The Lead Process Improvement Analyst plays a key role in transforming and optimizing processes within the Accounting and Controllership organization. Reporting to the Senior Process Improvement Manager, this role collaborates with finance leadership and cross-functional teams to identify inefficiencies, streamline operations, and implement sustainable, data-driven improvements. With a strong foundation in Lean Six Sigma and Business Process Improvement (BPI), this position leads initiatives that enhance efficiency, strengthen compliance, and drive operational excellence across finance functions. The role is central to fostering a culture of continuous improvement—leveraging Lean principles, process mapping, and performance metrics to deliver measurable outcomes and support a future-ready finance organization. Success in this role requires a proactive, analytical mindset, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, feedback-driven environment. Location and Status: This is a full-time hybrid position requiring in-office presence 3 days per week (Tue, Wed, Thu) with the ability to work from home on Mondays and Fridays. The successful candidate must live within a commutable distance of our Deerfield, IL offices. Responsibilities:Lead and execute process improvement initiatives across finance operations using Lean Six Sigma methodologies to drive efficiency, accuracy, and standardization.Partner with Accounting, Controllership, and cross-functional teams to identify pain points, map current-state processes, and design optimized future-state workflows.Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) and apply hypothesis testing to validate assumptions, uncover underlying issues, and implement data-driven solutions.Develop and maintain process documentation, including standard operating procedures (SOPs), process maps, and control plans.Track and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the impact of improvement efforts and ensure alignment with organizational goals.Facilitate continuous improvement workshops, such as Kaizen events, to engage stakeholders and foster a culture of operational excellence.Support change management efforts by communicating process changes, training impacted teams, and ensuring successful adoption of new practices.Stay informed on emerging trends, tools, and methodologies in the process improvement and operational excellence space, applying relevant innovations to continuously enhance finance operations.Leverage data to articulate process improvement outcomes, building clear, insightful dashboards and visualizations that communicate impact to stakeholders; work closely with a data analyst for data extraction while independently driving analysis and reporting. Qualifications:Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Business, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Data Analytics, or a related discipline preferred; equivalent work experience in process improvement or finance transformation will also be considered.Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification required; Black Belt or equivalent experience preferred.7-10 years of experience in process improvement, operational excellence, or finance transformation roles, preferably within a corporate finance or controllership environment. 10+ years of experience preferred.Demonstrated experience in teaching, coaching, or mentoring others in Lean Six Sigma principles and tools.Proven ability to lead cross-functional improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, and structured problem-solving methodologies.Experience with root cause analysis (RCA), hypothesis testing, and performance measurement techniques.Proficiency in building dashboards and visualizations using tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or Excel; ability to translate data into actionable insights.Comfortable working with data analysts to extract and prepare data for analysis; able to independently manage reporting and visualization.Experience using Smartsheet and Jira for project tracking, workflow management, and cross-functional collaboration.Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills; able to influence without authority.Self-starter with a continuous improvement mindset and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment. Preferred qualifications:Understanding of finance and accounting processes, internal controls, and compliance requirements.Proficiency with Minitab or similar statistical analysis tools for data validation, hypothesis testing, and process capability analysis.Familiarity with project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid approaches); PMP or similar certification is a plus.
