We are seeking a proactive and analytical Continuous Improvement Specialist to join our Customer Success organization. This role is critical to identifying and eliminating process friction, streamlining workflows, and driving efficiency for our 100-person team. The ideal candidate will help organize and prioritize improvement efforts, define system requirements, and free up team capacity to focus on strategic goals.
As part of Protolabs' ProtoExcellence Business System, the role applies Lean and continuous improvement practices — a customer-value lens, structured problem solving, standard work, and daily management — to deliver measurable gains in service quality, speed, and efficiency.
What You'll Do:
Shadow team members to understand current workflows, identify pain points, and uncover opportunities for quick improvements (“Kaizens”).
Analyze the existing backlog of process issues to connect related items and identify root causes.
Map current-state processes and collaborate with stakeholders to design and define ideal future-state workflows.
Gather and analyze data from service systems (CRM/Salesforce, AX/ERP, eCommerce, and case/contact data) to quantify performance, size problems, and prioritize improvement opportunities.
Work with team leadership to prioritize improvement initiatives based on impact and effort.
Develop clear business requirements for CRM (Salesforce), AX (ERP), eCommerce, and other system enhancements, creating a prioritized backlog for the technology team.
Act as a liaison between the business team and technical resources to translate needs into actionable development work.
Partner directly with team members on specific projects to drive them to completion, including a sustainment plan.
Perform hands-on work to help clear obstacles and build momentum for the team.
Participate in — and help develop and refine — team huddles and leadership meetings to gather information, provide updates, support problem solving and escalation, and act as an extension of the leadership team.
Coach and support the team in continuous improvement practices such as structured problem solving, standard work, and visual/daily management.
Help foster a culture of continuous improvement by identifying improvement opportunities and demonstrating the value of process optimization.
Perform other related duties as assigned.
What It Takes:
Bachelor's degree in business, operations, industrial engineering, information systems, or a related field, or a commensurate combination of education and experience.
3–5 years of continuous improvement experience, including meaningful experience in transactional, service, or office environments (not solely manufacturing).
Experience in a customer success, customer service, contact-center, sales support, or operations role with a deep understanding of business processes.
Proven ability in process mapping, analysis, and improvement methodologies, including customer journey mapping and/or service blueprinting.
Familiarity with CRM and ERP systems (Salesforce and AX/ERP; eCommerce a plus) and the ability to define requirements for system enhancements.
Data gathering and analysis capability across service systems — able to pull and interpret metrics such as SLA/response time, first-contact resolution, backlog/aging, handle time, and CSAT/NPS.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
An analytical mindset with the ability to “connect the dots” between disparate problems to see the larger picture.
A proactive and assertive approach, with the ability to escalate issues and drive progress independently.
Ability to apply Lean and continuous improvement methodologies (structured problem solving, standard work, visual/daily management) to transactional processes.
Strong facilitation, coaching, and communication skills, with the ability to influence without authority across cross-functional teams.
Strong organization and time management skills, with attention to detail and a devotion to eliminating variation and inconsistency in processes and systems.
Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
Lean or Six Sigma certification (Green or Black Belt); Six Sigma is especially valuable for reducing variation in transactional processes.
Change management certification or experience (e.g., Prosci / ADKAR).
Business analysis credentials or Salesforce Administrator certification.
Experience facilitating Kaizen events in office/service settings and applying daily management and standard work to knowledge work.
Familiarity with contact-center/ticketing platforms and BI/analysis tools (Excel, Power BI, Tableau, or SQL).
Voice-of-Customer (VOC) program experience.
Education and Experience:
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Preferred Qualifications:
Whats In It For You:
- We offer a competitive salary and total rewards package
- We offer amazing benefits including but not limited to:
- Health Insurance: Traditional OR High Deductible plan
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Health Savings Account (including employer contributions)
- Dental and Vision
- Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance
- Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
- Paid caregiver leave
- You will receive at least 3 weeks of PTO + Wellness + Holiday Pay + Volunteer Hours
- 401k with company match and immediate vest
- Employee Stock Purchase Program at a discounted rate
- Matching grants through Protolabs foundation
- And More!
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in business, operations, industrial engineering, information systems, or related field (or commensurate experience)
- 3-5 years of continuous improvement experience, including transactional/service or office environments
- Experience in customer success, customer service, contact-center, sales support, or operations roles
- Proven ability in process mapping, analysis, and improvement methodologies (customer journey mapping/service blueprinting)
- Familiarity with CRM and ERP systems (Salesforce and AX/ERP) and ability to define system enhancement requirements
- Data gathering and analysis across service systems; ability to pull and interpret SLA, FCR, backlog, handle time, CSAT/NPS metrics
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (including Excel)
- Ability to apply Lean and continuous improvement methodologies to transactional processes
- Strong facilitation, coaching, and communication skills with ability to influence cross-functionally
- Strong organization, time management, attention to detail, and ability to work independently in fast-paced team environment
- Lean or Six Sigma certification (Green or Black Belt)
- Change management certification or experience (e.g., Prosci / ADKAR)
- Business analysis credentials or Salesforce Administrator certification
- Experience facilitating Kaizen events in office/service settings and applying daily management/standard work to knowledge work
- Familiarity with contact-center/ticketing platforms and BI/analysis tools (Power BI, Tableau, or SQL)
- Voice-of-Customer (VOC) program experience
Protolabs Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Protolabs and has not been reviewed or approved by Protolabs.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision options are broadly available and described as good to excellent. Additional protections like short- and long-term disability and life insurance bolster the overall package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — A starting PTO allotment plus paid holidays, along with added wellness and volunteer time, is emphasized, with some roles noting PTO growth over tenure. Paid caregiver leave appears in postings and supports flexibility for life events.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting is offered, supporting long-term savings. This foundation is frequently cited alongside core financial benefits as a strong element of total rewards.
Protolabs Insights
What We Do
Protolabs is the world's fastest digital manufacturing source for rapid prototyping and on-demand production. The technology-enabled company produces custom parts and assemblies in as fast as 1 day with automated 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, and injection molding processes. Our digital approach to manufacturing enables accelerated time to market, reduces development and production costs, and minimizes risk throughout the product life cycle. 3D Printing Our 3D printing service offers a wide selection of materials and technologies to create prototypes and end-use parts with complex geometries and detailed features. With tight process controls, careful design reviews, and extensive quality monitoring, we ensure precise and repeatable 3D-printed parts, every time. CNC Machining We use 3- and 5-axis milling along with turning to machine parts from commercial-grade plastics and metals. Our online quoting system and automated manufacturing process enable us to ship parts within 24 hours, helping customers accelerate development and reduce time to market. Sheet Metal Fabrication Protolabs is an industry leader in quick-turn sheet metal parts for both prototyping and low-volume production. Our digital approach to manufacturing enables us to fabricate sheet metal parts in as fast as 5 days. Additionally, we can support our customers’ development efforts with component assemblies, several finish options, and screen printing. Injection Molding Our injection molding service offers two options—prototyping and on-demand manufacturing—which provide customers a tooling solution that aligns with their project’s requirements. It’s used for quick-turn prototyping, bridge tooling, and low-volume production of up to 10,000+ parts in 15 days or less.
