Director, Continuous Improvement (Finance)
The Director, Continuous Improvement provides continuous improvement leadership, coaching & teaching across the organization. The position advances the mindset of improvement, the benefits of the daily management system, & methods that support improvement & problem solving. This role serves leaders and associates at all levels of the organization and is critical to linking our strategy to sustained improvements that engage associates.
Reporting to the AVP, Continuous Improvement, this role serves to advance thinking, knowledge of the technical components & general understanding of Lean principles across the organization. The role partners closely with leaders across the Transformation Office, including Clinical Pathways, Strategic Project Management, Strategy, and Strategic Measurement.
This role has responsibility for overseeing all improvement efforts across the enterprise, including the direct supervision of the CI Specialists, to ensure the team is able to work collaboratively with operational partners to understand problems, use applicable data, develop countermeasures, implement sustainable improvements, and achieve defined outcomes, while coaching, teaching, and employing Continuous Improvement principles.
Essential Functions
- Leads enterprise-wide improvement through facilitation, guidance & support of enterprise, departmental, or cross-departmental continuous improvement work in collaboration with executive leadership. This encompasses oversight of preparation and planning for workshops and value stream/model lines, implementation, and periodic audits of the work completed.
- Participates in tactical and strategic planning for continuous improvement work to be done in concert with Nemours leadership. Develops, maintains, and revises work plans as appropriate. Monitors outcomes. Integrates work with other departmental initiatives and revises as needed.
- Contributes to the development of standard work, looking for ways to introduce the role of time into daily operations.
- Coaches at all levels of the organization on the habits and disciplines of a successful continuous improvement culture. Teaches and trains teams and individuals on the application of problem-specific tools to support improvement activity.
- Assists leadership in identifying appropriate opportunities and metrics for successful continuous improvement implementation.
- Serves as a preceptor resource and supervisor for Nemours Continuous Improvement Specialists.
- Oversees the development and refinement of Continuous Improvement training programs and materials. Focuses on new, creative ways to teach & communicate the benefits of improvement, highlighting the work of cross-functional teams and leadership engagement.
- Assures adherence to Continuous Improvement standards and methodologies across the enterprise by partnering with leaders across the organization.
- Demonstrates the ability to challenge the status-quo and encourage breakthrough thinking to ensure Continuous Improvement principles are implemented.
- Maintains working knowledge of both DV and FL operations through routine onsite presence by participating in regular Gemba walks in units, clinics, and primary/urgent care offices across the enterprise to build rapport and relationships.
- Responsible for completing performance evaluations for the Continuous Improvement team and driving progress to achieve annual goals.
- Is self-motivated, committed to success, and take ownership of the success of the Continuous Improvement Resource Office. Possesses excellent interpersonal, collaborative, and communications skills.
- Role models Nemours Standards of Behavior and actively supports Nemours vision and strategic plan.
- Additional miscellaneous duties and responsibilities, as may be assigned from time to time by employee's supervisor.
Performance Skills
- Strong managerial skills to effectively lead, oversee, and resource efforts across the enterprise.
- Ability to coach and provide feedback.
- Ability to use tact, judgment, and diplomacy.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Ability to facilitate a team to defined outcomes in a timely manner.
- Strong project management skills, including the ability to prioritize, plan, and execute.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to handle various tasks simultaneously.
Knowledge, Formal Education, and Training
- Bachelors degree required
- Advance degree strongly preferred.
- Extensive experience with lean management systems, tools, and methodologies.
Job Related Experience
- More than 5 years related experience
- Candidate has successful, direct experience in lean facilitation and lean mindset, management system & methods.
- Three years supervisory experience in complex environment strongly preferred.
