Continuous Improvement Manager Jobs

JOB SUMMARY

There will never be a typical day within PODS’ continuous improvement team. We drive forward with agility at the heart of everything we do. Terms like “test and learn”, “industry disruption”, “network effects”, and operational excellence make up our native language. The opportunity to make a difference while working on exciting, global initiatives are limitless in this ever-changing space. Getting to do so with the strength of an industry-leading brand: priceless.

As the Continuous Improvement Program Manager, you will play a key role in PODS’ CI efforts by managing the execution of our CI roadmap, keeping the roadmap evergreen as work evolves, partnering with the stakeholders in various functions, managing delivery risks, and presenting progress/updates/decisions in a format that senior leadership can easily absorb. You will maintain laser focus on the PODS customer, understanding their value drivers and pain points, to create, test, and implement solutions. Additionally, you will understand how to enable the PODS workforce to increase efficiency and effectiveness for associates.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Continuous Improvement Strategy Development, Roadmapping, & Execution

• Support CI strategy development (customer-facing and employee enablement)

• Develop CI roadmaps and subsequent tactical execution plans

• Define and document customer value streams

• Create solutions to customer pain points and improve customer experiences

• Develop materials to report progress and achieve alignment across executive audiences

• Determine data requirements tied to digital solutions, and partner with relevant stakeholders (e.g. IT, Marketing) to enable data collection, structuring, and usage

Stakeholder Management and Organization Change Management

• Establish and maintain executive stakeholder alignment

• Develop effective relationships with key project stakeholders

• Develop leadership workshops to build innovation, test ideas, and create alignment

• Establish cross-functional program reporting and alignment cadence for executives and staff

• Develop repeatable collateral and/or communication content to socialize CI priorities

Product Management and Enablement of Program Outcomes

• Support program management responsibilities to ensure delivery of roadmaps and plans

• Support KPI development, tracking, and reporting

• Communicate project progress and promote project achievements to maintain awareness of improvement activity on the site across the network and with corporate leadership

• Work with the business to identify and report milestone project progress and work with project sponsors and site leadership to address major barriers to progress to ensure projects are delivered to plan

• Support the running of project team meetings, record action plans, and task owners

• Establish and implement product management approaches across the CI organization

• Enable the smooth execution of transformation initiatives and achievement of roadmap outcomes across multi-functional groups such as IT, digital, marketing, operations, sales & service and senior management with an eye on transparency

• Partner with relevant stakeholders and Six Sigma project leads to coordinate or enable the delivery of pilots, proofs-of-concept, AB tests, etc. to iterate through new solutions

• Integrate with relevant PODS program governance groups (e.g. IT PMO)

General

• Handle multiple priorities and adjust quickly to changes in priorities

• Work collaboratively with a variety of people and skill levels

• Prepare communications regarding resourcing, time budgeting, and overall project status

MANAGEMENT & SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Typically reports to Management. Direct supervisor job title(s) typically include: Director of Digital/CI

• The job is directly responsible for managing other employees (e.g., hiring/termination and/or pay decisions, performance management). Typical direct reports would include IC analysts, coordinators, consultants, as well as external contractors, or SOW-based external 3rd parties

JOB QUALIFICATIONS: Essential Skills, Abilities and Example Behavior(s)

• BE ANALYTICAL: Able to effectively gather all relevant information; Able to identify key issues; Able to qualitatively and / or quantitatively process data; Able to identify relationships, draw logical conclusions and interpret results for use in decision-making

• DEMONSTRATE SOUND JUDGMENT: Able to make appropriate decisions and has the vision to understand their impact; Able to use factual information to develop logical assumptions; Able to examine alternatives and consider resources, constraints and risks before committing to action

• COLLABORATE: Able to act as part of a larger team outside of the immediate department or group; Able to understand the importance of working with peers in other areas or management to reach "best practice" solutions for the organization; Able to inform and seek information to anticipate and consider the impact of decisions or actions on the overall organization

• THINK STRATEGICALLY: Able to see the "big picture" and be future-thinking; Able to anticipate future trends and consequences accurately; Able to take a broad perspective; Able to create a vision of organizational objectives; Able to make decisions based on long-term company goals

• SOLVE PROBLEMS: Able to apply both rational and creative processes and approaches to identify root causes of problems and solutions

• DEVELOP SELF: Able to accurately assess own strengths and development needs; Able to strive to improve those areas identified as needing development; Able to seek opportunity for development through the job, special assignments, training, or external activities

• LISTEN: Able to actively listen and convey understanding of the comments and questions of others; Able to understand the situations, viewpoints and feelings of others before expressing own view

• WRITE PROFICIENTLY: Able to convey information clearly and effectively through both formal and informal documents; Able to write in a well-organized and concise, yet complete, format; Able to use vocabulary appropriate for the audience; Able to constructively review and edit the written work of others

• TAKE INITIATIVE: Able to exhibit tendencies to be self-starting and not wait for signals; Able to be proactive and demonstrate readiness and ability to initiate action; Able to take action beyond what is required and volunteers to take on new assignments; Able to complete assignments independently without constant supervision

• DELIVER QUALITY RESULTS: Able to deliver top quality service to all customers (internal and external); Able to ensure all details are covered and adhere to company policies; Able to strive to do things right the first time; Able to meet agreed-upon commitments or advises customer when deadlines are jeopardized; Able to define high standards for quality and evaluate products, services, and own performance against those standards

• ADVANCED COMPUTER USER: Able to use required software applications to produce correspondence, reports, presentations, electronic communication, and complex spreadsheets including formulas and macros and/or databases. Able to operate general office equipment including company telephone system

JOB QUALIFICATIONS: Education & Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, finance, or a related field; or equivalent education/experience

• 4-6 years’ experience as a program manager or a similar role.

• Six Sigma Black Belt required

• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite

• Experience with scrum and the principles of Agile development

• Excellent communication and group facilitation skills including the ability to tailor communications to differing audiences – from technical teams through executives

• Proven track record of applying business acumen to bring strategies to completion

• Detail-orientated

• Project Management Certification a plus

• MBA is a plus

• Experience implementing digital technology or building digital platforms is a plus

• Experience with cloud computing (SaaS, public cloud) is a plus