Senior Continuous Improvement Manager

This position will lead a variety of continuous improvement and process improvement projects and teams to apply Quest Management System (QMS) principles and tools to ensure Quest Diagnostics is efficient and effective in the delivery of its services, solutions, and processes while improving customer and employee satisfaction. This position will also be responsible for coaching others to learn and apply QMS principles and tools to their daily work.

This is an Onsite position at Lenexa, KS.

Schedule: Hybrid (3 days onsite, 2 days from Home)

Relocation assistance offered for ideal candidate

Grade: 50 

• Leads projects and working teams to effectively initiate, plan, execute, monitor, and close projects  
• Leads projects 
• Leads projects through issues, roadblocks, and problems 
• Acts as a change agent to drive teams toward success 
• Guides team members to perform through issues and constraints 
• Owns projects 
• Owns the timeline, budget, resource constraints, and deliverables / results 
• Shifts between the big picture and the small-but-crucial details 
• Is prepared to roll up their sleeves and work through detailed issues 
• Manages projects 
• Ensures all appropriate tools are completed and used effectively (e.g., charter, Gantt chart, status updates, change management tools) 
• Communicates 
• Actively communicates with project sponsors and stakeholders 
• Establishes regular points of communication 
• Manages sponsor and stakeholders expectations 
• Delivers the expected results 
• Applies continuous improvement tools and techniques, as well as other QMS principles and tools, toward a variety of medium-sized projects  
• Leads efforts to implement Process Control and Management (process definition, documentation, ownership, metrics, and monitoring systems) 
• Facilitates workshops and targeted improvement events to help teams quickly achieve strategic objectives 
• Works with local team members to identify and prioritize continuous improvement opportunities 
• 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 improvement needs 
• Works with local team members to instill effective daily work management behaviors, such as daily metric review 
• Contributes toward building a grass-roots culture of continuous improvement 
• Coaches other employees on the use of various tools, concepts and practices foundational to QMS in order for Quest Diagnostics employees to build self-sufficiency, sustainability and scalability  
• Leads QMS Training Classes 
• Documents business processes 
• Completes required continued learning 
• Primarily supports projects in our SAMHSA certified Toxicology laboratory operations and working with our Science & Innovation team.
• Additionally provides support to our non-Lab operations, product, and commercial areas.

Required Work Experience:  

• Demonstrated understanding and experience in continuous improvement, process management, or system thinking (4 to 6 years) 

Preferred Work Experience:  

• Toxicology, Clinical, or other Laboratory Environment

Physical and Mental Requirements:  

• The normal performance of duties may require lifting and carrying objects 
• Frequent walking and/or standing.

Knowledge:

• Demonstrated experience in core continuous improvement tools 
• Demonstrated experience using structured problem-solving skills: uses a systematic, disciplined and data-driven approach that identifies the root causes of various issues and designs solutions to resolve them 
• Demonstrated data analysis skills 
• Demonstrated experience leading projects from initiation to completion 
• Demonstrated experience facilitating discussions or workshops  
• Demonstrated ability to develop strong relationships with others 
• Demonstrated experience leading changes 
• Demonstrated ability to influence business leaders 
• Demonstrated experience with process management 
• Demonstrated experience with OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)
• Demonstrated experience with Process Modeling software and Workforce Management (WFM) applications
• Basic knowledge of VOC tools & some DFSS tools 
• General knowledge of Hoshin and breakthrough planning 

Skills:  

• Comfortable with statistical analysis 
• Problem solving skills 
• Effective written and verbal communication skills across multiple formats:  formal presentations, meetings, conference calls, e-mails, and memos   
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously 
• Comfortable with Microsoft PowerPoint, Project, and Visio
• Skilled in Microsoft Word 
• Advanced in Microsoft Excel  
• Interpersonal skills 
• Decision making skills 
• Planning and organization skills 
• Negotiation skills 
• Results-oriented  
• Creative 
• Persistent 
• Composed 
• Able to learn new concepts rapidly 
• Able to work independently with little supervision 

EDUCATION
Bachelor’s Degree Required 

LICENSECERTIFICATIONS
Formal training in  continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, Lean)

Equal Opportunity Employer: Race/Color/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Vets