent stakeholder management and ability to build relationships across the organization will help with the successful implementation of large-scale IT projects. As such, the IT Director plays a critical role in setting Rheem Europe up for a future of continued innovation and excellence to bring sustainable solutions to its customers.

Candidate requirements:

• Over 10 years of experience
• As IT leader in an operational environment
• Developing and implementing the IT strategy in a transforming organization
• Experience with the implementation of ERP and Manufacturing Execution Systems
• Pragmatic leader who brings business owners along in his/her vision
• Excellent change manager and communicator in a flat, entrepreneurial organization
• Fluency in Dutch and English

Interested?

Rheem is working with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy. You are invited to apply for this position by following the link below.