Senior Business Excellence Partner

About the role

Job Description: The Senior Business Excellence Partner plays a key strategic role in advancing our culture of continuous improvement across the organization. This senior-level position partners directly with functional executives to identify, define, prioritize, and execute initiatives that improve efficiency, quality, cost, and customer outcomes. This role requires a highly autonomous, self-directed leader who can navigate a complex organization, build strong cross-functional relationships, and convert business challenges into practical, measurable solutions. The Senior Business Excellence Partner is accountable to deliver quantifiable improvements and will be evaluated on outcomes such as cost reduction, quality process enhancements, cycle-time improvements, and customer experience gains. Working within the Business Excellence department, this individual applies LEAN, Six Sigma, and other quality methodologies to design and implement process improvements, lead Kaizen events, conduct statistical and financial analyses, guide performance measurement efforts, and support system optimization initiatives. The role also contributes to embedding LEAN thinking and a continuous improvement mindset throughout the organization. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS Strategic Partnership & Leadership Serve as the primary continuous improvement partner to one or more functional executives, helping to define their improvement roadmap and portfolio of initiatives. Operate independently, exercising sound judgment in identifying opportunities, scoping work, prioritizing projects, and driving execution with minimal direction. Influence stakeholders at all levels to build alignment, remove barriers, and ensure successful implementation of change. Communicate recommendations and insights to senior leadership with clarity, confidence, and data-driven rationale. LEAN / Quality Leadership Deploy LEAN, Six Sigma, and related quality methodologies to solve complex organizational challenges and improve performance. Lead impactful Kaizen events and structured problem-solving workshops that generate measurable improvements. Support the development of functional requirements for process changes, system enhancements, and workflow redesigns. Conduct COPQ (Cost of Poor Quality) analysis, financial modeling, and statistical assessments to validate the value of proposed solutions. Process Improvement & Design Map, analyze, redesign, and optimize end-to-end processes across operational, client-facing, and financial functions. Transform ambiguous problems into structured improvement efforts with clear hypotheses, root-cause analysis, and actionable solutions. Collaborate with IT and Product teams to translate process needs into system requirements, ensuring technology supports business efficiencies. Validate and test process changes to ensure successful implementation and adoption. Metrics & Performance Management Develop, enhance, and maintain operational, financial, and relationship metrics that support data-driven decision-making. Monitor trends, diagnose issues, and identify opportunities for improvement through quantitative and qualitative analysis. Standardize performance reporting and ensure consistent visibility of progress against key goals and KPIs. Business Analysis & Organizational Navigation Build a deep understanding of business operations, workflows, and customer requirements to inform solution design. Navigate complex organizational structures to gain alignment, secure resources, and ensure that solutions are implemented effectively. Recommend process, people, and technology solutions grounded in business realities and economic value. LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES This position has no people leader responsibilities COMPETENCIES - SKILLS Proven track record of leading enterprise-wide Lean/CI programs with measurable impact in matrixed organizations. Deep knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, and structured problem-solving techniques. Demonstrated success facilitating Kaizen events and building engagement across levels of the organization. Hands-on experience with Salesforce, ServiceNow, or similar enterprise platforms is a plus. Strong business acumen, communication, and interpersonal skills. Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, Visio, and project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, or similar). EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE Bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, Supply Chain, Operations or related field required; advanced degree is a plus Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification 7-10+ years of experience in process improvement, business transformation, or operational optimization within complex service or transactional environments CORE VALUES At Wheels, we believe in fostering a culture that is built on our Core Values and Guiding Principles. We cultivate a culture of excellence and innovation by upholding these values, driving our collective success and growth. Integrity - Always act with integri