Design Continuous Improvement Leader

The Design Continuous Improvement Leader will lead the Design Continuous Improvement function for Performance Coatings Group (PCG), integrating Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), continuous improvement, business process design, data analytics, and strategic customer problem solving.

The Design Continuous Improvement Leader will build a scalable, business-unit-focused operating model that applies customer-critical requirements, disciplined experimentation, statistical methods, digital tools, and structured governance to improve product-development speed, robustness, quality performance, and profitable growth. This requires partnering across R&D, Quality, Operations, Sales, Technical Service, Procurement, Legal, regional teams, and customers to convert business needs into measurable improvement priorities and sustainable standard work.

Job duties include contact with other employees and access to confidential and proprietary information and/or other items of value, and such access may be supervised or unsupervised. The Company therefore has determined that a review of criminal history is necessary to protect the business and its operations and reputation and is necessary to protect the safety of the Company’s staff, employees, and business relationships.

This role is not remote/hybrid. This role will report to Sherwin-Williams Morikis Global Technology Center located at 6745 Miller Road, Brecksville, OH 44141.

10% Travel

• Develop and execute the PCG Design Continuous Improvement strategy, roadmap, governance cadence, portfolio priorities, and measures aligned with business and customer needs.
• Lead the global DFSS program, including Champion training, Yellow/Green/Black Belt curricula, candidate mentoring, certification governance, refresher content, and regional capability expansion.
• Institutionalize design quality practices in product development, including voice of customer, critical-to-quality translation, House of Quality, measurement-system analysis, design of experiments, FMEA, statistical modeling, and robust design.
• Partner with business units to identify high-value opportunities and allocate resources to initiatives with the strongest customer, quality, growth, risk, speed, or financial impact.
• Lead strategic customer and product-quality improvement efforts using DMAIC, accelerated root cause, Lean, Kaizen, value-stream mapping, advanced analytics, and structured experimentation.
• Advance data and analytics solutions using approved citizen-data-science and workflow tools such as Dataiku, Power Automate, SharePoint, Business Objects, and related platforms.
• Drive measurable improvement in complaint resolution and complaint-rate processes, design-program adoption, FMAP maturity, toller governance, and applicable quality standards.
• Provide oversight and partnership for GBMS, ISO 9001 activities, management review, calibration governance, and related R&D quality-system programs, as assigned.
• Establish transparent dashboards and operating reviews for project count, validated savings, opportunity cost, schedule, adoption, compliance, customer outcomes, capability development, and key risks.
• Build an engaged, high-performing team through talent planning, objective setting, quarterly development conversations, recognition, job shadowing, coaching, succession planning, and cross-functional exposure.
• Communicate effectively with senior leaders, business partners, regional teams, and customers; escalate material risks early and recommend practical corrective actions.
• Promote a strong safety culture and comply with all applicable Company policies, quality requirements, and ethical standards.

Minimum Requirements
• Must be legally authorized to work in the country for which you are applying for employment (without now or in the future needing sponsorship for employment work visa and/or permanent residence status)
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, science, technology, operations, quality, or a related field.
• 8 years of leadership experience in R&D, Quality, Operations, product development, or continuous improvement, including responsibility for complex cross-functional and multi-site initiatives. 
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering technical training, mentoring certification candidates, managing improvement portfolios, and coaching leaders and project teams. 
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving capability, including DOE, MSA, FMEA, statistical modeling, data visualization, and appropriate statistical software. 
• Executive-level communication, facilitation, change leadership, project/program management, and stakeholder-influence skills. 
• Experience working across regions or global teams and willingness to travel as business needs require.

Preferred Qualifications
• Advanced degree
• 10 years of leadership experience in R&D, Quality, Operations, product development, or continuous improvement, including responsibility for complex cross-functional and multi-site initiatives.
• Black Belt certification or equivalent mastery of DFSS, DMAIC, Lean, advanced statistics, and structured problem solving required and Master Black Belt certification

Successful candidate will be required to sign an Employee Restrictive Covenant Agreement where permitted by law.

At Sherwin-Williams, our purpose is to inspire and improve the world by coloring and protecting what matters. Our paints, coatings and innovative solutions make the places and spaces in our world brighter and stronger. Your skills, talent and passion make it possible to live this purpose, and for customers and our business to achieve great results. Sherwin-Williams is a place that takes its stability, growth and momentum and translates it to possibility for our people. Our people are behind the strength of our success, and we invest and support you in:

Life … with rewards, benefits and the flexibility to enhance your health and well-being
Career … with opportunities to learn, develop new skills and grow your contribution
Connection … with an inclusive team and commitment to our own and broader communities
It's all here for you... let's Create Your Possible

At Sherwin-Williams, part of our mission is to help our employees and their families live healthier, save smarter and feel better. This starts with a wide range of world-class benefits designed for you. From retirement to health care, from total well-being to your daily commute—it matters to us. A general description of benefits offered can be found at http://www.myswbenefits.com/. Click on “Candidates” to view benefit offerings that you may be eligible for if you are hired as a Sherwin-Williams employee.

Compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case and will impact where actual compensation may fall within the stated wage range. The wage range listed for this role takes into account the wide range of factors considered in making compensation decisions including skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. The wage range, other compensation, and benefits information listed is accurate as of the date of this posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, with or without notice, subject to applicable law.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws including with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act where applicable.

Sherwin-Williams is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.  All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, pregnancy, genetic information, creed, marital status or any other consideration prohibited by law or by contract.

As a VEVRAA Federal Contractor, Sherwin-Williams requests state and local employment services delivery systems to provide priority referral of Protected Veterans.

Please be aware, Sherwin-Williams recruiting team members will never request a candidate to provide a payment, ask for financial information, or sensitive personal information like national identification numbers, date of birth, or bank account numbers during the application process.