Continuous Improvement Lead (Innovation DBS Leader) (f/m/d)

Beckman Coulter Diagnostics; München; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, a Danaher company, seeks a Continuous Improvement Lead (Innovation DBS Leader) to drive DBS-based development performance from Munich. You’ll influence R&D, program and product leaders to translate strategic priorities into measurable outcomes across global teams.

The role emphasizes Lean execution, Kaizen, and coaching to embed DBS practices, improve delivery, and accelerate patient impact in a regulated diagnostics setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, sciences, business administration, or related field.
• 12+ years of experience in engineering, product development, R&D, innovation, or technical program leadership.
• Strong background in Lean, continuous improvement, operational excellence, or DBS; experience with structured problem solving, visual management, daily management, Kaizen, or root cause analysis is preferred.
• Proven ability to lead through influence in a highly matrixed organization, including coaching senior stakeholders, aligning cross-functional teams, and driving change without direct authority.
• Experience in regulated industries such as medical devices, diagnostics, life sciences, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, or related sectors is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Apply DBS and Lean principles to improve execution, flow, and predictability across development programs.
• Partner with senior stakeholders across R&D, program management, product management, and executive leadership to translate priorities into measurable program outcomes.
• Bring strong project management discipline to complex, cross-functional initiatives, including prioritization, planning, execution tracking, risk management, stakeholder alignment, and follow-through on commitments.
• Lead the WITS Kaizen process end-to-end, including opportunity funnel development, prioritization, execution, and sustainment of improvements.
• Assess continuous improvement maturity and identify performance gaps, driving targeted improvements through coaching, structured problem solving, stakeholder influence, and change management.
• Embed core DBS and Lean management practices, including daily management, visual management, structured problem solving, and Kaizen-based improvement methods.
• Provide formal and informal training, coaching, and facilitation to build sustainable DBS and continuous improvement capability across development and cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking and executive presence, with the ability to influence senior leaders and act as a trusted advisor in complex organizational environments.

Skills

Lean principles

Continuous improvement

Project management

Influence without authority

Regulated industry experience

Matrixed organization leadership

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering, sciences, or business administration

Job description

Bring more to life.

Are you ready to accelerate your potential and make a real difference within life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology?

Bring more to life.

Are you ready to accelerate your potential and make a real difference within life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology?

At Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, one of Danaher’s 15+ operating companies, our work saves lives—and we’re all united by a shared commitment to innovate for tangible impact.

You’ll thrive in a culture of belonging where you and your unique viewpoint matter. And by harnessing Danaher’s system of continuous improvement, you help turn ideas into impact – innovating at the speed of life.

As a global leader in clinical diagnostics, Beckman Coulter Diagnostics has challenged convention to elevate the diagnostic laboratory’s role in improving patient health for more than 90 years. Our diagnostic solutions are used in routine and complex clinical testing, and are used in hospitals, reference and research laboratories, and physician offices around the world. Every hour around the world, more than one million tests are run on Beckman Coulter Diagnostics systems, impacting 1.2 billion patients and more than three million clinicians per year. From uncovering the next clinical breakthrough, to rapid and reliable sample analysis, to more rigorous decision making—we are enabling clinicians to deliver the best possible care to their patients with improved efficiency, clinical confidence, adaptive collaboration, and accelerated intelligence.

Learn about the Danaher Business System which makes everything possible.

The Continuous Improvement Lead (Innovation DBS Leader) (f/m/d)

is a senior individual contributor (IC) leadership role responsible for improving innovation performance, development execution, and operational excellence within the WITS (Workflow, IT & Systems) organization. Success in this role depends on the ability to influence across a highly matrixed global environment, partnering closely with R&D, Program and Product Management, functional leaders, and executive leadership to translate strategic priorities into measurable business impact.

The Danaher Business System (DBS) is Danaher’s enterprise-wide continuous improvement and business operating system. It helps translate strategy into measurable results, strengthen execution discipline, and improve performance across complex organizations.

This position reports to the Vice President, Automation and Clinical Informatics (CIT), Innovation.

The role is preferably based on-site in Munich, Germany.

In This Role, You Will Have The Opportunity To

• Champion innovation and development performance across WITS by applying DBS and Lean principles to improve execution, flow, and predictability across development programs
• Partner with senior stakeholders across R&D, program management, product management, and executive leadership to translate strategic priorities into measurable program outcomes
• Bring strong project management discipline to complex, cross-functional initiatives, including prioritization, planning, execution tracking, risk management, stakeholder alignment, and follow-through on commitments
• Lead the WITS Kaizen process end-to-end, including opportunity funnel development, prioritization, execution, and sustainment of improvements
• Assess continuous improvement maturity and identify performance gaps, driving targeted improvements through coaching, structured problem solving, stakeholder influence, and change management
• Embed core DBS and Lean management practices, including daily management, visual management, structured problem solving, and Kaizen-based improvement methods
• Provide formal and informal training, coaching, and facilitation to build sustainable DBS and continuous improvement capability across development and cross-functional teams
• Demonstrated strategic thinking and executive presence, with the ability to influence senior leaders and act as a trusted advisor in complex organizational environments.

The Essential Requirements Of The Job Include

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, Sciences, Business Administration, or a related field
• 12+ years of experience in engineering, product development, R&D, innovation, operational excellence, or technical program leadership roles
• Strong background in Lean, continuous improvement, operational excellence, or business operating system principles, ideally applied in product development, R&D, innovation, or complex technical environments; experience with Lean-based management systems and tools such as structured problem solving, visual management, daily management, Kaizen, or root cause analysis is preferred
• Proven ability to lead through influence in a highly matrixed organization, including coaching senior stakeholders, aligning cross-functional teams, and driving change without direct authority
• Demonstrated track record of improving execution, delivery predictability, and performance in product development programs, R&D organizations, or complex innovation environments
• Strong project management skillset, including the ability to structure complex initiatives, manage priorities and interdependencies, track execution, mitigate risks, and drive cross-functional teams toward clear outcomes
• Experience working in a regulated or quality-driven industry is strongly preferred, such as medical devices, diagnostics, life sciences, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, automotive, or other sectors where product development is shaped by quality systems, compliance requirements, risk management, and documentation discipline

Join our winning team today. Together, we’ll accelerate the real-life impact of tomorrow’s science and technology. We partner with customers across the globe to help them solve their most complex challenges, architecting solutions that bring the power of science to life.

For more information, visit www.danaher.com.