Director of continuous improvement vs continuous improvement manager

The differences between directors of continuous improvement and continuous improvement managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a director of continuous improvement and a continuous improvement manager. Additionally, a director of continuous improvement has an average salary of $122,606, which is higher than the $99,644 average annual salary of a continuous improvement manager.

The top three skills for a director of continuous improvement include lean six sigma, healthcare and project management. The most important skills for a continuous improvement manager are lean six sigma, sigma, and continuous improvement.

Director of continuous improvement vs continuous improvement manager overview

	Director Of Continuous Improvement	Continuous Improvement Manager
Yearly salary	$122,606	$99,644
Hourly rate	$58.95	$47.91
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	16,718	154,463
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does a director of continuous improvement do?

A director of continuous improvement measures and tests corporate procedures to improve production efficiency. Directors of continuous improvement are responsible for the development, planning, scheduling, and budgeting projects to enhance the existing processes. It is part of their job to direct and oversee the department staff's work. They are experienced and highly analytical in terms of project coordination. They foresee hindrances and develop strategic decisions through problem-solving skills. Also, they are considered great mentors with the ability to understand complicated ideas.

What does a continuous improvement manager do?

A Continuous Improvement Manager initiates and facilitates lean improvement programs and activities. They ensure that progress is maintained on an ongoing basis.

Director of continuous improvement vs continuous improvement manager salary

Directors of continuous improvement and continuous improvement managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Continuous Improvement	Continuous Improvement Manager
Average salary	$122,606	$99,644
Salary range	Between $85,000 And $175,000	Between $74,000 And $133,000
Highest paying City	Bakersfield, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Walmart	Google
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between director of continuous improvement and continuous improvement manager education

There are a few differences between a director of continuous improvement and a continuous improvement manager in terms of educational background:

	Director Of Continuous Improvement	Continuous Improvement Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Director of continuous improvement vs continuous improvement manager demographics

Here are the differences between directors of continuous improvement' and continuous improvement managers' demographics:

	Director Of Continuous Improvement	Continuous Improvement Manager
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 67.5% Female, 32.5%	Male, 81.4% Female, 18.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between director of continuous improvement and continuous improvement manager duties and responsibilities

Director of continuous improvement example responsibilities.

Manage a staff of 30+ network, server, and NOC engineers
Lead the implementation of new ERP systems at both the strategy and detail levels.
Identify regulatory risk for Mexico technology requirements and lead in-flight RFP for new provider to meet government digital certification requirements.
Implement ISO throughout the organization as appropriate.
Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) require for meeting corporate objectives.
Create and maintains various KPIs for the plasma and material handling departments.

Continuous improvement manager example responsibilities.

Lead many CI workshops with Toyota consultants.
Manage all admission & billing submission processes for long term care patients.
Lead SMED event, reducing change over from 1 hour to 10 minutes.
Facilitate and lead CPI events with chosen teams, SMEs, stakeholders, and commanders.
Manage the factory and product work in progress to meet production goals using an MRP system.
Manage and report daily on the KPI tracker and report weekly to the director of the region.

Director of continuous improvement vs continuous improvement manager skills

Common director of continuous improvement skills

Lean Six Sigma, 8%
Healthcare, 7%
Project Management, 6%
Six Sigma Training, 6%
Lean Sigma, 6%
Performance Improvement, 5%

Common continuous improvement manager skills

Lean Six Sigma, 10%
Sigma, 9%
Continuous Improvement, 9%
Lean Manufacturing, 8%
Project Management, 6%
Kaizen Events, 4%

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Director Of Continuous Improvement
Director Of Continuous Improvement vs Continuous Improvement Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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