Director of continuous improvement vs process improvement manager

The differences between directors of continuous improvement and process 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 process improvement manager. Additionally, a director of continuous improvement has an average salary of $122,606, which is higher than the $105,454 average annual salary of a process 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 process improvement manager are sigma, lean six sigma, and project management.

Director of continuous improvement vs process improvement manager overview

	Director Of Continuous Improvement	Process Improvement Manager
Yearly salary	$122,606	$105,454
Hourly rate	$58.95	$50.70
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	16,718	177,168
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
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 process improvement manager do?

Process Improvement Managers oversee the operational processes of the company. These processes are usually related to production, sales, marketing, human resources, or finance. Process Improvement Managers are in charge of creating policies and procedures to guide the company's different departments. They analyze related data and craft recommendations to improve the procedures. They ensure that their recommendations lead to higher efficiency. Process Improvement Managers also ensure that these new processes are implemented properly and yield results.

Director of continuous improvement vs process improvement manager salary

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

	Director Of Continuous Improvement	Process Improvement Manager
Average salary	$122,606	$105,454
Salary range	Between $85,000 And $175,000	Between $80,000 And $137,000
Highest paying City	Bakersfield, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Walmart	Meta
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between director of continuous improvement and process improvement manager education

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

	Director Of Continuous Improvement	Process Improvement Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Director of continuous improvement vs process improvement manager demographics

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

	Director Of Continuous Improvement	Process Improvement Manager
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 67.5% Female, 32.5%	Male, 69.0% Female, 31.0%
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, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between director of continuous improvement and process 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.

Process improvement manager example responsibilities.

Manage enterprise applications such as ERP, CRM and commissions calculating software.
Manage projects and require personnel utilizing PMI tools and best practices from project initiation to close down.
Lead department through SharePoint implementation.
Focus are process, resource management and governance improvement opportunities to achieve breakthrough performance.
Lead successful, on-time, and on budget implementation of antiquate plant systems infrastructure and manufacturing enterprise applications.
Coordinate product re-launch project to execute Kanban program achieving target inventory level requirements improving lead time reduction from 12wks to 2wks.

Director of continuous improvement vs process 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 process improvement manager skills

Sigma, 15%
Lean Six Sigma, 13%
Project Management, 10%
Process Improvement, 8%
Kaizen, 3%
Value Stream, 3%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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