Senior Manager - Continuous Improvement

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Senior Manager - Continuous Improvement:

The Senior Manager will play a critical role in driving financial and operational performance within the organization. This role sits within the Transformation Office and owns a portfolio of high ‑ value initiatives that improve financial performance, operational execution, and decision quality through process redesign, enterprise technology, analytics, and AI. This position will be responsible for analyzing financial data, developing critical initiatives, and leading cross-functional teams to achieve business objectives. The role will work closely with our Transportation and Warehouse operation team leaders and partners. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Operations Consulting or Finance, with excellent analytical skills, and the ability to manage complex projects.

What You'll Do:

Business Analysis

• Analyze operational, financial, and digital workflow data to develop hypotheses on performance drivers, with emphasis on decision automation, predictive insights, and AI ‑ supported execution
• Translate difficulties, anecdotes, observations, current state processes, and critical metrics into clearly scoped opportunities for new strategic transformation projects
• Identify where advanced analytics, machine learning, or GenAI ‑ enabled workflows can improve planning accuracy, asset utilization, service levels, and cost-to-serve
• Estimate financial value and operational impact of transformation projects, specifying value levers and how/where outcomes will hit P&L

Process Improvement

• Map current state business processes with an emphasis on evaluating how the company makes key decisions, both strategic and operational
• Lead cross ‑ functional teams to design future ‑ state, AI ‑ enabled operating models that integrate people, process, and enterprise technology
• Inform the design of quantitative models to guide better decisions and technology to enable future state operational workflows
• Plan change management activities required for value capture, including communications, employee training, and technology cutovers

Program Management

• Build enterprise ‑ grade business cases for digital and AI transformation initiatives, including return on investment, risk, and change readiness
• Lead projects and teams through PMO framework, ensuring progression according to scope, schedule, budget, and quality standards
• Document project risks and dependencies, then work across the enterprise to mitigate these proactively so transformation delivery timelines stay on track
• Facilitate requirements gathering, proposal structuring, and vendor selection with key partners
• Oversee the build and activation project phases, often managing multiple consulting firms, contractors, analytics vendors, AI solution providers, and internal teams
• Hold regular Steering Committee meetings with executive sponsors to communicate progress, raise issues, make important decisions, and progress through stage gates

Stakeholder Management

• Align diverse stakeholders around a single vision, set of priorities, and understanding of portfolio finances, timelines, risks, and status
• Organize portfolio review meetings for multiple audiences
• Call out potential roadblocks quickly and with urgency to mobilize resources proactively

What You'll Need:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Advanced degree – MBA or quantitative field (ex. economics, operations research, statistics, data science, computer science) – preferred
• Minimum of 7 years of experience, preferably in consulting, strategy, analytics, continuous improvement, enterprise transformation, supply chain finance, or program management functions
• Experience leading multiple large ($1mil+) projects, preferably around technology deployment, process improvement, or embedding analytics into strategic/operational decisions
• Proven ability to lead projects across the entire range of operations and business functions.
• Strong communication skills (both written and verbal)
• Strong planning and organizing skills
• Experience managing consultants, contractors, and internal project teams
• Knowledge of the logistics industries preferred
• Influence strategy and outcomes without formal operational authority
• Open-minded questioning, “What would need to be true for this to work?”
• Creativity in problem solving, especially complex processes involving many teams and decisions
• Project Management standard processes across all lifecycle phases, including extensive risk management
• Business process mapping, future state design, and change management to bridge the gap
• Technology design fluency – both workflows and analytics – including agile development approaches
• Adaptable communication with many very different stakeholder groups
• Presentation preparation and delivery to senior leadership
• Ability to work across all levels of the organization, including frontline, analysts, executives, and Board
• Independence and a desire to function autonomously with limited direction
• Management of consultants, contractors, and internal project teams
• Strong data fluency and data storytelling required
• MS Office (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook) required

Where You'll Work:

This is a hybrid-based role that will report out of our headquarters in Downers Grove, IL

Pay & Benefits:

• The salary range is $170,000 - $190,000. This role is also eligible for incentive pay.
• The specific salary offered to a candidate may be motivated by a variety of factors including the candidate’s meaningful experience, education, training, certifications, qualifications, and work location.
• Available employee benefits include health, vision, and dental. We also provide 401k matching for retirement and flexible time off.

What You Can Expect:

• Strong work/life flexibility
• To be surrounded by an inclusive team who is collaborative and committed to the achievement of the company
• To be rewarded for your contributions with a targeted annual company bonus and annual salary reviews
• Competitive pay and benefits

Univar Solutions is a leading, global distributor of chemicals and ingredients essential to the safety, health, and wellbeing of our daily lives from life-saving medicines and vitamins to hand sanitizers and industrial materials used for cleaning, construction, and more. Our global team of more than 9,500 employees support our vision to redefine distribution and be the most valued chemical and ingredient distributor on the planet!

We offer a Total Rewards package that includes market aligned pay and incentives as well as a diverse benefits offering to support our employees’ physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing.

Univar Solutions supports sustainable solutions for the world around us so that we can do our part to help keep our communities healthy, fed, clean, and safe!

We are committed to a diverse workforce and a culture of inclusion. Together, we are building a culture that acknowledges the unique experiences, perspectives and expertise of individuals and provides the development and growth opportunities to empower us to redefine our industry.

Univar Solutions is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected classification.

Univar Solutions does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing firms (collectively Recruiting Firms). Recruiting Firms must enter into a Master Services Agreement (MSA) with Univar Solutions prior to submitting any information relating to a potential candidate. All searches must be initiated by Univar Solutions' Talent Acquisition team and candidates must be submitted via Applicant Tracking System (ATS) by approved vendors who have been expressly requested to make a submission for a specific job opening. No placement fees will be paid to any firm unless the aforementioned conditions have been met. Contacting our hiring managers directly is prohibited.

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