Executive Director, Continuous Process Improvement and Performance

Texas Southern University

Houston (TX)

On-site

USD 130,000 - 169,000

Full time

5 days ago

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Job summary

Texas Southern University is seeking an Executive Director of Continuous Process Improvement and Performance to provide strategic leadership across the Division of Finance and Business Administration. The role drives cross-functional initiatives, strengthens internal controls, and leads audit remediation efforts while aligning with the university's strategic goals and regulatory requirements.

The position requires extensive experience in budgeting, accounting, procurement, payroll, and other

Qualifications

Senior leadership experience in enterprise-wide process improvement and governance.

Responsibilities

Lead cross-functional initiatives to improve operational efficiency and internal controls.
Oversee audit remediation and corrective-action planning across Finance and Administration.
Develop KPIs and dashboards for executive performance measurement.
Collaborate with ERP, IT, and business units to enable automation and AI-enabled solutions.

Skills

Leadership

Process improvement

Project management

Internal controls

ERP systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration

Tools

Banner ERP

Lean Six Sigma

Job description

Posting Details

Hours of Work

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM M-F

Position Details

Posting Number

TSU203769

Official TSU Title

Executive Director, Continuous Process Improvement andPerformance

Grant Title

n/a

Job Description Summary / TWC Summary

JOB SUMMARY :

The Executive Director of Continuous Process Improvement andPerformance is a senior executive responsible for providing strategic leadership and enterprise-wide direction for continuous process improvement, organizational performance, internal control enhancement, and audit remediation initiatives across the Division of Financeand Business Administration. The Executive Director leads complex, cross-functional initiatives that improve operational effectiveness, strengthen governance and internal controls, enhance organizational performance, and promote a culture of continuous improvement.

The Executive Director independently leads initiatives through every phase of the improvement lifecycle, including current-state assessment, business processanalysis, process redesign, stakeholder engagement, implementation, organizational changemanagement, performance measurement, and sustainment. The position also provides executiveleadership for audit remediation by developing corrective action strategies, strengthening internal controls, monitoring implementation, validating corrective actions, and ensuring the timely and sustainable resolution of audit findings.

The Executive Director serves as a trusted advisor to executiveleadership by identifying enterprise improvement opportunities, recommending strategicpriorities, and ensuring organizational initiatives align with the University’s strategicgoals, regulatory requirements, and operational objectives. The incumbent possesses extensive experience improving financial and administrative operations including budgeting, accounting, procurement, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, asset management, internal controls, and other enterprise business functions.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS :

This is an executive-level leadership position distinguished by its responsibility for directing enterprise-wide continuous improvement, organizational transformation, performance management, and audit remediation initiatives across multiple Finance and Business Administration functions. Unlike operational leaders responsible for departmental administration, the Executive Director provides independent leadership, strategic oversight, and cross-functional coordination without assuming day-to-day operational ownership of the business units being improved.

The Executive Director exercises significant independent judgment, serves as the University’s subject-matter expert in business process improvement and organizational performance and collaborates extensively with executive leadership to identify opportunities that improve efficiency, strengthen internal controls, reduce organizational risk, and enhance customer service.

Essential Duties Summary

CONTINUOUS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

Provides executive leadership for enterprise-wide continuous improvement initiatives across Finance and Business Administration.
Identifies strategic opportunities to improve organization effectiveness, operational efficiency, service delivery, and regulatory compliance.
Directs current-state assessments of business processes, organizational structures, workflows, systems, policies, and internal controls.
Leads cross-functional process mapping, value-stream analysis, and future-state process design.
Conducts root-cause analyses to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce organizational risk, and improve customer service.
Develops implementation strategies that promote sustainable organizational change.
Designs governance structures, operating procedures, implementation roadmaps, and performance measurement frameworks.
Leads organizational change management efforts supporting implementation and adoption of redesigned processes.

Internal Controls and Audit Remediation

Directs enterprise audit remediation initiatives from initial finding through validated closure.
Develop strategic corrective action plans that strengthen governance and mitigate institutional risk.
Designs and improves financial, operational, and administrative internal controls.
Coordinates remediation activities with executive leadership, Internal Audit, Information Technology, Compliance, external auditors, and functional leaders.
Reviews documentation supporting corrective actions and validates implementation.
Monitors remediation progress and escalates significant risks requiring executive action.
Ensures corrective actions address systemic organizational issues rather than isolated deficiencies.

Technology Enablement and Performance Management

Aligns redesigned business processes with ERP capabilities, automation technologies, artificial intelligence, workflow systems, and reporting solutions.
Partners with the Executive Director of Business Intelligence and Technology Solutions to identify technology solutions that support organizational transformation.
Defines executive-level business requirements for automation, system enhancements, analytics, dashboards, and AI-enabled solutions.
Develops enterprise KPIs, executive dashboards, scorecards, and performance metrics.
Utilizes data analytics to evaluate operational performance, identify trends, prioritize initiatives, and measure organizational outcomes.

Executive Leadership and Collaboration

Serves as a strategic advisor to the Vice President, Senior Associate Vice Presidents, and executive leadership regarding organizational effectiveness and continuous improvement.
Leads executive workshops, strategic planning sessions, stakeholder meetings, and cross-functional governance committees.
Build collaborative partnerships across divisions to facilitate organizational change and improve institutional performance.
Provides executive recommendations regarding organizational redesign, policy improvements, resource optimization, and strategic priorities.
Represents Finance and Business Administration on institutional committees and strategic initiatives.
Performs other related duties as assigned.

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITIES

The Executive Director serves as the University’s executive leader for continuous process improvement and organizational performance within Finance and Business Administration. The position exercises broad independent judgment while leading enterprise initiatives involving business process redesign, organizational transformation, internal control enhancement, performance management, and audit remediation.
The Executive Director independently identifies organizational improvement opportunities through analysis of operational data, audit findings, performance metrics, customer feedback, risk assessments, and executive priorities. The incumbent develops strategic recommendations, establishes implementation priorities, and leads approved initiatives through planning, execution, performance measurement, and long-term sustainment.
The Executive Director collaborates extensively with executive leadership, Senior Associate Vice Presidents, department heads, Internal Audit, Information Technology, external consultants, and institutional stakeholders to implement organizational improvements that strengthen operational performance, governance, compliance, and customer service.
The Executive Director is accountable for the quality, effectiveness, and measurable outcomes of all assigned initiatives and serves as the University’s principal advisor on continuous improvement, organizational performance, business process redesign, and audit remediation.

% FTE

1.0

Hiring Range

$130,278.45-$169,361.98

Education

Required:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in business administration, information systems, supply chain management, industrial engineering, public administration, organizational leadership, or a closely related field.

Required Licensing/Certification

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Higher

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:

Lean Six Sigma and practical process-improvement methodologies.
Current-state assessment, process mapping, root-cause analysis, future-state design, implementation, and sustainment.
Audit-remediation planning, corrective-action implementation, evidence requirements, validation, and closure.
Internal controls, reconciliations, approvals, access controls, documentation, exception management, and segregation of duties.
ERP -enabled processes, workflow automation, AI integration, and business requirements.
KPI development, performance measurement, scorecards, data analysis, and dashboard concepts.
Change implementation, training, adoption, and transition to operational ownership.

Skill in:

Leading process-improvement initiatives from end to end.
Process mapping and future-state process design.
Root-cause analysis and corrective-action planning.
Financial and operational data analysis.
Audit remediation and internal-control assessment.
Developing SOPs, workflows, policies, control matrices, and implementation plans.
Developing functional dashboards, scorecards, and performance measures.
Facilitating cross-functional workshops and resolving conflicting requirements.
Translating process needs into ERP, reporting, automation, and AI requirements.
Preparing executive reports, presentations, and recommendations.

Ability to:

Personally assess, redesign, implement, and sustain complex processes.
Lead audit-remediation efforts through validated and sustainable closure.
Understand the relationship among processes, accounting, data, systems, policies, people, and controls.
Lead work through influence without assuming operational ownership.
Produce completed work products rather than solely coordinating the work of others.
Collaborate effectively with Senior Associate Vice Presidents, functional leaders, employees, IT professionals, auditors, and consultants.
Identify underlying causes rather than treating isolated symptoms.
Measure whether improvements achieved meaningful and sustainable results.
Work independently under compressed transformation timelines.
Transfer redesigned processes and supporting documentation to operational owners.
Ability to maintain the security or integrity of critical infrastructure, which may include communications systems, computer networks and systems, cybersecurity systems, electrical grid, hazardous waste treatment or water treatment system.

Work Experience

Required:

At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in process improvement, internal controls, audit remediation, and transformation.
Demonstrated hands-on experience leading process-improvement initiatives from end to end.
Experience personally conducting current-state assessments, process mapping, root-cause analysis, future-state design, implementation, training, transition, and measurement of results.
Demonstrated experience improving financial or administrative processes.
Demonstrated hands-on experience leading audit-remediation initiatives from finding through sustainable closure.
Experience analyzing audit findings, developing corrective-action plans, redesigning controls, collecting evidence, and validating implementation.
Practical experience developing SOPs, workflows, policies, control matrices, responsibility assignments, and implementation plans.
Experience evaluating or strengthening financial and operational controls.
Experience working with ERP -enabled finance or administrative processes.
Experience conducting financial and operational data analysis.
Experience developing KPIs, scorecards, performance reports, or functional dashboards.
Familiarity with multiple Finance and Business Administration functions, such as financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, accounting, financial reporting, payroll, procurement, accounts payable, accounts receivable, asset management, warehousing, or internal controls.
Candidates must have personally led process-improvement initiatives from assessment through implementation and sustainment. Experience limited to participating in, supporting, advising on, or overseeing improvement efforts will not satisfy this requirement.

Preferred:

Project Management Professional certification.
Prosci or another recognized change-management certification
Business Process Management certification.
Other relevant processes-improvement, project-management, technology, or change-management certification.
Experience supporting finance transformation, ERP modernization, workflow automation, artificial intelligence, or digital-transformation initiatives.
Experience of working with external consulting firms.
Experience with Banner or another higher-education ERP.
Experience in higher education, government, healthcare, nonprofit, or another complex regulated environment.
Direct higher-education finance or administrative experience is a plus.

Working/Environmental Conditions

This job description is intended to be generic in nature and describe the essential functions of the job. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.

UA EEO Statement

It is the policy of Texas Southern University to provide a work environment that is free from discrimination for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, individuals with disability, sexual orientation, or protected veteran status in its programs, activities, admissions or employment policies. This policy of equal opportunity is strictly observed in all University employment-related activities such as advertising, recruiting, interviewing, testing, employment training, compensation, promotion, termination, and employment benefits. This policy expressly prohibits harassment and discrimination in employment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, genetic history, national origin, individuals with disability, age, citizenship status, or protected veteran status. This policy shall be adhered to in accordance with the provisions of all applicable federal, state and local laws, including, but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Manual of Administrative Policies and Procedures

Open Until Filled (overrides close field)

Yes

Applicant Documents

Required Documents