Executive Heartbeat Lean Leader, Office of Heartbeat

Job Description Summary

Based in Europe, this executive role leads the enterprise-wide Lean transformation within GE HealthCare’s Office of Heartbeat. It supports the development, deployment, and sustained alignment of the Heartbeat Business System with the company’s 2030 goals.

Transformation Leadership: The role champions, coaches, and mentors Lean change; leads Heartbeat Lean Leaders; partners with stakeholders to prioritize improvement opportunities; and co-leads operating reviews, strategy, and priority planning across regions, segments, and functions.

Business System Deployment: Responsibilities include supporting bootcamps, coaching, and training while embedding standard work, daily management, problem solving, kaizen, value stream mapping, and action planning into business operations. The position also builds Lean capability and manages the organizational change required to sustain these practices.

Operational Impact: By analyzing work at the genba, diagnosing challenges, testing improvements, and executing Hoshin Kanri priorities, the role is expected to improve business results and culture, strengthen leadership capability, and contribute to improved EBITDA and Free Cash Flow.

Required Profile: Candidates need a bachelor’s degree, at least 15 years of general management or Lean operational leadership experience, and at least 10 years of Lean capability-building experience. The profile also calls for regulated-industry knowledge, experience with AI-enabled tools, global Lean-system deployment, strong facilitation and program-management skills, executive communication, accountability, commercial focus, and change-management expertise, preferably using the ADKAR framework.

Job Description

Your Challenge

The Executive Lean Leader is responsible for supporting the design, adoption, functional leadership, and execution of the enterprise-wide Lean transformation within the Office of Heartbeat at GE HealthCare. As a key member of the Office of Heartbeat team, the Executive Lean Leader contributes to the overall strategy of how we run, change, and act in the business, guided by the principles and processes of the Heartbeat Business System (HBS).

This role is critical to ensure the Heartbeat Business System is developed, deployed, and sustained in direct alignment with the company’s 2030 goals. The Executive Lean Leader will lead impactful operating routines and drive execution of critical projects. The role is based in Europe.

Your Responsibilities

Our Heartbeat Business System is based on Lean thinking and practices and will be an integral part of the way we run, change, and act in our business for the long-term. Each Executive Lean Leader contributes to this progression within the organization.

The Executive Lean Leader will focus on selecting, supporting, and assisting with the improvement efforts tied to the Office of Heartbeat’s most critical business processes (e.g., Hoshin Kanri), primarily in the innovation (STO), commercial, integrated supply chain, service, and functional areas. By analyzing work at the genba with our people, diagnosing our challenges, and testing process improvements through an action plan, the Executive Lean Leader will demonstrate continuous improvement and breakthrough performance — ultimately shaping the company culture and brand.

The goal is to positively impact results and culture by establishing standards, institutionalizing daily management processes, adopting consistent problem-solving methods, and executing on Hoshin Kanri priorities. As a key member of the Office of Heartbeat team, the Executive Lean Leader will help strengthen and develop the evolving Heartbeat Business System and build people and leader capability in the Heartbeat fundamentals — standard work, daily management system, problem solving, kaizen, value stream mapping, and action planning — with a growth mindset that enables culture change. This will require significant change management to embed effectively throughout the organization.

Expectations

Lean Leadership & Transformation

• Provide overall Lean leadership at the appropriate Region / Segment / Function level and drive the Lean transformation by serving as a champion, coach, and mentor for change
• Lead and mentor the Region / Segment / Function teams of Heartbeat Lean Leaders across the organization
• Partner with global business stakeholders across segments and regions to identify, prioritize, and execute improvement opportunities through Kaizen events and Lean initiatives
• Co-lead Region / Segment / Function operating rhythms (operating reviews, long-term strategy, priorities planning) in partnership with subject-matter experts and senior leaders

Heartbeat Business System Deployment

• Support the development and activities of the Heartbeat Business System, including bootcamps, leader coaching, and training on Heartbeat fundamentals
• Install the Heartbeat behaviors and fundamentals into how we run the business: standard work, daily management system, problem solving, kaizen, value stream mapping, and action planning

Capability Building

• Establish a Lean capability program that ensures the application of globally recognized standards for Lean principles and practices, serves as a benchmark for achievement, and provides a common roadmap for continuous improvement and people development
• Develop capability across the spectrum — from the tactical (deployment and application of principles, concepts, and methods) to the strategic (a transformation that deeply impacts a key value stream) — with effective change management

Leadership, Culture, & Change Management

• Demonstrate and commit to servant leadership and partnership with peers and leaders
• Align behaviors and practices to our shared Cultural Operating Principles and Heartbeat Behaviors
• Development and deployment of the Heartbeat Business System will result in improved EBITDA and Free Cash Flow

Your Experience

• BS or BA Degree; Master’s Degree preferred
• Minimum 15 years of experience in a General Management or Lean/operational leadership role
• Minimum 10 years of capability building across a variety of Lean practices, including Hoshin Kanri, problem solving, daily management system, standard work, and value stream mapping
• Working knowledge of business processes within the medical equipment or other regulated industry
• Experience leveraging AI-enabled tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or similar platforms to accelerate the way work is done, and continuously learning new ways of using emerging technologies
• Ability to travel up to 40% across Europe and internationally.

Desired Characteristics

• Ideally built and/or designed an organizational management system
• Ideally developed the playbook for the core processes of an organizational business system
• Demonstrated successful leadership and proficiency in installing and sustaining a Lean system for a global organization with operations and services teams
• Deep, hands-on experience with Lean principles and practices; credible with practitioners and executives alike
• Ability to accurately assess key business metrics and situations from a general manager’s or executive leader’s perspective
• Excellent time, program, and project management skills — brings order and structure quickly to initiatives and other critical, high-visibility programs
• Strong facilitation and ability to influence without authority across segments, regions, and functions
• High attention to detail in daily and visual management without losing the strategic thread
• Proven ability to hold senior leaders accountable to commitments with candor and respect
• Growth mindset with hands-on approach; comfortable at the genba and in the boardroom
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive storytelling
• Experience with Change Management (preferably the ADKAR framework)
• Deep commercial experience with a focus on the customer and end-user experience

Additional Information