Portfolio Rationalization Leader

Baxter • Deerfield, IL

2h • $216,000 - $297,000

About The Position

This is where your work makes a difference. At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond. Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results. Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride. Your role at Baxter The Portfolio Rationalization Leader is responsible for driving enterprise‑level focus and efficiency by identifying the critical 20% of activities, customers, or products that generate 80% of results. A core responsibility of this role is leading SKU rationalization enterprise‑wide , ensuring simplification of product portfolios and elimination of low‑value offerings. This leader transforms performance through strategic prioritization, simplification, and data‑driven decision-making. They challenge the status quo, articulate the “why,” and help teams focus on work that truly matters. What will you be doing Strategic Prioritization: Apply the Pareto Principle to identify the “vital few” tasks, customers, and SKU/product lines that generate the highest returns. SKU Rationalization: Lead enterprise‑wide SKU simplification to streamline product lists and eliminate low‑value SKUs. Resource Allocation: Redirect human, financial, and technological resources toward high‑impact initiatives. Culture Transformation: Champion a culture of simplification, continuous improvement, and focus. Team Empowerment & Delegation: Identify top talent and delegate intentionally. Data‑Driven Decision Making: Use segmented P&Ls and analytics to guide decisions. Process Improvement: Lead kaizen events, strategy workshops, and simplification efforts. Typical Activities would include Conducting 80/20 analysis (e.g., customer, product, profit). Leading kaizen events or strategy workshops. Developing Raving Fans and target selling strategies. Simplifying product and customer lists. Partnering with senior leaders across business lines.

Requirements

• Analytical & Strategic Thinking: Ability to see the big picture and pinpoint leverage points.
• Influence & Coaching: Inspire and coach leaders and teams to adopt focused, high‑impact behaviors.
• Decisive & Focused: Concentrate on important—not just urgent—work and say "no" to lower‑value activities.
• Action‑Oriented: Deliver results through focused execution.
• Exceptional Communication: Clearly articulate the “why” behind decisions and challenge existing norms.
• Change Leadership: Influence teams through organizational transformation and simplification
• Bachelor’s degree required
• 10–15+ years in operations, strategy, or continuous improvement
• Experience with 80/20 methodology, Lean, or segmentation

Nice To Haves

• MBA preferred

Responsibilities

• Strategic Prioritization: Apply the Pareto Principle to identify the “vital few” tasks, customers, and SKU/product lines that generate the highest returns.
• SKU Rationalization: Lead enterprise‑wide SKU simplification to streamline product lists and eliminate low‑value SKUs.
• Resource Allocation: Redirect human, financial, and technological resources toward high‑impact initiatives.
• Culture Transformation: Champion a culture of simplification, continuous improvement, and focus.
• Team Empowerment & Delegation: Identify top talent and delegate intentionally.
• Data‑Driven Decision Making: Use segmented P&Ls and analytics to guide decisions.
• Process Improvement: Lead kaizen events, strategy workshops, and simplification efforts.
• Conducting 80/20 analysis (e.g., customer, product, profit).
• Leading kaizen events or strategy workshops.
• Developing Raving Fans and target selling strategies.
• Simplifying product and customer lists.
• Partnering with senior leaders across business lines.

Benefits

• Baxter offers comprehensive compensation and benefits packages for eligible roles.
• Our health and well-being benefits include medical and dental coverage that start on day one, as well as insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance.
• Financial and retirement benefits include the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount, and the 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching.
• We also offer Flexible Spending Accounts, educational assistance programs, and time-off benefits such as paid holidays, paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service, family and medical leaves of absence, and paid parental leave.
• Additional benefits include commuting benefits, the Employee Discount Program, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and childcare benefits.

What This Job Offers

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