Continuous Improvement Director

Continuous Improvement Director

We are seeking a Continuous Improvement Director to work directly alongside cross-functional teams—Product, Engineering, Customer Support, Operations, and Corporate functions—embedding structured, repeatable continuous improvement practices at the team level. Rather than defining strategy from the top down, you will roll up your sleeves with teams to run Kaizen events, structured problem-solving, and process mapping, coaching them until that thinking becomes second nature and the work outlasts your involvement. You will bring practical AI tools into the process-improvement work you lead where they genuinely help, and you will translate leadership's priorities into clear, actionable project plans that teams can execute with confidence.

Key Responsibilities:

Cross-Functional Project & Portfolio Leadership

• Partner directly with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Customer Support, Operations, and Corporate) to plan, run, and deliver a portfolio of continuous improvement projects.
• Take priorities set by leadership and translate them into actionable, structured project plans with clear owners, milestones, and measurable outcomes.
• Manage project intake, prioritization, and resourcing across the CI portfolio, keeping initiatives moving and unblocked.
• Act as an embedded thought partner to team leads and managers, coaching them through structured problem-solving rather than directing from above.

Continuous Improvement / Operational Excellence

• Facilitate Kaizen events, workshops, and root-cause analysis sessions, guiding teams toward running these independently over time.
• Champion structured problem-solving as the core, repeatable approach teams use to diagnose issues and drive improvement, working directly alongside them.
• Coach team members and managers on structured problem-solving so the habit becomes self-sustaining, rather than dependent on this role.
• Map and redesign end-to-end value streams and processes together with the teams that own them, eliminating waste and reducing cycle time.
• Establish standard work and lightweight process controls so improvements stick after your engagement with a team ends.
• Work within each function's Business Operating System (BOS) at the team level, helping them track metrics, problem-solve when metrics are missed, and build charters and action plans for initiatives.

AI-Enabled Process Improvement

• Bring practical AI and GenAI tools into active CI projects where they can remove friction or accelerate root-cause analysis, prototyping alongside the team.
• Identify opportunities within in-flight improvement projects to pilot lightweight automation or AI-assisted workflows, in partnership with Technology, Data, and Product.
• Run hands-on workshops that build AI fluency within the specific teams currently engaged in CI work, grounding adoption in real project use cases.
• Apply the organization's responsible-AI guidelines (data privacy, model oversight) when introducing AI tools into a team's workflow.
• Track the adoption and impact of AI-assisted process changes as part of standard project outcome reporting.

Change Leadership & Culture-Building

• Lead change management within individual CI projects: stakeholder analysis, readiness assessment, communication, and training to drive team-level adoption.
• Build buy-in with team leads and frontline staff without formal authority, meeting teams where they are.
• Convert successful project outcomes into simple, reusable playbooks and toolkits that other teams can pick up.
• Model and reinforce structured problem-solving in day-to-day team interactions so it becomes the team's default way of working.

Metrics, Reporting & Culture

• Support enterprise KPI frameworks (baseline → target → control plan) by ensuring the projects and teams you work with feed accurate, timely data into them.
• Contribute project and initiative updates into the monthly MBR process, ensuring the work you lead is represented with rigor and accuracy.
• Translate project-level outcomes into clear, simple before/after impact stories for the teams and their leadership.
• Support the CI culture-building efforts led by executive leadership by demonstrating and reinforcing the mindset at the team level.
• Help train and mentor CI champions embedded within the teams you work with.

What you'll need:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Operations, Computer Science, or a related field (advanced degree strongly preferred).
• 8-10+ years of progressive experience leading continuous improvement and operational excellence initiatives in technology/SaaS, manufacturing, supply chain, or high-volume operations environments.
• Demonstrated facilitation expertise in Kaizen events and structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g., A3, PDCA, root-cause analysis), with a relevant certification or equivalent hands-on track record.
• Deep expertise applying Kaizen, structured problem-solving, and process mapping to both knowledge-work and cross-functional processes, not just traditional operations optimization.
• Proven track record of hands-on change management, with the ability to influence without formal authority, motivate cross-functional teams, and build trust at every level of the organization.
• Strong analytics and business acumen: ability to define metrics, quantify impact, and translate data into clear, practical recommendations for the teams you work with.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, coaching, and facilitation skills (clear status updates, crisp storytelling, and leading cross-functional workshops).
• Ability to thrive on solving complex problems, translating priorities into action with precision and follow-through.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications:

• Experience standing up new Continuous Improvement or Operational Excellence functions from the ground up.
• Experience improving SaaS delivery and reliability using Agile/DevOps and service management practices (e.g., incident/problem/change management, continuous delivery).
• Familiarity with digital collaboration tools (e.g., Miro, Lucidchart), work and service management tooling (e.g., Jira, ServiceNow), and BI/analytics platforms (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
• Experience scaling execution through workflow automation (low-code/RPA) and/or AI-assisted operational decisioning.
• Experience applying AI/GenAI tools within process-improvement or operational workflows.
• Familiarity with responsible-AI practices (data privacy, model oversight) when introducing AI tools into a team's workflow.
• Experience contributing to or supporting an internal AI community of practice or champions network.
• Familiarity with agentic workflows and human-in-the-loop AI system design.
• Lean Six Sigma or other structured-methodology credential, change management training/certification (e.g., Prosci/ADKAR), and/or a program management credential (e.g., PMP).

If you are a highly motivated and results-driven individual, with a passion for driving growth in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity. We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits package, and a dynamic work culture that values collaboration, innovation, and personal development.

Base Compensation: $175,000 - $225,000/year

Why you will love working here:

• Competitive salary packages
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits for you and your family
• Flex PTO for exempt employees and competitive PTO for non-exempt
• Paid parental leave for eligible employees
• 401(k) matching
• Tuition reimbursement on approved programs
• Great health & well-being benefits including Teladoc for general medical and mental health care

Benefits are only applicable to full-time employees, those who work 30 hours or more weekly.

All iTradeNetwork positions are hybrid unless listed otherwise; candidates must be located in the hub(s) listed.

Additional Requirements:

• Must be able to demonstrate lawful ability to work in the United States

iTradeNetwork, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability