Operational Excellence Consultant (Hybrid - Franklin, WI)

Our Customer is an American financial services mutual organization based in Milwaukee. The financial security company provides consultation on wealth and asset income protection, education planning, retirement planning, investment advisory services, financial planning trust and private client services, estate planning and business planning. Its products include life insurance, permanent life insurance, disability income, and long-term care insurance; annuities; investments; and investment advisory products and services.

Our Customer is looking for an Operational Excellence Consultant on a contract basis to help support their business needs. This role is a hybrid setup (3 days onsite and 2 days remote/week) in Franklin, WI.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate independent command of the Lean methodology and Operational Excellence Coach standard work to guide improvement events (i.e., Projects, Rapid Improvement Events [RIEs], etc.) as the lead individual who plans, shapes, facilitates and assures sustainment of improvement events. This demonstrated command includes a proven track record of independently conducting pre work, independently guiding events and independently assuring post work for improvement stabilization and sustainability. This also includes assuring visual management and leadership engagement post-event so that proliferation of new methods occurs, sustainment occurs, and targets are achieved. It is anticipated that the Operational Excellence Coach is able to self-determine when to obtain Sensei input for pre work, event guidance or post work, and that this “pull” on Sensei expertise is infrequent in nature and occurs for issues that either have not been experienced before by Operational Excellence Coaches or which are very rare in nature.
• Demonstrate strong proficiency speaking in front of groups of people of various sizes, skillfully facilitating the group through the standard work of the activity, adapting the agenda to maximize the event’s True North results, group input/empowerment and high-value use of group members’ time. Ability to lead and direct teams without direct authority. 3. Skillfully apply one’s own lean knowledge to choose the best course of action in circumstances where multiple options exist, and the situation is ambiguous. Ability to adjust on the fly, guiding within the boundaries of standard work so that alternatives are explored, and adaptation occurs to maximize True North results. This application of lean knowledge and leading through ambiguity is done independently, where the work is self-managed and the course of action is largely self-determined, such that others are led through the ambiguity with confidence and engagement.
• Demonstrate a proven ability to coach and mentor individuals at various levels of the organization. Provides leaders and staff with coaching and training on behaviors, methods, and tools to promote and sustain the Operational Excellence cultural transformation. Frequently utilizing Straight Talk to drive out results by aiding others to stretch beyond their comfort zones to achieve breakthrough results.
• Successfully mentor less-seasoned Operational Excellence Coaches to grow their capabilities to a level of proficiency commensurate with their levels. This mentoring includes at least four (4) annual pairings with a less seasoned Operational Excellence coach through pre work, event work and post work such that the less seasoned coaches significantly grow their knowledge and skills from the mentoring and deem the mentoring to be vital to their professional development as a Operational Excellence Coach.
• Select the most suitable Lean techniques and apply those to guide improvement events in pursuit of True North metrics so that each event conducted achieves breakthrough results toward the attainment of stretch, True North metric targets.
• Using data and evidence from process analysis, independently guide leadership toward acceptance of event-based improvement targets and toward the execution of actions that attain the target results within impacted work teams. This guidance includes obtaining event sponsor and process owner commitment to stretch targets and it includes assuring that those leaders commit to agreed-upon benefit realization post event.
• Independently develop and maintain principles, best practices, standards, methods, techniques, and models for Process Improvement. Advocate the benefits and value-add of continued investment in Operational Excellence deliverables which align with corporate goals and strategies.
• Lead management education and communication, sustainability and quality assurance efforts influencing decision making and CL&I support across the enterprise.
• Research process improvement tools, techniques, and technology to determine the potential impact and opportunities for CL&I, while maintaining an enterprise perspective. Research, recommend and advocate how existing processes within a given value stream can be leveraged to provide additional value
• Develop and manage relationships with key corporate partners to advance engagement, alignment and understanding of the benefits of Operational Excellence for their teams and the business as a whole.
  
  

Skills And Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent.
• 4 years of project management, manager, team lead or business consultant experience in technology and/or business functions. Six years of full-time work experience.
• Ability to communicate at various levels of the organization (from staff to upper management) to increase engagement and understanding of Operational Excellence processes, goals and benefits.
• Previous Facilitator and Coaching experiences where problem solving, process development and/or behavior change methods and tools have been demonstrated.
• Minimum Lean or Six Sigma Black Belt Certification (Lean or Six Sigma Master Black Belt experience preferred) or equivalent relevant leadership experience of process improvement. Demonstrated by experience delivering and managing in a lead role on process improvement efforts.
• Team leadership experience including guidance and training of staff
  
  

We offer a competitive salary range for this position. Most candidates who join our team are hired at the median of this range, ensuring fair and equitable compensation based on experience and qualifications.

Please Note: In order to create a safe, productive work environment, our client is requiring all contractors who plan to be onsite to be fully vaccinated according to the CDC guidelines. Prior to coming into our offices, contractors will be required to attest that they are fully vaccinated.

Contractor benefits are available through our 3rd Party Employer of Record (Available upon completion of waiting period for eligible engagements)

Benefits include: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k.

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.