Senior Manager, Continuous Improvement

QUEST DIAGNOSTICS INC; Wood Dale (IL); Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Prescription Drugs

Dental

Vision

FSAs

Supplemental Health Plans

401(k) Plan

ESPP

Supplemental Life Insurance

Dependent Life Insurance

Disability buy-up

Blueprint for Wellness

Emotional Well-Being Resources

Educational Assistance

Paid time off / Health Time

Job summary

Quest Diagnostics Inc. is seeking a Senior Manager, Business Transformation to lead a regional lean transformation program in Wood Dale, IL. The role drives end-to-end CI initiatives leveraging lean, system thinking, and big data analytics.

The hybrid position requires 3 days on-site and 2 days remote, with a pay range of $125,000–$155,000 per year plus a 15% bonus and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of operational ownership and CI experience in healthcare, manufacturing, or labs.
• Deep knowledge of lean tools: strategy deployment, problem solving, daily management, standard work, VSM.
• Bachelor’s degree required; formal continuous improvement training preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead Lean Business System implementation and kaizen roadmaps.
• Drive continuous improvement across functions with measurable outcomes.
• Use big data analytics and AI to tackle system-level problems.
• Facilitate cross-functional workshops and mid-to-senior leadership engagement.
• Develop future-state roadmaps aligned with business strategy.

Skills

Lean principles

Continuous Improvement

Big data analytics

AI adoption

Cross-functional leadership

Financial acumen

Program management

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Kaizen

Hoshin-Kanri

Project management

Job description

Job Description

This position is a key leader of a regional lean business transformation team, driving an end-to-end analysis of a functional Business Operations & performance measures, identifying opportunities for profitable growth, and driving business transformation leveraging Lean, specifically focused on Continuous Improvement (CI), system thinking, and big data analytics techniques (adopting AI). Additionally, this leadership role requires operational experience in business financials, functions, and demonstrated ability to collaboratively work functions in order to drive change.

This is a Hybrid scheduled position at our Wood Dale Facility in IL. (3 days onsite and 2 days work from home)

Internal Title: Senior Manager, Business Transformation

Pay Range: $125,000 - $155,000/ year, 15% Bonus

Salary offers are based on a wide range of factors including relevant skills, training, experience, education, and, where applicable, certifications obtained. Market and organizational factors are also considered. Successful candidates may be eligible to receive annual performance bonus compensation.

Benefits Information:

We are proud to offer best-in-class benefits and programs to support employees and their families in living healthy, happy lives. Our pay and benefit plans have been designed to promote employee health in all respects – physical, financial, and developmental. Depending on whether it is a part-time or full-time position, some of the benefits offered may include:

• Medical/Prescription Drugs
• Dental
• Vision
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Supplemental Health Plans
• 401(k) Plan – Company match dollar-for-dollar up to 5%
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Supplemental Life Insurance
• Dependent Life Insurance
• Short- and Long-Term Disability buy-up
• Blueprint for Wellness
• Emotional Well-Being Resources
• Educational Assistance
• Paid time off / Health Time

Responsibilities

• Implement the Lean Business System including standard work, daily management, problem-solving cadence, and kaizen roadmaps.
• Owns the learning, application, and adoption of Lean principles and practices with the goal of building localized self-sufficiency, sustainability, and scalability of improvement efforts.
• Execute strategic lean transformation projects, and the operational execution that results in large-scale improvement across designated functions and businesses.
• Drives cultural change shift from dashboards and analytics towards actions and results.
• Drives the use of big data analytics tools (adopting AI) to tackle system level problems.
• Demonstrated understanding of continuous improvement, process management, or system thinking (value stream thinking).
• Proven track record in facilitating cross functional discussions, targeted workshops and Kaizens to achieve strategic & operational objectives.
• General knowledge of Hoshin and breakthrough planning.
• Demonstrates expertise in business transformation projects using program management principles and tools, and has a track record of success leading and influencing at the mid to senior leadership level without direct authority in driving change,
• Captures, quantifies, and reapplies best-in-class practices within a regional function such as laboratories, Logistics or Patient Services.
• Acts as a change agent to guide teams toward success.
• Works with local team members to identify and prioritize continuous improvement opportunities for a regional functional business.Works with functional and site leaders as a “thought leader” to create future state improvement roadmaps with clear executable plans that are in line with the business strategies and improvement needs.
• Contributes toward building a grass-roots culture of continuous improvement, use of big data analytics techniques, system thinking, and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

Required WorkExperience:

• 7 – 10 years of direct responsibility of operational ownership of different aspects of a business, and Continuous Improvement experience, in areas of IndustrialEngineering, Manufacturing, Quality Lab or Healthcare
• Minimum of 7 years mastering a variety Lean and Growth-related tools such as: Strategy Deployment, Problem Solving, Daily Management, Standard Work, and VSM/Process Mapping

Preferred Work Experience:

• Deep knowledge and experience applying with lean methodologies
• Excellent time and project management
• Successfully managed multi-million-dollar budget
• Technical Expertise -Possess the technical skills necessary to be credible; must have significant practitioner experience in Growth & Lean tools and processes

Physical and Mental Requirements:

• Demonstrated success leading large, complex, change initiatives (7+ years)
• Previous experience deploying “kaizenculture” across medium-to-large organizations.
• Experience working in the Toyota Production System, Danaher Business System rigorous lean model.
• Demonstrated understanding of continuous improvement, problem solving, process management, and systems thinking.
• Poise and leadership presence when facilitating discussions and leading workshops.
• Experience managing geographically dispersed teams.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strong relationships with others.
• Advanced data analysis skills.
• Financial and Business acumen
• Change Agent
• Working knowledge of Hoshin-Kanri (Policy Deployment) principles and practices.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills across multiple formats: formal presentations, training material development, meetings, conference calls, e-mails, and memos.
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.

Skills:

• Excellent written and verbal skills, results oriented, and collaborative.
• Highly Preferred - Continuous Improvement certified (LSS Black Belt or Lean certified)

EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s Degree (Required)

LICENSECERTIFICATIONS

Formal training in project management or continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, Lean, Theory of Constraints) (Required)

Lean Certification preferred

67796

Quest Diagnostics honors our service members and encourages veterans to apply.

While we appreciate and value our staffing partners, we do not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies. Quest will not be responsible for paying agency fees for any individual as to whom an agency has sent an unsolicited resume.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Race/Color/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Vets or any other legally protected status.