Continuous Improvement Specialist

Kion Group AG; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career Development

Competitive Compensation and Benefits

Pay Transparency

Global Opportunities

Job summary

Dematic is seeking an experienced Continuous Improvement professional to drive operational excellence across project execution, business processes, and organizational performance. This role partners with business leaders to leverage Lean, Six Sigma and change management to improve outcomes and KPI performance.

The successful candidate will coach leaders and teams, facilitate cross-functional initiatives, and implement sustainable solutions aligned with the Portfolio BU's strategic objectives,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in engineering, business, operations management, supply chain, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Process Improvement, or Project Management.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
• Proven experience leading enterprise or BU-wide improvement initiatives.
• Strong analytical, facilitation, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of continuous improvement initiatives aligned with Portfolio BU objectives.
• Identify opportunities to improve project delivery, operational performance, quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
• Facilitate process improvement workshops and Kaizen events using Lean and Six Sigma.
• Establish standardized processes, governance practices, and operating rhythms to improve execution consistency.
• Partner with leaders to define, measure, and improve KPI performance and develop dashboards.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

DMAIC methodology

KPI management

Change management

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Facilitation

Problem solving

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering/Business/Operations Management/Supply Chain

Job description

The Portfolio Business Unit is seeking an experienced Continuous Improvement professional to drive operational excellence across project execution, business processes, and organizational performance. This role serves as a strategic partner to business leaders, leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, and change management methodologies to improve project outcomes, enhance efficiency, reduce risk, and strengthen KPI performance. The successful candidate will champion a culture of continuous improvement, facilitate cross-functional initiatives, coach leaders and project teams, and implement sustainable solutions that support the Portfolio BU's strategic objectives.

We offer:

What We Offer:

• Career Development
• Competitive Compensation and Benefits
• Pay Transparency
• Global Opportunities

Learn More Here: https://www.dematic.com/en-us/about/careers/what-we-offer/

Dematic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

The base pay range for this role is estimated to be $65,000- $140,000 at the time of posting. Final compensation will be determined by various factors such as work location, education, experience, knowledge, and skills.

Tasks and Qualifications:

Key Responsibilities

Drive Operational Excellence

• Lead the development and execution of continuous improvement initiatives aligned with Portfolio BU business objectives.
• Identify opportunities to improve project delivery, operational performance, quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
• Facilitate process improvement workshops and Kaizen events utilizing Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Establish standardized processes, governance practices, and operating rhythms that improve execution consistency.

KPI Management & Business Performance

• Partner with business leaders to define, measure, and improve critical business and project performance metrics.
• Develop dashboards and reporting mechanisms to provide visibility into operational performance and improvement opportunities.
• Analyze trends, identify root causes of performance gaps, and recommend corrective actions.
• Support leadership teams in driving accountability for KPI attainment and sustained results.

Lean Six Sigma Leadership

• Serve as the Portfolio BU subject matter expert for Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Coach and mentor Green Belts, Champions, project managers, and functional leaders on continuous improvement principles.
• Lead complex improvement projects utilizing DMAIC, Lean, and other structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Promote the adoption of best practices across the organization.

Quality, Risk & Compliance

• Partner with Quality, EHS, and business leaders to investigate corrective actions, recurring issues, and process failures.
• Develop and implement preventive measures to reduce operational risk and non-conformance costs.
• Support root cause analysis, corrective action planning, and long-term process sustainability.
• Monitor business risks and recommend improvements that strengthen organizational performance.

Change Management

• Lead change management efforts associated with business transformation and process improvement initiatives.
• Develop communication, training, and adoption strategies to ensure successful implementation of new processes.
• Build organizational capability and foster a culture focused on continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Strategic Business Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to Business Process Owners and functional leadership teams.
• Collaborate across Project Management, Engineering, Installation, Quality, Safety, and other business functions.
• Influence stakeholders at all organizational levels to drive alignment and successful execution of improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, Supply Chain, or related discipline.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Process Improvement, or Project Management.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
• Proven experience leading enterprise or business-unit-wide improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated success implementing KPI-driven performance management systems.
• Strong analytical, facilitation, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience conducting root cause analysis and driving corrective action plans.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority.

Preferred

• Master's Degree (MBA or related field).
• PMP Certification.
• Experience working within project-based, engineering, manufacturing, automation, or industrial organizations.
• Experience with Value Engineering methodologies and SAVE certification.
• Experience leading large-scale business transformation initiatives.