Continuous Improvement Leader

Albemarle; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive benefits package

Professional development resources

Job summary

Ketjen Corporation is seeking a Continuous Improvement Leader to advance operational excellence across the global organization. You will partner with leaders to identify, prioritize, and sustain high-impact improvements from concept through implementation.

You will coach CI champions, lead cross-functional teams, and embed a culture of accountability and ownership while delivering measurable business results and governance across sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; equivalent combination considered.
• Minimum of five years leading Continuous Improvement or related initiatives in manufacturing or chemical environments.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification required; Black Belt preferred.
• Proven ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Experience delivering measurable productivity, cost, quality or working capital improvements.

Responsibilities

• Identify, prioritize, and execute CI initiatives delivering safety, productivity, cost, quality, and service improvements.
• Develop CI strategies and roadmaps aligned with business objectives.
• Collaborate with Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, and other functions to build a high-value initiative pipeline.
• Conduct value stream assessments and root-cause analyses to quantify opportunities.
• Lead cross-functional projects using Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen, and Value Stream Mapping.
• Coach CI Champions and project teams to sustain results and build execution capability.
• Drive change management to gain stakeholder buy‑in and adoption of new processes.
• Establish governance and stage-gate reviews to ensure resources and alignment.
• Develop organizational CI capability through training and knowledge sharing.
• Monitor KPIs and financial benefits; report status, risks, and impact to leadership.
• Collaborate with Finance to validate savings and working capital improvements.
• Share best practices across global stakeholders and embed CI in daily operations.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

Leadership

Project management

Analytical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, Project Management, or related field

Job description

Are you ready to move your career forward and help shape our company’s and customers’ futures?

If you aspire to challenge yourself, work with the best in the industry and join a successful team where you can make a meaningful contribution, then we invite you to join us at Ketjen Corporation, a provider of advanced catalyst solutions to leading producers in the petrochemical, refining, and specialty chemicals industries. Together, we can create a legacy marked by innovation, excitement, and energy.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Ketjen is seeking a Continuous Improvement Leader to advance operational excellence, productivity, and continuous improvement across the global organization. Reporting to the Senior Continuous Improvement Manager, this role will partner with leaders and cross-functional teams to identify, prioritize, execute, and sustain high-impact improvement initiatives.

The successful candidate will lead projects from concept through implementation, deliver measurable business results, and help embed continuous improvement into the way Ketjen operates.

KEY JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the identification, prioritization, and execution of Continuous Improvement initiatives that deliver measurable improvements in safety, productivity, cost, quality, service, working capital, and overall business performance.
• Develop and execute CI strategies and roadmaps aligned with Ketjen’s business objectives.
• Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Commercial, Technology, Finance, Procurement, and other functions to identify opportunities, prioritize resources, and build a pipeline of high-value initiatives.
• Conduct value stream assessments, process analyses, and root cause investigations to identify and quantify improvement opportunities.
• Lead complex, cross-functional projects using Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, structured problem-solving, and other CI methodologies.
• Coach and mentor CI Champions, project leaders, Green Belts, and functional teams to strengthen execution capabilities and sustain project results.
• Lead change management efforts that build stakeholder commitment, address resistance, and support the adoption of new processes and behaviors.
• Establish portfolio governance, project management disciplines, and stage-gate reviews to ensure initiatives remain aligned, appropriately resourced, and effectively executed.
• Develop organizational CI capability through training, mentoring, knowledge sharing, and certification programs.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to measure project performance, financial benefits, productivity improvements, and sustainability.
• Manage CI portfolio reporting and provide leadership with clear visibility into project status, risks, results, and business impact.
• Partner with Finance to validate project savings, productivity gains, working capital improvements, and other realized benefits.
• Collaborate with global stakeholders to share best practices, replicate successful improvements, and integrate CI principles into daily operations.
• Champion a culture of accountability, collaboration, disciplined execution, and continuous improvement consistent with Ketjen’s core values.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, Project Management, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered.
• Minimum of five years of experience leading Continuous Improvement, Lean Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, or business transformation initiatives in a manufacturing, chemical, petrochemical, refining, or related industrial environment.
• Demonstrated project or program management experience delivering measurable improvements in productivity, cost, quality, service, or working capital.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification required; Black Belt certification preferred.
• Proven ability to influence, coach, and lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Experience leading complex initiatives involving technical, operational, and organizational change.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, project management, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with KPI management, performance reporting, and financial benefit validation.
• Ability to work effectively within a global, cross-functional organization.
• Strong alignment with Ketjen’s core values: Respect, Engage Openly, Speed & Agility, Ultimate Ownership, Lead for Results, Teamwork, and Strong Performance Rewarded.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
• Experience with digital transformation, automation, process mining, analytics, AI, or other technology-enabled improvement solutions.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide, global, or multi-site CI programs.
• Demonstrated success influencing global, cross-functional teams through indirect leadership and collaboration.
• Proven ability to lead organizational change and sustain business improvements across functions and locations.

Benefits of Joining Ketjen

• Competitive compensation
• Comprehensive benefits package
• A diverse array of resources to support you professionally and personally.