Director, Continuous Improvement

Otis Elevator Co.•Farmington, CT

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Moving people. Shaping the future. At Otis, we take pride in leading the industry we founded – elevators, escalators and moving walkways. We became an independent, publicly traded company in early 2020 and are excited about our future as we implement our Otis Vision Statement: We give people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. We feel there has never been a better time to join our team. Otis Worldwide has an exciting opportunity for a Director of Continuous Improvement who’s ready to help us deliver on our commitments today, plan our strategy for the future and leave their fingerprints on the organization for years to come. The Director of Continuous Improvement is a strategic leader responsible for driving operational excellence and cultural transformation across the organization. This leader develops and executes strategies that enhance process efficiency, reduce waste, and improve quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. Leveraging Lean and data-driven methodologies, the Director fosters a culture of continuous improvement across all functions—from product design and production to installation and service.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Quality, or related field; Master’s preferred.
7–10 years of experience in continuous improvement leadership roles.
Proven track record of delivering measurable results through Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, or similar methodologies (certification preferred).
Extensive experience in process improvement within manufacturing and/or supply chain, including several years of leading and executing projects using Lean, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement principles.
Hands-on knowledge of manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, distribution, or engineering, combined with experience as a Lean transformation leader and a broad cross-functional background.
Strong strategic thinking and change management skills, with the ability to influence at all organizational levels.
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
Advanced project management and analytical skills, with experience leveraging data-driven insights for decision-making.

Responsibilities

Lead the Continuous Improvement Strategy including designing and implementing a global roadmap embedding Lean principles and problem-solving capabilities across all functions.
Partner with senior leadership to identify and prioritize initiatives impacting cost, quality, safety, and delivery performance.
Champion Otis Performance Excellence (OPXL) by driving the organization’s continuous improvement system to achieve operational excellence.
Develop Organizational Capability through building and scaling a comprehensive learning curriculum, integrating CI training into enterprise platforms such as Workday Learning.
Facilitate High-Impact Initiatives and lead Kaizen events and cross-functional projects to eliminate waste, optimize processes, accelerate growth, and enhance customer experience.
Coach and Mentor by developing a network of CI practitioners and subject matter experts, providing guidance to ensure measurable business outcomes.
Drive and coordinate Relentless Root Cause Analysis (RRCA) on critical quality and performance issues.
Champion Cultural Transformation and promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning throughout the organization.
Establish KPIs and dashboards to measure operational performance, project efficiency, and quality outcomes.
Report CI results, including cost savings, productivity gains, and process reliability improvements, to executive leadership.