| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Operations |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | Head of Operations |
| Direct reports | Process Excellence Analyst, Quality and Process Executive |
| Experience | 8 to 12 years, including 4 years leading improvement projects in operations |
Process Improvement Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Process Improvement Manager
Department: Operations
Reports to: Head of Operations
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Process Improvement Manager removes waste, delay and errors from company processes through structured projects using Lean, Six Sigma and simple automation. The role picks the processes that matter most to cost or customers, maps how work really flows, leads teams through the fix and proves the result with data. A good process improvement manager leaves behind processes that stay improved and owners who know how to keep them that way.
Key responsibilities
- Identify improvement opportunities from cost data, customer complaints, turnaround reports and audit findings, and rank them by impact.
- Scope each project with a charter covering problem, baseline, target, team and timeline, signed by the process owner.
- Map current processes on the floor or through system data, measuring waiting time, rework and handoffs.
- Lead DMAIC or Kaizen projects with cross-functional teams from diagnosis to implementation.
- Apply statistical tools such as control charts, regression and hypothesis tests to confirm root causes.
- Redesign processes and standard work, and hand automation or system change requirements to IT with clear specifications.
- Run pilots before full rollout and compare pilot results with the baseline.
- Validate savings with finance and report verified benefits every month.
- Set up control plans so process owners can see if performance slips after the project ends.
- Coach analysts and executives on improvement tools through live projects.
Requirements
- Engineering or management graduate
- Six Sigma Black Belt certification
- PMP or a similar project management certification is an advantage
- 8 to 12 years, including 4 years leading improvement projects in operations
KRAs and KPIs for a Process Improvement Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Verified savings | Annual verified savings from completed projects at or above the target agreed with finance |
| Project delivery | At least 80 percent of chartered projects closed within the agreed timeline |
| Cycle time | Cycle time of improved processes reduced by at least 25 percent from baseline |
| Rework | Rework in improved processes cut by half within six months of go-live |
| Sustenance | A control plan for every closed project and no reverted process at audit |
| Team capability | Every analyst in the team leads at least one project end to end each year |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Minitab, MS Excel, Visio or Lucidchart, Power BI, Project charter and tracker templates.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Business Excellence Manager, Head of Operations, General Manager Operations
Interview questions for a Process Improvement Manager
- Walk me through a DMAIC project you led, with the baseline, the root cause and the verified result.
- How do you choose between a project that saves more money and one that fixes a customer pain point?
- A process owner rejects your root cause finding. What do you do?
- When is automation the wrong answer to a process problem?
- How do you prove a saving to a sceptical financial controller?
- What would you put in a control plan for a process you have just improved?
Managing a Process Improvement Manager in ZeniaHR
Hire and manage your operations team in one place
Post the role, onboard the new hire, and track attendance, leave and KRAs in ZeniaHR. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What does a process improvement manager do?
A process improvement manager finds slow, costly or error-prone processes and fixes them through structured projects. They write project charters, map processes, analyse data to find root causes, redesign the work, run pilots, validate savings with finance and set up control plans so the gains last.
What is the difference between a process improvement manager and a business excellence manager?
A process improvement manager works project by project, fixing specific processes and proving savings. A business excellence manager runs the wider framework: strategy deployment, scorecards, excellence assessments and the improvement culture. In many companies the process improvement team is one part of the business excellence function.
Do you need a Six Sigma Black Belt for process improvement roles?
For manager roles most employers ask for a Black Belt or equivalent experience leading several DMAIC projects. Analysts and executives usually start with a Green Belt. The certificate helps with shortlisting, but interviewers probe for real projects with baselines, verified savings and results that were sustained.