Continuous Improvement Specialist

Aurizon; Adelaide; Hybrid; AUD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Development opportunities

Mentoring programs

Health insurance discounts

Personal travel discounts

Gym discounts

Company vehicle

Parental leave & super booster

Job summary

Aurizon is seeking a Continuous Improvement Specialist to join the Integrated Planning & Commercial team in a hybrid role across Adelaide, Melbourne or Perth. Regular weekly office attendance is required; this is not a remote position.

You will lead CI initiatives, collaborate with frontline teams, and deploy structured improvement methods to enhance productivity, safety and customer experience. Travel may be required.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading continuous improvement or transformation initiatives, ideally in logistics/transport.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical capabilities.
• Structured CI methodology experience (Lean, Six Sigma, TPS) – certification preferred but not essential.
• Experience leading small/medium projects; PMBOK-aligned qualification welcome but not essential.
• Hands-on approach and attention to detail in processes.

Responsibilities

• Identify, evaluate and implement improvement initiatives to drive productivity, asset utilisation, labour efficiency, safety and customer experience.
• Role model a CI culture and build trusted relationships across frontline teams and management.
• Support front line leaders in implementing operational excellence solutions including standard work and visual management.
• Investigate and ideate IT, robotics and AI solutions and present recommendations to leaders.
• Project-manage improvements through lifecycle with stakeholder engagement and change management.
• Apply DMAIC where beneficial and select appropriate problem-solving tools.
• Create compelling business cases for capital expenditure when needed.
• Collaborate with data teams to ensure improvements are measurable.

Skills

Continuous improvement

Problem solving

Analytical thinking

Lean Six Sigma

DMAIC

Project management

Value stream mapping

Stakeholder management

Communication

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

PMBOK knowledge

Tools

Power BI

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Job description

Location: Adelaide, Melbourne or Perth (hybrid role. Regular attendance at an Aurizon office is required each week, this is not a remote position).

Remuneration/Benefit: Attractive salary plus bonus opportunity

About the role: Aurizon's Bulk & Containerised Freight (BCF) business is building a high-performance culture underpinned by continuous improvement and fact-driven decision-making. The business is within a critical change phase and seeking the expertise of an established Continuous Improvement Specialist to join its Integrated Planning & Commercial team.

Key responsibilities

• Identify, evaluate and implement improvement initiatives to drive improvements in productivity, asset utilisation, labour efficiency, safety and customer experience.
• Role model a CI culture of respect for process, people and place (Gemba). Build trusted relationships across frontline teams, leaders and management.
• Support front line leaders in implementing operational excellence solutions, including standard work and visual management.
• Investigate and ideate innovative solutions and provide recommendations to leaders and senior management, including solutions involving IT, robotics and AI.
• Project-manage improvement initiatives through their lifecycle, applying best practices in tracking, stakeholder engagement and change management.
• Deploy a flexible personal toolbox to solve problems, e.g. distinguish business challenges that could benefit from a DMAIC framework from those that would likely not.
• Create compelling business cases for capital expenditure when required to enable improvements.
• Collaborate with data colleagues to ensure that improvement decisions are grounded in facts and that improvements implemented are measurable whenever possible.

We're looking for someone with:

• Proven experience in leading continuous improvement or transformation initiatives, ideally with exposure to logistics and/or transportation sectors.
• Excellent critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical capabilities.
• A background in applying a structured continuous improvement methodology (e.g. Lean, Lean Six Sigma, TPS or similar) in appropriate circumstances. Certification preferred but not essential.
• Experience in leading small or medium sized projects. Project management qualification/certification (especially PMBOK aligned) welcome but not essential.
• A hands‑on approach and not afraid to get into the details of a process where required.
• Capability in process mapping and value stream mapping.
• Superior stakeholder management skills and ability to build relationships.
• Highly effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Financial and business acumen.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

Highly regarded but not essential:

• Previous experience implementing emerging technologies (e.g. drones).
• Interest or previous exposure to Power BI as a reporting and data visualisation tool.

Additional information:

• Regular (approx monthly) business travel required (usually 1-2 nights). Flights, accommodation and expenses covered.

What we offer you:

At Aurizon, we support the development and growth of our employees. With a national portfolio of operations, we offer long-term and exciting career opportunities.

Some of our benefits include:

• Development and growth opportunities.
• Access to mentoring and development programs.
• Discounts on selected health insurance funds, personal travel, gyms, vehicles and retail brands.
• Parental leave program and super booster.

About Aurizon.

https://youtu.be/PHESxVZ6dQY

Aurizon is Australia's largest rail freight operator and a top 100 ASX company. Each year, we deliver more than 250 million tonnes of Australian commodities right across the country. Aurizon is crucial to the Australian economy, connecting miners, primary producers and industry with international and domestic markets.

Look to Aurizon for a diverse and collaborative culture.

At Aurizon, we are proud of our diverse, collaborative, creative and high-performance culture. We celebrate the contribution of every employee and provide opportunities for career development in a dynamic, caring, and inclusive work environment.

To learn about us and our company values, please visit www.aurizon.com.au/careers