Continuous Improvement Manager

The Continuous Improvement Manager is the continuous improvement leader for the Professional Services Department.  This leader defines and manages timely completion of "continuous improvement" projects that increase onboarding velocity and time-to-value, customer adoption of Lightspeed software, and overall customer satisfaction. Projects require Lean/DMAIC problem solving methodology in a software business to discover root causes. Leads cross-functional strategy workshops to determine solutions and will work with stakeholders on scheduling and implementation, under limited supervision. Utilizes project management principles regarding strategy, practices, and procedures, to accomplish challenging projects having a high level of revenue and cost impact. Demonstrates leadership and collaboration skills to achieve goals without direct control over resources. Works independently and exercises sound judgment in selecting methods and techniques to obtain results.  Success in this role is measured by improvements to NRR (Net Revenue Retention), customer health scores, and time-to-value metrics.    

What you'll do:

• Champion a problem solving culture by facilitating cross-functional strategy sessions, including process mapping.
• Utilizes DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Implement, Control) methods to improve business processes to increase onboarding velocity and time-to-value, customer adoption, and customer satisfaction (measured via CSAT, NPS, and churn rate).
• Acts as a Technology Project Manager: applying Agile and waterfall methodologies as appropriate to synchronize portfolio planning, scoping, and execution processes to deliver continuous improvement projects on-time and within budget to committed roadmaps, and performance KPIs.
• Identify project goals, scope, resources, budget, dependencies, risks and communications needs.
• Identify, escalate, and resolve conflicts, dependencies, and risks—proactively surfacing blockers before they impact delivery.
• Implement large, cross-team, multi-year programs and projects.
• Proactively identify opportunities and contribute to continuous business process improvement efforts to help streamline and standardize workflow, communication, and resource efficiencies.
• Conducts initiation and project closure activities to formalize and communicate the project acceptance and handover documentation and completes a post-implementation review to identify areas of improvement.
• Communicate portfolio scope, roadmap alignment, priorities, and status to governance board and stakeholders.

What you should have:

Qualifications:

• 1-3 years of cross-functional process improvement experience with a track record of improving processes and business results.
• Demonstrates data driven solutions. Experience defining project success criteria with multiple stakeholders.
• Lean/Six Sigma or DMAIC certification or relevant knowledge and experience.
• Strong process improvement and project management skills and experience.
• Experience working in a SaaS or subscription-based software business; familiarity with Professional Services operations and SaaS metrics (ARR, churn, NRR) strongly preferred.
• Ability to lead through influence and work as a collaborative team member.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience in collaborating across business/product lines and organizational groups.
• Strong ability to manage a portfolio of improvement projects and ability to prioritize based on business requirements.
• Experience leading virtual and in-person process improvement meetings.
• Experience creating process documentation with tools such as Visio, PowerPoint or Lucid Chart.
• Experience creating and delivering presentations to stakeholders about project status or outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Project Management or Agile Certification (PMP, PMI-ACP, SAFe, CSP).
• Experience with Statistical Process Control charting using tools such as Weka, Excel or Minitab.
• Dealership industry or Lightspeed experience.