Continuous Improvement Manager

Vertex Education•Chandler, AZ

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a key driver of our mission to change lives through education, the Manager, Continuous Improvement will guide our Vertex Support Services (VSS) in its CI journey. VSS is a recently created division, formed from multiple acquired companies and new service lines, and needs a foundational culture of continuous improvement to better serve our school clients. This role blends hands-on delivery with capability building, acting as both coach and practitioner: you will coach VSS leaders to solve their own problems while personally leading a select set of key improvement projects that model best-practice continuous improvement—setting the example for leaders across the division to follow—and creating the standard work, value stream maps, and process maps that bring consistency to our operations. Through influence, facilitation, and a deep commitment to adapting methodologies to real-world needs, you will build widespread capability, embed a problem-solving mindset, and ultimately empower our teams to own their processes and deliver more reliable, effective services. Reporting directly to the President of VSS, you will operate as a trusted advisor to the division's senior leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related field.
5+ years of dedicated experience in a continuous improvement, process excellence, or similar role.
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification or equivalent demonstrated expertise in advanced CI methodologies (DMAIC, VSM, Kaizen, RCA).
Proven experience coaching and mentoring leaders and teams to build their own continuous improvement capabilities.
Demonstrated success leading cross-functional improvement initiatives by influencing stakeholders at all levels without formal authority.
Expert-level facilitation skills with extensive experience leading workshops, value stream mapping sessions, and Kaizen events.
Proficiency in process mapping software (e.g., Microsoft Visio) and data analysis/visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
Familiarity with AI and automation tools (e.g., process mining, workflow automation, or generative AI) and the ability to identify where they can eliminate manual effort and accelerate improvement work.

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree in a related field (MBA, Operations Management, etc.).
Experience implementing a lean daily management system (tiered huddles) in an organization with low initial maturity.
Formal training or certification in change management methodologies (e.g., Prosci).
Experience applying CI principles in a client-facing B2B service industry.
Experience supporting process integration and standardization efforts following a merger or acquisition.
Familiarity with project management software such as Asana for tracking improvement portfolios.

Responsibilities

Coach VSS service line leaders and managers on the practical application of CI principles to solve their teams' unique operational challenges.
Deliver training on foundational CI methodologies, including value stream mapping, root cause analysis, and performance management.
Co-facilitate Kaizen and improvement events alongside service line leaders with the explicit goal of enabling them to lead future events independently.
Provide direct, one-on-one mentorship to leaders, helping them build their confidence in using data and CI tools to drive performance.
Partner with VSS leadership to develop, communicate, and build buy-in for the long-term CI maturity roadmap.
Facilitate cross-functional workshops to align teams on improvement priorities and secure commitment for initiatives without formal authority.
Champion the adoption of a CI-focused operating rhythm, including guiding the implementation of a tiered daily huddle system.
Identify, document, and share success stories and best practices across the division to build momentum and showcase the value of CI.
Apply a structured change-management approach (e.g., stakeholder analysis, communication planning, and resistance management) to ensure improvements are adopted and sustained rather than reverting once an event ends.
Personally lead a select set of key, high-impact improvement projects that address systemic, client-facing challenges—not as a firefighter, but to demonstrate what best-practice continuous improvement looks like and set a visible example for leaders and teams across the division to follow.
Guide teams in creating detailed value stream and process maps to visualize workflows, identify waste, and pinpoint critical bottlenecks impacting school clients.
Direct teams through rigorous root cause problem solving exercises (using DMAIC) for significant client issues to ensure solutions address the core problem.
Initiate and manage pilot programs for new processes or technologies, gathering data to validate their effectiveness before recommending broader adoption.
Design and introduce a standardized yet flexible VSS problem escalation and resolution framework that teams can adapt to their specific needs.
Advise service line leaders on developing meaningful Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to effectively measure process health and client impact.
Create and manage a strategic improvement project portfolio, providing leadership with visibility into progress against maturity goals.
Establish a consistent benefits-realization framework — defining baselines, validating results after implementation, and tracking sustained gains — so the division can quantify and report the aggregate value delivered by CI initiatives.