Director, Continuous Improvement (PPI)

Thermo Fisher Scientific • Cincinnati, OH

3d

About The Position

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer. As Director of PPI Business System, you will implement Thermo Fisher Scientific's Continuous Improvement Business System across the organization. This leadership role guides strategic change, cultivates operational excellence, and develops a culture of continuous improvement to achieve business goals. Working closely with executive leadership, you will establish multi-year strategic roadmaps, guide process improvement initiatives, and support teams in lean methodologies. Your efforts will directly impact customer satisfaction, quality, productivity and growth while enhancing how we serve science globally. This position collaborates with the site leadership team to identify transformational opportunities, develop and execute improvement strategies, and build sustainable processes that enhance operational efficiency. You'll guide the PPI Steering Committee, manage an active pipeline of improvement projects, and facilitate adoption of lean management systems including tiered daily management, Gemba walks, and leader standard work. Through coaching and capability building at all levels, you'll help teams increase autonomy and facilitate positive change. Thank you for your interest as you consider starting a new career journey with us. As the world leader in serving science, our colleagues develop critical solutions through innovation—and build rewarding careers. Discover their extraordinary stories and connection to our Mission to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Their work is a story of purpose. What story will you tell? Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue of more than $40 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics or the development and manufacture of life-changing therapies, we are here to support them. Our global team delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon and PPD. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. Thermo Fisher Scientific is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, veteran status, age or disability status.

Requirements

• Demonstrated success leading operational transformations and delivering measurable year-over-year results
• Expert knowledge of lean methodologies including strategy deployment, value stream mapping, kaizen events, standard work, and A3 problem solving
• Strong financial and business acumen with experience building productivity funnels and tracking benefits realization
• Success facilitating organizational change across all levels
• Strong communication, presentation and interpersonal skills with ability to build trust and credibility
• Experience coaching and developing teams in a matrix environment
• Strong project management capabilities and attention to detail
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with data-driven decision making
• Ability to work collaboratively across functions and build consensus
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Science, Operations, or Business-related field
• 8 years of experience implementing continuous improvement/lean business systems across end-to-end value streams
• Manufacturing industry experience is required
• Six Sigma Black Belt certification or equivalent lean expertise required

Nice To Haves

• MBA or advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, and sustain lean methodologies (e.g., standard work, visual management, daily management, problem-solving) through training, coaching, and hands-on facilitation.
• Translate business strategies into clear operational roadmaps, KPIs, and implementation plans that drive growth, productivity, and quality.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to streamline end-to-end processes, optimize handoffs, and reduce waste and variation.
• Support project teams during planning, execution, and control phases to ensure timely, within-budget delivery and benefit realization.
• Guide the PPI Steering Committee
• Manage an active pipeline of improvement projects
• Facilitate adoption of lean management systems including tiered daily management, Gemba walks, and leader standard work.
• Coaching and capability building at all levels
• Help teams increase autonomy and facilitate positive change.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director