Continuous Improvement Leader

Ketjen•Houston, TX

About The Position

Ketjen is seeking a Continuous Improvement Leader to advance operational excellence, productivity, and continuous improvement across its global organization. Reporting to the Senior Continuous Improvement Manager, this role partners with leaders and cross-functional teams to identify, prioritize, execute, and sustain high-impact improvement initiatives. The successful candidate leads projects from concept through implementation, delivers measurable business results, and helps embed continuous improvement into the way Ketjen operates. The role works with functions including Operations, Supply Chain, Commercial, Technology, Finance, and Procurement. It uses Lean Six Sigma and other improvement methodologies, supports change adoption, develops organizational capability, and establishes portfolio governance and performance reporting.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, Project Management, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered.
At least five years of experience leading Continuous Improvement, Lean Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, or business transformation initiatives in a manufacturing, chemical, petrochemical, refining, or related industrial environment.
Project or program management experience delivering measurable improvements in productivity, cost, quality, service, or working capital.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification.
Ability to influence, coach, and lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
Experience leading complex initiatives involving technical, operational, and organizational change.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, project management, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Experience with KPI management, performance reporting, and financial benefit validation.
Ability to work effectively within a global, cross-functional organization.
Alignment with Ketjen’s core values: Respect, Engage Openly, Speed & Agility, Ultimate Ownership, Lead for Results, Teamwork, and Strong Performance Rewarded.

Nice To Haves

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
Experience with digital transformation, automation, process mining, analytics, AI, or other technology-enabled improvement solutions.
Experience leading enterprise-wide, global, or multi-site continuous improvement programs.
Demonstrated success influencing global, cross-functional teams through indirect leadership and collaboration.
Proven ability to lead organizational change and sustain business improvements across functions and locations.

Responsibilities

Lead identification, prioritization, and execution of continuous improvement initiatives that measurably improve safety, productivity, cost, quality, service, working capital, and overall business performance.
Develop and execute continuous improvement strategies and roadmaps aligned with Ketjen’s business objectives.
Partner with cross-functional teams to identify opportunities, prioritize resources, and build a pipeline of high-value initiatives.
Conduct value stream assessments, process analyses, and root cause investigations to identify and quantify improvement opportunities.
Lead complex, cross-functional projects using Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, structured problem-solving, and other continuous improvement methodologies.
Coach and mentor CI Champions, project leaders, Green Belts, and functional teams to strengthen execution capabilities and sustain results.
Lead change management efforts to build stakeholder commitment, address resistance, and support adoption of new processes and behaviors.
Establish portfolio governance, project management disciplines, and stage-gate reviews to keep initiatives aligned, appropriately resourced, and effectively executed.
Develop organizational continuous improvement capability through training, mentoring, knowledge sharing, and certification programs.
Establish and monitor KPIs for project performance, financial benefits, productivity improvements, and sustainability.
Manage continuous improvement portfolio reporting and provide leadership with visibility into project status, risks, results, and business impact.
Partner with Finance to validate project savings, productivity gains, working capital improvements, and other realized benefits.
Collaborate with global stakeholders to share best practices, replicate successful improvements, and integrate continuous improvement principles into daily operations.
Champion accountability, collaboration, disciplined execution, and continuous improvement in alignment with Ketjen’s core values.