Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Head of Continuous Improvement

🎯 Role Definition

We are seeking a results-driven Head of Continuous Improvement to lead the company’s operational excellence transformation. This role owns the continuous improvement (CI) strategy across functions and sites, aligning Lean and Six Sigma methodologies with business objectives to reduce waste, increase throughput, improve quality and drive sustainable cost savings. The Head of Continuous Improvement will build capability through coaching, governance and metrics, lead cross-functional Kaizen events and large-scale transformation programs, and partner closely with senior leaders to translate strategy into measurable operational outcomes.

Primary SEO / LLM keywords: Head of Continuous Improvement, continuous improvement leader, Lean Six Sigma, operational excellence, process improvement, Kaizen, value stream mapping, change management, transformation leader.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Continuous Improvement Manager / Senior CI Manager
Lean Manager / Lean Operations Manager
Operations Manager or Plant Manager
Quality Manager with Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

Advancement To:

Director of Operational Excellence
VP of Operations or VP of Continuous Improvement
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Head of Global Process Excellence

Lateral Moves:

Quality Director / Head of Quality
Head of Supply Chain or Head of Manufacturing Excellence
Program Management Office (PMO) Director

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Define, communicate and operationalize the enterprise continuous improvement strategy (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Standard Work, TPM) to support corporate goals for cost, quality, safety and delivery, and maintain direct accountability for program KPIs and roadmap.
Lead and scale a high-performing CI function: recruit, mentor and develop a team of Lean coaches, Six Sigma Black/Green Belts and CI practitioners; create career paths, training curricula and capability metrics.
Sponsor and facilitate cross-functional value stream mapping and end-to-end process redesign initiatives that measurably reduce process lead-times, eliminate non-value-added activities and improve customer experience.
Lead large-scale transformation programs (site consolidation, capacity expansion, ERP rollouts, supply chain redesign), serving as the CI executive sponsor to ensure projects deliver planned benefits on schedule and on budget.
Design and deploy governance, cadence and reporting for CI activities, including standardized project intake, benefit realization tracking, monthly steering reviews and executive-level dashboards.
Drive a data-driven problem solving culture by institutionalizing root cause analysis (5 Whys, Fishbone), hypothesis-based experiments, statistical process control and performance monitoring across operations.
Lead Kaizen events, rapid improvement workshops and A3 problem-solving sessions with cross-functional teams to deliver quantifiable improvements in cycle time, yield, throughput and safety.
Establish and maintain standardized operational systems: standard work, visual management, 5S, changeover reduction (SMED), poka-yoke and other Lean tools to ensure consistency and repeatability in daily operations.
Define and monitor operational KPIs (OTD, quality yield, first pass yield, takt time, cycle time, cost per unit, scrap rates) and translate metrics into actionable improvement plans.
Partner with Site/Plant/Facility leadership to diagnose performance gaps, prioritize improvement opportunities and embed sustainable processes that prevent regression after improvements are implemented.
Create and lead a culture change plan to embed continuous improvement behaviors, including leadership coaching, recognition programs, training roadmaps and communication plans that drive adoption at all levels.
Lead cross-functional cost reduction initiatives (OPEX, procurement & supply chain optimization, energy efficiency) and quantify legacy cost-to-serve improvements and ongoing savings capture.
Manage capital improvement projects from CI perspective: prioritize projects with highest ROI, support business cases, ensure designs incorporate Lean principles and verify benefit realization post-implementation.
Integrate CI methodologies into product development and engineering processes to drive design-for-manufacturability, reduce rework and speed time-to-market.
Oversee training and certification programs for Lean and Six Sigma (Black Belt, Green Belt), including curriculum development, training delivery and competency assessments.
Collaborate with IT and data teams to create and maintain real-time dashboards, operational reporting, and data pipelines needed to sustain CI metrics and automated performance alerts.
Lead supplier and vendor continuous improvement activities, including onboarding suppliers to CI expectations, joint Kaizen events and supplier performance improvement plans.
Ensure CI programs comply with industry standards and support quality management systems (ISO, AS9100, IATF 16949) by reducing variation and documenting standard processes.
Build robust benefit realization practices: baseline processes, capture and validate savings, ensure financial close-out of projects and integrate realized benefits into operating budgets.
Act as the senior liaison to the executive team on operational readiness, continuous improvement outcomes and risk mitigation related to process changes and transformation initiatives.
Create and maintain a pipeline of CI projects prioritized against business objectives using a formal opportunity identification and prioritization framework.
Drive continuous improvement in safety and environmental performance by integrating HSE considerations into process design and improvement plans.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc cross-functional analyses to quantify improvement opportunities and present findings to senior stakeholders to enable prioritization decisions.
Design and deploy pilot programs and rapid prototyping for process innovations and new operating models; evaluate pilots and scale successful approaches.
Develop internal communication and change management plans that reinforce CI principles and document lessons learned to accelerate future projects.
Partner with HR to align performance management and incentive programs to support CI adoption and recognize behavior change.
Maintain a library of CI tools, templates, case studies and standard operating procedures to support consistent program execution across sites.
Coordinate with regulatory, compliance and quality teams to ensure that CI changes are validated, documented and controlled within the QMS.
Manage external consultants and third-party partners engaged for specialist CI projects, ensuring knowledge transfer and ROI.
Participate in site and executive audits to validate that CI processes and controls are in place and delivering expected results.
Provide executive reports and present quarterly business reviews, including financial impact, KPI trends and strategic roadmap updates.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven expertise in Lean methodologies (Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Standard Work, SMED, Kanban) with documented program-level results.
Six Sigma Black Belt certification (or equivalent) with demonstrated experience applying DMAIC on complex operational problems.
Strong data analysis and statistical skills: hypothesis testing, control charts, regression analysis, Design of Experiments (DOE) and use of statistical tools such as Minitab or JMP.
Value stream mapping and process mapping at the enterprise level, with the ability to translate maps into prioritized transformation projects.
Project and program management skills (PMP or equivalent experience), including managing budgets, timelines, dependencies and benefit realization.
Proficiency with business intelligence and visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau, Qlik) to create executive dashboards and operational KPI reports.
Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, Power Query, advanced formulas) for ad-hoc analysis and model building.
Familiarity with ERP and MRP systems (SAP, Oracle, Infor, NetSuite) and ability to align process improvements with system capabilities.
Strong change management and stakeholder engagement techniques (ADKAR, Kotter) to sustain behavioral change and adoption.
Experience with Quality Management Systems and standards (ISO 9001, IATF 16949, AS9100) and integrating CI improvements within compliance frameworks.
Knowledge of manufacturing technologies and automation fundamentals (PLC, MES, robotics) to identify opportunities for digital and automation enablement.
Financial acumen for building business cases, calculating ROI, and linking CI outcomes to P&L and balance sheet impacts.

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership with the ability to influence senior executives and create alignment across global stakeholders.
Coaching and talent development skills to grow CI capability and create self-sustaining improvement teams.
Exceptional facilitation and workshop leadership skills for leading cross-functional Kaizen events and complex problem-solving sessions.
Strong communication and presentation skills, able to translate technical improvement details into concise business value for executives.
Resilience and change agent mindset to lead cultural transformation in complex, matrixed organizations.
Collaboration and stakeholder management — builds trust quickly across functions and geographies.
Critical thinking and structured problem solving with the ability to simplify complexity and prioritize high-impact actions.
Results orientation with a bias for measurable outcomes and rigorous follow-through.
Negotiation and conflict resolution skills to align competing priorities and resource constraints.
Adaptability and continuous learner mindset to incorporate new CI tools, digital capabilities and industry best practices.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical/business discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree (MBA, MS in Engineering/Operations) or equivalent advanced degree preferred.
Additional certifications: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified Lean Practitioner, PMP, Prosci Change Management preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Industrial Engineering
Mechanical or Manufacturing Engineering
Operations Management
Business Administration / MBA
Supply Chain Management
Quality Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

8–15+ years of progressive experience in continuous improvement, operational excellence, manufacturing or operations roles.

Preferred:

10+ years leading CI programs with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role managing teams and enterprise-wide transformation.
Demonstrated track record delivering multi-million-dollar cost savings, productivity gains, process simplification and culture change across multiple sites or business units.
Experience working in high-volume manufacturing, complex supply chains, regulated industries or fast-growth operations is highly desirable.
International or multi-site program leadership experience and experience integrating Lean with digital transformation initiatives (Industry 4.0) is a plus.