Summary

Develops, identifies, analyzes, and improves existing business processes to improve product/service quality, increase efficiencies, reduce costs or waste, decrease errors or delays, and increase customer satisfaction. Gathers business requirements and develops process maps and gap analysis to identify, recommend, and independently implement opportunities for improvement to meet business goals and objectives.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Delivers superior business performance by pursuing process excellence on behalf of our employees, field, and clients. Architect experiences using business process management to design, analyze, implement, and control processes.

Drive Business Performance

• Measures, analyzes, and evaluates existing processes, collects data to identify root causes, performs cost benefit analysis, and identifies improvement opportunities.
• Identify, implement, and maintain an effective process measurement system and define data collection plans (what data is, where it comes from) for each measure.
• Independently drives improvements while maintaining business and enterprise perspective.
• Conducts current state process interviews and subject matter expert job shadows to understand existing processes.
• Summarizes current state learnings in a way that allows leaders and business partners to quickly understand.
• Documents processes according to Business Process Mapping standards.
• Develops, recommends, and independently implements solutions for process improvement, system enhancement, automation, and operations efficiency that are aligned with business priorities.
• Develops, recommends, and independently implements methods to monitor and control redesigned processes and identify when processes begin degrading.
• Designs, guides, and promotes process architecture that aligns with business priorities.
• Collaborates with business leaders, technology, and other stakeholders to connect process architecture roadmap with operational decisions.
• Promotes and shares best practices on process improvement activities across the organization.
• Researches process improvement tools, techniques, and technology to determine potential impact and opportunities to provide additional value to the organization.
• Demonstrates highly empathetic, customer-centric service while aiding others in their learning and execution of transformational activities.
• Guides improvement initiatives and mindsets for business partners with solid emotional intelligence and political acumen.
• Recognizes opportunities to connect processes across journeys.
• Collaborate with business leaders, technology, and other stakeholders to connect process architecture roadmap with operational decisions.
• Recognize opportunities to connect processes across journeys.
• Demonstrates digital savvy and engages the business and technology experts to innovative future state processes with high first-pass yield, high field/client/employee satisfaction, and a frictionless experience.
• Function as an integrator between the needs of client business teams and technology solutions to help clients solve their business issues and improve performance.
• Help teams identify the best use cases and provide benefit estimations and assumptions for the implementation of solutions.

Subject Matter Expertise

• Provides subject matter expertise in process improvement and intelligent automation to product, operations, and/or technology teams in collaboration with other disciplines.

Leadership

• Coordinates and facilitates cross-functional project teams.
• Builds commitment and understanding required to accomplish the improvement goals for the organization.
• Leads others through ambiguity with confidence and engagement.
• Develops and manages relationships with key corporate partners to advance engagement, alignment, and understanding of the benefits of Op Ex for their teams and the business as a whole.

Talent Development

• Mentors others with less experience to grow their capabilities, knowledge, and skills.
• Proactively coaches and trains leaders and staff on principles, behaviors, methods, and tools to promote and sustain cultural transformation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent.
• Ability to communicate at various levels of the organization to increase engagement and understanding of process improvement processes, goals, and benefits.
• Superior oral and written communications skills with the proven ability to build relationships and successfully negotiate issues with the home office and field.
• Demonstrated high level of organization and follow through with the ability to effectively identify and independently establish priorities and meet deadlines on multiple assignments with high quality results.
• Demonstrated experience with utilizing various systems to collect and analyze data.
• Minimum of 5 years of project management, manager, team lead, or business consultant experience in technology and/or business functions.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead or manage highly complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, process improvements, communications, and difficult change management.
• 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 experience with successfully delivering projects that involved future state design for digital assets and the integration of major tech components.

• Strong ability to solve problems, troubleshoot, analyze processes, map processes, and communicate effectively with business leaders and IT stakeholders.

Skills-Proficiency Level:

• Budgeting - Intermediate
• Business Process Management (BPM) - Advanced
• Business Process Mapping - Advanced
• Capital Expenditure Planning - Intermediate
• Continuous Improvement (CI) - Advanced
• Cost Reductions - Advanced
• Data Analysis - Advanced
• Data Visualization - Advanced
• Data-Driven Decision Making - Advanced
• Detail-Oriented - Advanced
• DMAIC - Intermediate
• Documenting Procedures - Advanced
• IBM Blueworks Live - Intermediate
• Root Cause Analysis - Advanced
• Six Sigma - Advanced
• Statistical Methods - Advanced

Northwestern Mutual pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement in the salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. At Northwestern Mutual, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. Please note that the salary range listed in the posting is the standard pay structure. Positions in certain locations (such as California) may provide an increase on the standard pay structure based on the location. Please click for additiona l information relating to location-based pay structures.

We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you work or would be working in California, Colorado, New York City, Washington or outside of a Corporate location, please click for information pertaining to compensation and benefits.

We're excited about the potential people bring to Northwestern Mutual. You can grow your career here while enjoying first-class perks, benefits, and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

• Flexible work schedules
• Concierge service
• Comprehensive benefits
• Employee resource groups