Lead Continuous Improvement Analyst

Lead Continuous Improvement Analyst (Hybrid - Columbia, SC)
The Lead Continuous Improvement Analyst serves as a recognized continuous improvement and operational excellence expert responsible for leading enterprise-wide productivity, efficiency, and process improvement initiatives. They partner with executives, department leaders, and employees to prioritize and deliver high-impact work that improves customer service, creates capacity, reduces operating expense, strengthens controls, and enhances organizational performance. The Lead provides informal leadership, coaching, and subject matter guidance without direct people-management responsibility.
What You'll Do
Enterprise Improvement Strategy and Prioritization
- Partner with executives and department leaders to identify, evaluate, and prioritize enterprise improvement opportunities.
- Translate strategic priorities and performance insights into a sequenced portfolio of high-value initiatives.
- Develop business cases that define expected financial, capacity, service, risk, and customer outcomes.
- Recommend enterprise standards, governance, and methods for operational excellence.
- Support district-wide improvement initiatives when business needs and priorities align.
Complex Initiative Leadership and Value Realization
- Lead enterprise and cross-functional improvement initiatives from charter through sustained results.
- Facilitate value stream mapping, rapid improvement events, and complex problem-solving sessions.
- Set project direction, clarify accountability, remove barriers, and influence decisions across functions.
- Measure, validate, and communicate realized benefits, including cost reduction, capacity creation, productivity, quality, and control improvements.
- Establish sustainment plans, ownership, and monitoring to protect long-term results.
Expert Advisory and Capability Building
- Serve as the Bank's primary subject matter resource for Lean Six Sigma and operational excellence.
- Advise senior leaders on complex process, productivity, and operating model challenges.
- Train, coach, and mentor employees and improvement practitioners, including Yellow and Green Belts.
- Develop practical standards, tools, and learning resources that strengthen enterprise capability.
- Promote a culture of data-driven problem solving, accountability, and continuous learning.
What You'll Need
- Bachelor's degree in business, finance, operations, engineering, analytics, or related field; equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
- 7-9 years of relevant experience in process improvement, operational excellence, business transformation, project delivery, operations, or a related discipline.
- Lean Six Sigma Certification-IASSC
- Lean Six Sigma, operational excellence, and enterprise process improvement.
- Enterprise project and portfolio leadership.
- Business cases, financial analysis, and benefits validation.
- Executive facilitation, influence, and advisory communication.
- Change leadership, risk, controls, and sustainment.