GPS Continuous Improvement Leader

Baxter•Deerfield, IL

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

This is a senior leadership role within the GPS (Growth & Performance System) organization responsible for leading enterprise continuous improvement through the GPS Office. This role partners with business and functional leaders to identify, prioritize, and advance improvement opportunities that are directly connected to Baxter’s value creators and most meaningful business outcomes. The role applies GPS continuous improvement methods, Lean, Six Sigma, and disciplined performance routines to improve performance and build sustainable organizational capability. This leader develops enterprise capability to identify, prioritize, and implement continuous improvement projects in partnership with senior GPS leadership, ensuring improvement efforts are linked to value creators, focused on measurable business impact, and supported by the right methods, coaching, and governance. The role leads a team of managers implementing enterprise-wide improvement projects and cross-functional programs, driving end-to-end process transformation, and ensuring consistent methodology, strong governance, realization of targeted value, and sustainment across functions. The GPS CI Leader is also accountable for coaching teams and leaders to embed standard work, problem solving, performance management, and follow-up mechanisms that sustain gains and prevent backsliding after project completion.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Business, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
15+ years of progressive leadership experience in transformation, operational excellence, continuous improvement, or enterprise process improvement, including responsibility for large-scale cross-functional initiatives.
Demonstrated success leading enterprise transformation programs and driving measurable improvements in performance, productivity, quality, cost, service, or employee/customer experience.
Proven ability to lead managers and build high-performing teams responsible for implementing complex projects across a matrixed global organization.
Demonstrated experience leading a continuous improvement portfolio of more than 800 projects annually, leading the Baxter GPS CI Community of Practice of 300+ continuous improvement practitioners, and establishing regional CI Dojos to build capability, share best practices, and accelerate results at scale.
Deep expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, PDCA, kaizen, structured problem solving, change management, and operating system deployment, with strong solid understanding of focused continuous improvement practices such as daily management, policy deployment, leader standard work, visual management, and rigorous performance follow-up.
Experience operating in environments with strong continuous improvement rigor, with the ability to translate those practices into enterprise capability-building, cross-functional program delivery, and end-to-end process improvement.
Strong executive presence and communication skills with the ability to influence senior leaders, align stakeholders, and drive decisions in complex environments.
Strong strategic, financial, and business acumen with the ability to translate transformation opportunities into clear business cases, ROI, and benefits realization plans.
Experience establishing governance, KPIs, dashboards, and performance routines to monitor transformation progress and sustain outcomes at scale.
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification required.
Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Nice To Haves

Master Black Belt certification or equivalent advanced continuous improvement credentials preferred
Danaher, Fortive, or other mature business system experience strongly preferred
Experience in regulated, global, or enterprise shared services environments.

Responsibilities

Lead the enterprise GPS continuous improvement agenda by translating strategic priorities into actionable improvement opportunities that are linked to Baxter’s value creators and business outcomes across functions.
Build enterprise capability to identify, scope, and implement continuous improvement projects with disciplined problem solving, strong methodology, and clear accountability for results.
Lead a team of managers responsible for implementing enterprise-wide projects, setting expectations for delivery, coaching for problem solving, and ensuring consistent application of GPS, Lean, Six Sigma, and disciplined continuous improvement practices such as daily management, leader standard work, visual management, kaizen, and structured follow-through.
Drive enterprise process improvement by identifying, prioritizing, and leading cross-functional continuous improvement opportunities that enhance output, improve efficiency, simplify work, and deliver enduring business results.
Partner with senior business and functional leaders to identify end-to-end improvement priorities, remove barriers, and accelerate cross-functional programs and process transformation.
Champion continuous improvement capabilities through training, coaching, leader standard work, and hands-on support to build a culture of accountability, problem solving, and operational excellence.
Facilitate goal deployment and performance management routines that connect improvement work to strategy, clarify ownership, and support follow-through on value-creating priorities and KPIs.
Ensure benefits realization and sustainment by embedding standard work, visual management, daily management, operating cadence, and review mechanisms into business-as-usual processes.
Partner with Digital, IT, Analytics, and Data teams to improve transparency, measurement, and process enablement through dashboards, automation, and scalable tools.
Lead enterprise workshops, kaizen events, and structured problem-solving sessions to accelerate decisions, close performance gaps, and strengthen cross-functional collaboration.
Develop organizational capability by coaching managers and senior leaders, supporting talent planning, and building a pipeline of continuous improvement leaders grounded in disciplined management practices, accountability, structured problem solving, and operational rigor.
Represent GPS in executive and cross-functional forums to align on improvement priorities, share insights on business impact, and support actions needed to sustain results.

Benefits

medical and dental coverage that start on day one
insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount
401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching
Flexible Spending Accounts
educational assistance programs
paid holidays
paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service
family and medical leaves of absence
paid parental leave
commuting benefits
Employee Discount Program
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
childcare benefits