Senior Process Improvement Specialist, Cross Mile Continuous Improvement (XMCI)

The Global Standards & Customer Excellence (GSCE) organization is seeking a Senior Process Improvement Specialist to drive network-wide projects and innovate new processes at scale within the Cross Mile Continuous Improvement (XMCI) team.

About the role

The Senior Process Improvement Specialist will serve as the execution engine of Amazon's continuous improvement pipeline, leading and facilitating kaizen events that deliver measurable, sustained results across North America Operations. This role operates across multiple miles and business units within Amazon Stores, providing broad exposure to senior leadership up to the VP level and a unique vantage point into Amazon's end-to-end logistics network. It is a high-visibility, high-influence role requiring exceptional stakeholder management, as you will lead kaizen events with participants including site General Managers, Operations Managers, Area Managers, process engineers, frontline associates, and support function leaders.

Responsibilities

• Event Planning & Stakeholder Alignment
  • Partner with the XMCI scoping team to review kaizen-ready charters, validate event readiness, and ensure the problem statement, scope, baseline metrics, and business case are sound.
  • Lead pre-event stakeholder engagement to align site leadership, process owners, and functional partners on event objectives, expectations, roles, and commitments.
  • Develop detailed event plans including agenda design, Lean tool selection, data requirements, logistics, and pre-work assignments tailored to the specific problem and site context.
  • Assemble and confirm the right cross-functional team composition for each event, ensuring the right mix of decision-makers, subject matter experts, process owners, and frontline associates.
  • Build trust and credibility with site leadership ahead of each event, demonstrating respect for local expertise and clarity on event objectives.
  • Manage stakeholder expectations across multiple levels, from frontline participants to site GMs to senior leaders up to the VP level.
• Kaizen Event Facilitation & Execution
  • Lead and facilitate kaizen events across multiple miles and business units, guiding cross-functional teams through structured problem-solving methodologies to deliver measurable improvements in safety, quality, people, and cost.
  • Structure and manage the event agenda, teaching and applying Lean tools and methodologies (e.g., value stream mapping, root cause analysis, 5 Why, fishbone diagrams, standard work, process flow analysis, waste walks, spaghetti diagrams, PDCA).
  • Guide teams through current state validation, leveraging baseline data and root cause hypotheses while encouraging direct observation and analysis during the event.
  • Facilitate productive dialogue, healthy conflict, and consensus-building among diverse stakeholders with competing priorities and perspectives.
  • Drive the team from problem understanding through solution development and implementation planning within the event timeframe.
  • Develop actionable implementation plans with clear owners, timelines, and success metrics, ensuring solutions are practical, sustainable, and owned by local teams.
  • Manage real-time event risks, adjusting scope, approach, or team dynamics as needed to keep the event on track and productive.
  • Ensure all events align with XMCI methodology standards and reflect Amazon's commitment to Lean Excellence.
• Post-Event Close-Out & Sustainment
  • Own the post-event close-out process, documenting event results, solutions implemented, projected financial and operational impact, and open action items in a clear, standardized format.
  • Develop comprehensive sustainment plans in partnership with site leadership, defining ownership, monitoring, metrics, and escalation triggers.
  • Facilitate event report-outs to site leadership, XMCI leadership, and senior stakeholders, communicating accomplishments, projected impact, and sustainment needs.
  • Hand off validated event results and documentation to the XMCI analytics team for financial validation and entitlement tracking.
  • Conduct post-event follow-ups at defined intervals (30/60/90 days) to verify sustainment, support site leadership, and identify corrective actions.
  • Provide regular reporting to XMCI leadership and network stakeholders on event execution status, results delivered, sustainment health, and lessons learned.
• Stakeholder Management & Relationship Building
  • Build strong, trust-based relationships with site General Managers, Operations Managers, Area Managers, and functional leaders across multiple miles and business units.
  • Influence without authority at every level, from frontline associates to VPs, navigating the matrixed, cross-business unit environment with sound judgment and empathy.
  • Serve as a brand ambassador for XMCI, reinforcing the team's reputation for world-class facilitation, operational rigor, and genuine partnership.
  • Balance driving results during events with respecting the operational realities and constraints of the host site.
  • Build local continuous improvement capability through every event, teaching participants tools and thinking to empower site teams.
  • Gather and incorporate stakeholder feedback after every event to continuously improve the facilitation experience.
• Methodology, Standards & Continuous Improvement
  • Develop and refine standardized facilitation guides, event templates, tools, and playbooks to ensure consistency and quality across all XMCI kaizen events.
  • Contribute to the evolution of XMCI's continuous improvement operating system, providing field-level insights to inform charter scoping, event design, and sustainment.
  • Partner with the XMCI scoping team to provide feedback on charter quality, strengthening both scoping and facilitation functions.
  • Collaborate with the XMCI analytics team to ensure event documentation and results capture are structured for clean financial validation.
  • Stay current on industry best practices in Lean, Six Sigma, facilitation, and change management, bringing outside-in thinking to Amazon's CI ecosystem.
  • Champion a culture of continuous improvement that empowers local leadership to own and sustain results.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or above in engineering, project management, operations, logistics, supply chain, or a related field.
• Experience in Lean or Six Sigma methodologies for operational, process, and performance improvement projects, including process mapping and redesign.
• Experience with process improvement, Kaizen, and Six Sigma, or experience as a Lean sensei.
• Six Sigma Green Belt certification or 1+ years of experience managing department spend and labor budgets, performing root cause analysis (RCA), and implementing continuous improvement initiatives.

Schedule

This role will require travel up to 50% of the time.