Managing Director - IKEA Industry

At IKEA we are guided by our vision to create a better everyday life for the many people. This requires that we need to dare to try new things and do them a bit differently. IKEA Industry is the in-house manufacturing and a business unit within Core Business Supply, Inter IKEA Group. We have 30 production units across 18 sites in 7 countries with 15 000 Co-workers. Producing wood-based components and furniture such as PAX, IVAR and HEMNES to the IKEA customers.

We are a diverse group of people working together, sharing the IKEA values. The values are the foundation of our work. By living them, we form the unique IKEA culture where team spirit and togetherness are key. In a constantly growing IKEA, every individual is taken care of, respected, acknowledged and included. People are themselves and respecting the uniqueness of every individual makes IKEA better.

After three successful years in the role, the current IKEA Industry manager will move on, and we are therefore looking for his successor. As the IKEA Industry Manager you are leading the manufacturing organisation for IKEA, which is a fully integrated part of the IKEA supply chain.  In the role you will lead and develop IKEA Industry with the units in focus to enable short-, medium- and long-term competitiveness of the IKEA business. The overall accountability includes to secure that IKEA Industry;

• Delivers outstanding customer value in material, manufacturing and production and processes is in the lead and in tune with time.
• Contributes to the value chain in all channels meeting the customer through our forward-thinking industrial know-how, ability to innovate and talented co-workers.
• Is the good example in all aspects of business and people.

Your will be expected to:

• As the leader of the IKEA Industry management team, and as a member of the Global Supply management team, actively contribute to the business success for the whole organisation.
• Together with your team and colleagues develop the IKEA Industry direction to ensure the business contributes to affordability, accessibility and sustainability for the IKEA customer.  
• Build and develop professional, trustful, efficient and long-term relationships with stakeholders in different parts of the organisation as well as with relevant external partners, based on a shared business model, trust and transparency.
• Secure that IKEA Industry is in the forefront with manufacturing innovations, knowledge, capabilities and competitiveness.
• Secure that IKEA Industry contributes to the development of external IKEA home furnishing suppliers by sharing knowledge and possible future development opportunities with the purpose to further strengthen the IKEA competitiveness on the market.
• Listen to, create understanding for customer needs, and constantly work to meet the needs.
• Drive a strong people plan by leading, developing, coaching and empowering co-workers and teams, mainly via the management team to perform and grow with the IKEA values as the base, meeting the needs of today and tomorrow.
• Be an ambassador of and ensure that the organisation works in accordance with the IKEA production system (IPS) principles as well as in accordance with our common ways of working.
• Act as spokesperson for different IKEA Industry related topics to media.
• Taking part in developing and implementing IKEA operating model as leader of Business Process Manufacture Products as well as the capability of Manufacturing.

To be successful in this role we believe you have experience from leading senior leaders and developing people from both a line organizational and matrix perspective within a global organization, in combination with extensive industrial business experience. You are inspired by the vision to create a better everyday life for the many people, and you truly share the IKEA values and are a good role model for them in your leadership. In addition to this we expect you to have:

• A passion to develop both business and people.
• Strong business drive and result oriented.
• Full understanding of the mechanisms to make the supply chain successful
• Deep knowledge and understanding of lean manufacturing.
• Passion for developing the way production is done today and for the future.
• Desire to find new opportunities and to make things happen through engaging and motivating people.
• Excellent strategic skills with ability to lead business with a holistic view, to always act with best interest of the customer and total organisation in mind.
• Capability to create togetherness, belonging and trust within cross-functional and remote team and to deliver results through involving and engaging people.  
• Capability to identify and capture business opportunities and proven capability to lead change as well as more complex business and people transformations.
• Excellent communication skills and can interact naturally on all levels in the organisation.

Does this sound like your next challenge?

We look forward to receiving your application in English. Please note that we will be interviewing continuously, which means that we may close the application process earlier than stated if we find the right candidate. You will report to IKEA Global Supply Manager Susanne Waidzunas and will be based in Malmö. 

We regret that we are unable to handle applications made by email. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible, but no later than 7 Oct. 2025. 

For more information about the position, please contact Supply People & Culture Manager Malin Folkesson at [email protected]. For questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact People & Culture Specialist Katie Pettersson at [email protected].

We look forward to receiving your application.