Senior Specialist, Continuous Improvement
City/Country Location Details Bethesda, Maryland
Employment Status
Job Type Corporate
Job Title : Senior Specialist, Continuous Improvement (P6)
Department : USG Business Transformation, Continuous Improvement
Reports to: Senior Director, Continuous Improvement
Work Location: Bethesda, MD USA
Position Overview
The incumbent will work within the Continuous Improvement (CI) unit using process re-engineering to scope, plan, and implement business process improvement projects focused on ensuring compliance, while also improving effectiveness and efficiency. The CI team collaborates and creates partnerships with leadership and USG teams to solve business challenges, substantively reengineer business processes, and improve the efficiency and efficacy of our work. CI is uniquely skilled and positioned to catalyze transformative change, inform decision-making, and align strategic priorities across the company.
The Senior Specialist will ensure DAI’s policies are maintained and updated as needed, providing business process expertise to other departments within the Bethesda office, and may also complete short-term (STTA) assignments for projects managed by DAI around the world. The senior specialist will provide specialized expertise to distinguish and activate distinct strategies for policy, procedure and business process execution.
This is a full-time, permanent position which requires authorization to work in the United States.
Responsibilities
Business Analysis
· Conduct analyses of business data and lead or support change management from current “as-is” state to desired future state, as directed by the Senior Director, Continuous Improvement in response to USG initiatives, input from other departments, or based on an evaluation of business data sets.
· Provide input and assistance in the development of departmental and USG priorities.
· Operationalize the separation of policy from operations in USG manuals, documentation, and business processes, including:
. Executing a strategic approach to manual management;
. Aligning USG policies with FAR and AIDAR requirements, and
. Execute a strategy for aligning process ownership.
· Analyze and verify project/initiative requirements for completeness, consistency, comprehensibility, feasibility, and conformity to standards.
· Develop CI project plans and facilitate working group sessions.
· Develop and utilize standard templates to accurately and concisely write requirements specifications.
· Develop tools and adhere to common practices that ensure transparency and efficiency in the Continuous Improvement process.
· Meet with department representatives to discuss cross-department initiatives and facilitate the implementation of potential solutions for areas of inefficiency, bottlenecks, or waste.
· Work with the USG Programs Performance department to ensure the content of DAI operations and policy manuals are being supported and trained consistently.
· Serve as subject matter expert in industry-established best practices in business process management (e.g., ISO 9001 certification acquisition and maintenance).
USG Initiatives
· Support or lead bottom-up and/or top-down initiatives that aim at increasing USG competitiveness, improving service quality, and/or reducing costs.
· Support knowledge management of USG initiatives and implement best practices in process management.
· Work in conjunction with leadership and project management to integrate best practice into the design and implementation of business transformative initiatives.
The senior specialist may take on other tasks, as discussed and agreed to with the Senior Director of Continuous Improvement
Qualifications & Skills
Minimum Requirements:
· Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience.
· Experience with the implementation and/or support of enterprise level solutions.
· Deep knowledge of the format and content of business manuals for both operations and policy.
· Ability to create systematic and consistent requirements specifications in both technical and user-friendly language.
· Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
· Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and customer-service orientation.
· Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
· Able to build and maintain strong working relationships with staff at all levels of the organization from diverse backgrounds.
· Able and willing to travel to any country where DAI operates, barring times DAI Global Security has deemed travel unsafe.
· Able and willing to adjust work schedule, if needed, to support teams located in different time zones/countries.
· Authorized to work in the United States.
Preferred, but not required:
· Agile, LEAN, and/or Six Sigma Certification(s)
· Experience with ISO 9001
· Demonstrated knowledge of or experience with US Government (USAID preferred) regulations, policies, and procedures.
· Experience providing administrative or management support to international donor-funded projects.
Compensation & Benefits:
For employees working the United States, the full-time equivalent annual base salary for this position is expected to be between $94,780 to $111,506. Actual offers will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, qualifications, relevant education, experience, skills, seniority, performance, and business or organizational needs.
Eligible U.S. based employees will be able to enroll in medical, dental and vision insurance, plus a 401(k)-retirement plan with a company match. Additionally, employees will be eligible for company-paid annual leave (vacation & holidays), sick leave, and parental leave, as well as short- and long-term disability coverage. Detailed information will be provided at the time a formal offer is extended.
Equal Employment Opportunity
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.
DAI and its employees are committed to confronting discrimination in all forms, nurturing respect for our interpersonal relationships, and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.
DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.
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