Director, Continuous Improvement

Barry-Wehmiller•Clayton, MO

About The Position

BW Design Group is a fully integrated architecture, engineering, construction, system integration, and consulting firm committed to helping our clients realize their most critical goals from Strategy to Commercialization. As the only firm born from a manufacturing technology company to become an independent and fully integrated firm, we combine deep domain expertise in the manufacturing environment with an approach that is built to serve the dynamic needs of our clients. Rooted in our distinct culture of Truly Human Leadership, we cultivate the leaders who will define tomorrow and partner with our clients in the food & beverage, life sciences, industrial, and advanced technology industries to build the future of manufacturing and technology. Barry-Wehmiller is a diversified global supplier of engineering consulting and manufacturing technology for the packaging, corrugating, sheeting and paper-converting industries. By blending people-centric leadership with disciplined operational strategies and purpose-driven growth, Barry-Wehmiller has become a $3 billion organization with nearly 12,000 team members united by a common belief: to use the power of business to build a better world. Job Description: The Continuous Improvement Leader is a strategic role responsible for establishing, leading, and sustaining BW Design Group's enterprise-wide continuous improvement program. This position will drive sustainable and measurable outcomes by embedding continuous improvement principles throughout the organization, supporting the delivery of our long-term Strategic Plan, as well as near-term performance objectives, with emphasis on Operational Excellence.‎ WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH You’ll report to the Chief Operating Officer and be an integral part of building the future growth of BW Design Group. You’ll work closely with the Transformation Director, Head Office Leadership Team, and Operational Leaders across the firm, playing a pivotal role in shaping and realizing the potential of a firm with a 30-year track record of impressive organic growth and an unmatched value proposition. This role benefits significantly from in-person collaboration with leaders at our head office in St. Louis, making this the preferred location for interested candidates.

Requirements

Degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Operations Management, or related field
8+ years of experience leading continuous improvement initiatives in professional services, AEC, consulting, or manufacturing environments
Proven track record implementing and sustaining process improvement programs that deliver measurable business results
Demonstrated passion for leveraging technology to drive operational improvements, with specific experience implementing AI, automation, or intelligent systems
High learning agility with demonstrated ability to quickly master new concepts, technologies, and methodologies
Strong financial acumen to articulate link between operational plans and financial metrics and with ability to analyze data related to business objectives with a full understanding of P&L impact
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to use data to drive decisions
Excellent project management skills with ability to lead multiple initiatives simultaneously
Exceptional communication and presentation skills for all organizational levels
Experience with change management principles and organizational development
Proficiency with process mapping, value stream analysis, and improvement tools

Responsibilities

Establish and lead BW Design Group's continuous improvement program, providing organizational focus to drive sustainable and measurable operational outcomes‎
Define the continuous improvement framework, methodologies, and tools for BW Design Group, aligning with the organization's goal to deliver a world-class client experience. Emphasize leveraging current technology and leading with Artificial Intelligence
Develop multi-year roadmap for continuous improvement initiatives prioritizing high-impact opportunities across Commercial Excellence, Operational Excellence, People Excellence and Head Office processes
Lead cross-functional improvement projects targeting project financial performance, productivity, and team member fulfillment‎
Identify and eliminate process inefficiencies, redundancies, and waste across all business operations
Build organizational capability in continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, etc.), aligned with our people-first culture
Lead change management efforts to drive adoption of standardized processes and best practices
Facilitate cross-functional workshops and Kaizen events to solve operational challenges
Develop and deliver training programs to build continuous improvement competencies throughout the organization
Champion a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and operational excellence
Partner with Practice, Region, Market Sector, and Head Office leadership teams to understand business-specific challenges and opportunities
Collaborate with leaders to deploy improvements locally, while maintaining enterprise standards
Work closely with Technology/IT teams to leverage system capabilities (IFS ERP) for process automation and efficiency gains
Engage with Project Managers, Project Executives, and delivery teams to ensure accountability for process compliance
Provide regular reporting to Executive Leadership on improvement initiatives, outcomes, and ROI