Manager, Operational Excellence

Canadian Blood Services; Calgary; On-site; CAD 115,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance award up to 10%

Defined benefit pension plan

Comprehensive health, dental andvision

4 weeks of paid vacation

Employee discounts, wellness program

Job summary

Canadian Blood Services is hiring a Regular, Full-time Manager of Operational Excellence for our Calgary site. You will lead continuous improvement initiatives and Kaizen events to optimize process flow, materials, and information management.

You will develop and promote improvement programs, track savings with scorecards, and mentor staff in Lean/Six Sigma methods. This role requires strong leadership, collaboration, and change-management skills in a healthcare-adjacent manufacturing

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, engineering, operations management, or a closely related field.
• Certification in Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or a related field.
• 10 years of experience in a manufacturing or pharmaceutical environment with at least 5 years of Lean/Six Sigma/Continuous Improvement Engineering experience.
• Experience implementing continuous improvement strategies on the shop floor and coaching front-line staff.
• Experience with change management and data-driven analysis to quantify performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and facilitate process improvement workshops and Kaizen events.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
• Develop scorecards and reporting to track progress and outcomes.
• Guide teams through planning, analysis, and deployment of improvements.
• Mentor staff and management on lean principles and adult learning concepts.

Skills

Relationship building

Problem solving

Continuous improvement

Project management

Adult learning

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering/operations management

Lean manufacturing / Six Sigma certification

Job description

This role requires a minimum of 80% on-site presence. Additional on-site work may be required based on business needs. On-site expectations are subject to change and may be adjusted on a temporary or permanent basis.

The successful candidate will work out of our Calgary (2775 116 Ave NE) site office.

Job posting ID: 9140

Employment status: Regular full-time

Classification: MGMT

Salary grade: 10

Salary/Rate of pay: $114,800 - 135,100

Application deadline: 2026-09-09

Application requirements:

• Your up-to-date resume.

This position is open to: Internal and External applicants

Together, the work we do connects people and changes lives — including your own. Be part of a dynamic, collaborative and caring organization committed to saving and improving lives. Thousands of patients depend on us every day for reliable access to safe blood, plasma, stem cells and organs and tissues.

About The Role

Canadian Blood Services is looking for a Regular, Full-time Manager, Operational Excellence to join our dynamic Operational Excellence team.

The Operational Excellence team is responsible for supporting Canadian Blood Services by empowering our employees to improve their own processes, so that problems can be easily surfaced and solved for good.

In this role, you will be responsible for implementing continuous improvement principles and proven best practices. This work will occur with staff and management and includes workplace organization, material and information flow, value stream mapping, materials control, throughput leveling and improved customer service.

You will lead and facilitate process improvement workshops and Kaizen events, develop and promote continuous improvement initiatives, and drive efforts to reduce costs and improve efficiency to meet organizational objectives. Additionally, you will provide scorecard reporting to track progress and outcomes of these activities.

Formula for Success

• Strong relationship-building and communication skills, applied to engage process owners and help them see how proposed changes align with shared goals and organizational priorities.
• Proactive problem-solving and business insight, used to uncover opportunities for improvement and to work collaboratively with teams to turn those insights into actionable solutions.
• Expertise in continuous improvement methodologies, applied to design work systems that enhance process flow, improve productivity, and reduce lead times.
• Deep knowledge of process improvement tools and techniques, leveraged to deliver practical, hands-on solutions for eliminating waste.
• Project management proficiency, applied to support continuous improvement projects, achieve targeted savings, and develop reporting and scorecard systems. This includes guiding teams through planning, analysis, recommendations, business-case/payback evaluation, approval, and deployment.
• Understanding of adult learning principles, used to foster a continuous improvement culture, maintain education programs, and provide mentoring and training to staff and management.
• Data analytics & business Insights, leveraged for advanced data analysis, storytelling, and data visualization to identify operational improvement opportunities, provide actionable insights, and drive data-informed decision-making across the organization.

Desired Education And Skills

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, engineering, operations management, or a closely related field.
• Certification in Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or a related field.
• 10 years of experience in a manufacturing or pharmaceutical environment with at least 5 years of Lean/Six Sigma/Continuous Improvement Engineering experience.
• Proven experience implementing continuous improvement strategies on the on the shop floor, with the ability to explain concepts in plain language to front-line staff. .
• Experience applying change management methodologies and facilitating organizational change.
• Experience applying and coaching analytical methods to quantify process performance, identify waste, and validate the impact of improvement initiatives.
• Experience with waste reduction, standardized work, one-piece flow, just in time production, 5S, WIP reduction, and inventory reduction. .
• Requires effective oral and written communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills, and computer literacy.
• Strong Project Management skills are required.
• Must be able to work in a team environment.
• Experience with directing and delegating to cross-functional continuous improvement project team members.
• Experience with incorporating adult learning principles is an asset.

What We Offer You

• Annual performance award up to 10%.
• Defined benefitpension plan.
• Comprehensive group health, dental and vision benefits for you and your family.
• 4 weeks of paid vacation.
• Employee discounts, wellness program, professional resources.

What You Can Expect

• This role will be based at Canadian Blood Services' 2775 116 Ave NE, Calgary AB location and expected to have an in-person presence for at least 80% of the time (4 days per week).
• You will work Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours per week, 7.5 hours a day. Additional hours may be required depending on project requirements.
• Travel up to 20% of the time to other CBS locations, as required to support business needs.

We acknowledge that the work of Canadian Blood Services spans many Territories and Treaty areas across the country, and we are grateful for the Traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who have guided us in this important work. We recognize the land and waters that have inspired our work and offer gratitude to those Indigenous peoples on whose territory we work, live and play.

Diversity and inclusion play a vital role in ensuring health equity for patients across Canada. We are committed to reflecting Canada’s population in our organization and fostering an environment where all employees can be their authentic selves, with equal opportunities to succeed and contribute.

We thank all applicants for their interest. However, only those considered for an interview or those invited to participate in an assessment will be contacted. Emails are sent directly from our system, to ensure you receive them please add [e-mail] and [e-mail] to your safe senders list.

Applicants who require accommodation should discuss their needs with us.