Director – Continuous Improvement

West Bend Insurance Company

. Establish and lead the enterprise Continuous Improvement Center of Excellence (COE) .

Posted 11/5/2026full-timeWest Bend • Wisconsin • United StatesLead💰 $157,900 - $197,375 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in leading continuous improvement initiatives, utilizing methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma to drive operational excellence and measurable business impact. Capable of developing and executing strategies that align with organizational goals while fostering a culture of accountability and high performance.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Continuous Improvement LeadershipLean Six Sigma MethodologiesProcess Mapping and Root Cause AnalysisChange Management and Stakeholder EngagementPerformance Measurement and KPI Development

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

LeanSix SigmaKaizenValue Stream MappingRoot Cause AnalysisProcess MappingPerformance MeasurementBusiness TransformationOperational EffectivenessOrganizational Effectiveness

Soft Skills

Coaching and MentoringCommunicationEngagementAccountabilityLeadership Development

Certifications & Qualifications

Lean Six Sigma Green BeltLean Six Sigma Black Belt

Industry Keywords

InsuranceFinancial ServicesHighly Regulated Industry

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Establish and lead the enterprise Continuous Improvement Center of Excellence (COE)
Develop and maintain the enterprise continuous improvement methodology, standards, tools, templates, and governance framework
Lead, coach, and develop direct reports to manage performance and build future leadership capacity
Create a culture of accountability, engagement, continuous improvement, and high performance
Define standards for improvement opportunity identification, prioritization, measurement, and sustainment
Assess organizational continuous improvement maturity and develop capability-building roadmaps
Facilitate a Community of Practice to share best practices, lessons learned, tools, and success stories
Partner with division leaders to strengthen local ownership and accountability
Oversee evaluation of business processes, workflows, handoffs, controls, and decision points to identify inefficiencies, duplication, bottlenecks, risk, and improvement opportunities
Develop and execute a continuous improvement strategy aligned with business priorities, operating model, customer expectations, and transformation goals
Establish standards for data, performance metrics, process mapping, root cause analysis, Lean Six Sigma, and other improvement methodologies
Lead change management efforts, including stakeholder engagement, communication, training, readiness planning, and reinforcement
Establish KPIs and reporting mechanisms to measure efficiency gains, cost savings, cycle time reduction, quality improvement, risk reduction, and experience outcomes
Build continuous improvement capability through coaching, practical tools, and repeatable process review and redesign methods
Monitor improvement benefit validation, sustainment, and accountability
Report recommendations to executive leadership regarding improvement performance, capability maturity, and strategic opportunities
Create governance and prioritization routines to evaluate, sequence, resource, and align improvement opportunities
Advise senior leadership on operational effectiveness, process modernization, work simplification, and execution

Requirements

What you’ll need

10+ years of progressive experience in continuous improvement, business transformation, operations, process excellence, organizational effectiveness, or related leadership roles
Demonstrated experience leading large-scale, cross-functional process improvement initiatives with measurable business impact
Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, value stream mapping, root cause analysis, process mapping, and performance measurement
Experience working with senior leaders to evaluate business processes, influence decisions, and drive change across functions
Proven ability to translate complex operational challenges into practical, actionable improvement plans
Bachelor’s degree in business, operations, organizational effectiveness, technology, or a related field required
Experience in insurance, financial services, or another highly regulated industry preferred
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification preferred
Candidates located within 50 miles of a West Bend office location for the hybrid schedule

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical & Prescription Insurance
Health Savings Account
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Short and Long Term Disability
Flexible Spending Accounts
Life and Accidental Death & Disability
Accident and Critical Illness Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
401(k) Plan with Company Match
Pet Insurance
Paid Time Off; standard first year PTO is 17 days, pro-rated based on month of hire
Enhanced PTO may be available for experienced candidates
Bonus eligible based on performance