Associate Director Continuous Improvement

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 122,000 - 177,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work flexibility

Up to 50% domestic travel

Leadership forums for strategic impact

Growth in a mature Lean system

Job summary

Ladders is seeking an Associate Director of Continuous Improvement to guide a distributed CI function, shaping Lean practices to strengthen operational performance across the organization. The role partners with site and functional leaders to prioritize projects and build a strong pipeline of initiatives.

You will lead capability development, sustain gains in a regulated, science-driven environment, and model change management across sites while driving a culture of operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a scientific field; Master's preferred
• 10+ years of relevant experience; 12+ years preferred
• 6+ years of supervisory experience; 8+ years preferred
• Extensive experience in operational excellence and process improvement
• Strong knowledge of Lean tools and methodologies, with a proven track record

Responsibilities

• Develop team members and drive continuous improvement across the organization
• Coach team members on Kaizen and core Lean tools
• Manage the improvement funnel and sustainment tracking for institutionalizing gains
• Lead the team to identify and track operational improvement initiatives
• Partner with managers to define project scope and set goals
• Provide leadership and performance management for a distributed team
• Model organizational change management practices across sites

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Kaizen

Lean tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or scientific field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Lean tools

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Associate Director Continuous Improvement to join the team of a leader in the Pharmaceuticals & Biotech space. This role will guide a distributed continuous improvement function, shaping how Lean practices are applied to strengthen operational performance across the organization. The position will partner closely with site and functional leaders to prioritize improvement work, define project scope, and build a strong pipeline of initiatives. It will also play a visible leadership role in developing team capability, sustaining process gains, and advancing a culture of operational excellence in a regulated, science-driven environment.

Location: Remote

Compensation: $121,924 – $176,790 annually

Responsibilities

• Develop team members and drive continuous improvement across the organization
• Coach team members on Kaizen and core Lean tools
• Manage the improvement funnel and sustainment tracking for institutionalizing gains
• Lead the team to identify and track operational improvement initiatives
• Partner with managers to define project scope and set goals
• Provide leadership and performance management for a distributed team
• Model organizational change management practices across sites

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a scientific field; Master's preferred
• 10 years of relevant experience; 12+ years preferred
• 6 years of supervisory experience; 8+ years preferred
• Extensive experience in operational excellence and process improvement
• Strong knowledge of Lean tools and methodologies, with a proven track record

Benefits

• Remote work flexibility with up to 50% domestic travel
• Opportunity to lead and develop a team of Continuous Improvement professionals
• Engagement in high-impact operational improvement initiatives
• Access to leadership forums for strategic influence
• Potential for professional growth in a mature Lean management system

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every qualification—your background could be exactly what this team needs.