How to hire a director of continuous improvement

How to hire a director of continuous improvement, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of continuous improvement hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of continuous improvement job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of continuous improvement
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a director of continuous improvement do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the director of continuous improvement you need to hire. Certain director of continuous improvement roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A director of continuous improvement's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, directors of continuous improvement from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of directors of continuous improvement and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Director Of Continuous Improvement	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Continuous Improvement	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$40-84
   Manager	Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department... Show more	$17-44
   General Manager	A general manager is responsible for handling the overall operations in the business. General managers manage the staff tasks efficiently, monitor the productivity and efficiency of the work environment, implement new strategies to improve the business performance, recognize the team's best efforts, and effective allocation of budget resources... Show more	$19-60

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Lean Six Sigma
   • Healthcare
   • Project Management
   • Six Sigma Training
   • Lean Sigma
   • Performance Improvement
   • Patients
   • Process Improvement
   • Oversight
   • Quality Improvement
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Value Stream
   • Lean Manufacturing
   • Kaizen Events

   Check all skills

   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.

   More director of continuous improvement duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the director of continuous improvement job description is a good way to get more applicants. A director of continuous improvement salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a director of continuous improvement in Arkansas may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level director of continuous improvement. Additionally, a director of continuous improvement with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average director of continuous improvement salary

   $122,606yearly

   $58.95 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of continuous improvement salary

   $85,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average director of continuous improvement salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$150,038	$72
   2	Massachusetts	$142,054	$68
   3	District of Columbia	$141,372	$68
   4	Washington	$135,405	$65
   5	Virginia	$126,293	$61
   6	Wisconsin	$125,884	$61
   7	New York	$125,051	$60
   8	Texas	$122,768	$59
   9	North Carolina	$118,814	$57
   10	Colorado	$117,893	$57
   11	Ohio	$117,181	$56
   12	Georgia	$111,908	$54
   13	Florida	$109,973	$53
   14	Nevada	$107,869	$52
   15	Illinois	$106,381	$51
   16	Missouri	$101,903	$49
   17	Indiana	$101,189	$49
   18	Arizona	$97,795	$47
   19	New Hampshire	$94,851	$46
   20	Tennessee	$91,472	$44

   Average director of continuous improvement salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Walmart	$145,590	$70.00	23
   2	Silicon Valley Bank	$143,747	$69.11
   3	AlixPartners	$140,105	$67.36
   4	Burlington	$134,145	$64.49
   5	Intuit	$131,467	$63.21
   6	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$131,044	$63.00	82
   7	Sanofi US	$126,926	$61.02	2
   8	Prime Healthcare	$125,526	$60.35	3
   9	Organon	$124,810	$60.00
   10	Abbott	$124,009	$59.62	3
   11	East West Bank	$123,667	$59.46
   12	Manet Community Health Center	$120,521	$57.94
   13	Catalent Pharma Solutions	$119,893	$57.64	6
   14	Plexus	$119,881	$57.64	2
   15	United	$119,782	$57.59
   16	CVS Health	$117,722	$56.60	92
   17	Sutherland	$117,015	$56.26
   18	Quest Diagnostics	$116,685	$56.10	11
   19	L'Oréal	$116,452	$55.99	2
   20	Visa	$116,379	$55.95	6

4. Writing a director of continuous improvement job description

   A director of continuous improvement job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a director of continuous improvement job description:

   Director of continuous improvement job description example

   * Responsible for improving the overall end to end performance of the contract through improved and more efficient solutions and flow(s) of material
   
   * Personally lead transformational, large scale change and through the team(s) be accountable for all process changes and the results they yield
   
   * Guide the leadership team to focus on key business priorities through analysis of key metrics, cost-benefits analysis and creation of associated business cases (including ROI analysis)
   
   * Work with the contracts finance team to ensure all proposals are financially sound and attract the strongest returns
   * Using OpEx techniques and digital tools to deliver "Right First Time' principles into operations
   
   * Line management, coaching and development of the Operational Excellence team
   
   * Share & learn best practice within the company, ensuring there is a standard approach to the OpEx Digital tools and techniques
   
   * Lead the deployment of digital technologies to improve Operations right first time
   
   * Report updates against the UL Operations Op Ex Digital plan to the Leadership team
   
   MPI does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or based on an individual's status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state or local law. MPI encourages applications from minorities, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants.
   
   * Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering or equivalent experience
   
   * Experience of delivering significant change and improvement programs
   
   * Experience of material flow design and layout optimization
   
   * Understanding the industry recognized Commercial mechanisms (e.g. Open/Closed Book/Cost Plus)
   
   * Minimum Green Belt Six Sigma trained
   
   * Project Management experience
   
   * Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including ability to effectively communicate with internal and external customers
   
   * Excellent leadership and teamwork skills
   
   * Advanced presentation and persuasive skills
   
   * Ability to think strategically and innovatively
   
   * Strong decision-making and problem solving skills
   
   * Intermediate to Advanced Microsoft Suite (Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Word) knowledge
   
   * Knowledge of productivity tools and software
   
   * Must be able to work under pressure and meet deadlines, while maintaining a positive attitude and providing exemplary customer service
   
   * Ability to work independently and to carry out assignments to completion within parameters of instructions given, prescribed routines, and standard accepted practices
   
   * Ability and willingness to be flexible with working hours to meet operating needs of the business
   
   * Maintain an organizational & prioritization system to ensure effective delivery of your role
   
   * Ensure promptness at meetings
   
   * Maintain confidentiality
   
   * Maintain a smart and business like appearance at all times
   
   * Identify areas for personal development to improve performance in role and actively seek ways to improve
   
   This UK third-party logistics company has had a US presence for over 15 years, dominating the automotive aftermarket for luxury vehicles. They manage end-to-end supply chains while providing a variety of other services including warehousing, fulfillment and reverse logistics. With 6 warehouses across the US, and 12-100 people operating out of each, they have also recently won five top supply chain awards including best supply chain company in Europe.
   
   * Competitive pay and annual bonus
   
   * Medical, Dental, Vision coverage
   
   * Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
   
   * Life Insurance at no cost to the employee
   
   * 401(k) + 5% match

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find directors of continuous improvement for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any directors of continuous improvement they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level directors of continuous improvement with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of continuous improvement job on Zippia to find and recruit director of continuous improvement candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting directors of continuous improvement requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of continuous improvement

   Once you've selected the best director of continuous improvement candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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