Lean Director - Global

The Lean Director, Field Business Systemis responsible for leading and governing Continuous Improvement (CI) workstreams across the enterprise. This role ensures that VSM, Kaizen, and sustainment activities are executed to standard, supports strategic pipeline development, and drives executive engagement. As the owner of Hoshin Kanri/Policy Deployment, this leader plays a critical role in aligning CI efforts with enterprise strategy and cultivating the next generation of impactful workstreams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Governance & Execution Oversight
  • Create and maintain standard work for CI activities including VSM, Kaizen events, and sustainment.
  • Monitor execution to ensure teams meet expectations and deliver measurable impact.
  • Attend 8+ CI events annually to validate adherence to standards and coach teams.
• Charter & Team Validation
  • Review and approve CI charters, core team composition, and support function engagement (e.g., Change Management, HR, Finance).
  • Ensure cross-functional alignment and readiness for each workstream.
• Strategic Pipeline & Workstream Development
  • Cultivate and prioritize the next generation of CI workstreams based on enterprise needs.
  • Own top-down pipeline management to ensure strategic alignment and resource optimization.
• Executive Engagement & Communication
  • Drive executive collaboration and awareness of CI workstream status, impact, and risks.
  • Provide regular updates and insights to senior leadership on progress and outcomes.
• Hoshin Kanri / Policy Deployment Ownership
  • Lead the enterprise Hoshin Kanri process, ensuring strategic goals are cascaded and tracked effectively.
  • Align CI initiatives with broader business objectives and performance metrics.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Engineering, or related field; Master's preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in CI leadership, Lean, or Operational Excellence roles.
• Proven success in leading enterprise-wide CI initiatives and strategic deployment.
• Strong facilitation, coaching, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with Hoshin Kanri, Policy Deployment, and pipeline governance.

Preferred Skills:

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent certification.
• Experience in both global and regional CI environments.
• Ability to influence and engage executive stakeholders.
• Familiarity with digital CI tools and performance tracking systems.