Lead Continuous Improvement Analyst (Hybrid - Columbia, SC)
The Lead Continuous Improvement Analyst serves as a recognized continuous improvement and operational excellence expert responsible for leading enterprise-wide productivity, efficiency, and process improvement initiatives. They partner with executives, department leaders, and employees to prioritize and deliver high-impact work that improves customer service, creates capacity, reduces operating expense, strengthens controls, and enhances organizational performance. The Lead provides informal leadership, coaching, and subject matter guidance without direct people-management responsibility.
What You'll Do
Enterprise Improvement Strategy and Prioritization
- Partner with executives and department leaders to identify, evaluate, and prioritize enterprise improvement opportunities.
- Translate strategic priorities and performance insights into a sequenced portfolio of high-value initiatives.
- Develop business cases that define expected financial, capacity, service, risk, and customer outcomes.
- Recommend enterprise standards, governance, and methods for operational excellence.
- Support district-wide improvement initiatives when business needs and priorities align.
Complex Initiative Leadership and Value Realization
- Lead enterprise and cross-functional improvement initiatives from charter through sustained results.
- Facilitate value stream mapping, rapid improvement events, and complex problem-solving sessions.
- Set project direction, clarify accountability, remove barriers, and influence decisions across functions.
- Measure, validate, and communicate realized benefits, including cost reduction, capacity creation, productivity, quality, and control improvements.
- Establish sustainment plans, ownership, and monitoring to protect long-term results.
Expert Advisory and Capability Building
- Serve as the Bank’s primary subject matter resource for Lean Six Sigma and operational excellence.
- Advise senior leaders on complex process, productivity, and operating model challenges.
- Train, coach, and mentor employees and improvement practitioners, including Yellow and Green Belts.
- Develop practical standards, tools, and learning resources that strengthen enterprise capability.
- Promote a culture of data-driven problem solving, accountability, and continuous learning.
What You'll Need
- Bachelor's degree in business, finance, operations, engineering, analytics, or related field; equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
- 7-9 years of relevant experience in process improvement, operational excellence, business transformation, project delivery, operations, or a related discipline.
- Lean Six Sigma Certification-IASSC
- Lean Six Sigma, operational excellence, and enterprise process improvement.
- Enterprise project and portfolio leadership.
- Business cases, financial analysis, and benefits validation.
- Executive facilitation, influence, and advisory communication.
- Change leadership, risk, controls, and sustainment.
AgFirst Farm Credit Bank provides financing, as well as technology and other value-added services, to association partners so they can lend to rural residents and agricultural operations of all sizes. We take pride in investing in our employees, our partners and our community.
Find out more on AgFirst.com, and follow us on LinkedIn!
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in business, finance, operations, engineering, analytics, or a related field; equivalent education and experience may be considered
- 7-9 years of relevant experience in process improvement, operational excellence, business transformation, project delivery, operations, or a related discipline
- Lean Six Sigma Certification from IASSC
- Knowledge of Lean Six Sigma, operational excellence, and enterprise process improvement
- Experience with enterprise project and portfolio leadership
- Experience developing business cases, performing financial analysis, and validating benefits
- Executive facilitation, influence, and advisory communication skills
- Change leadership, risk management, controls, and sustainment expertise
What We Do
As part of the nationwide Farm Credit system, AgFirst Farm Credit Bank has been lending financial and business support to agriculture and rural America for more than a century. As a $40.4 billion company, we are prepared to meet tomorrow with a progressive mindset and a passionate workforce by continually adapting to changes in the technology and business landscape. AgFirst provides wholesale funding, cutting-edge technology and a range of support services to local agricultural and rural lenders in 15 states and Puerto Rico. These lenders provide loans to rural home and land buyers and to agricultural operations of all sizes. Our cooperative business model ensures we share our partners’ values, goals and vision for the future. Our employees come from a wide range of backgrounds to advance our mission of serving agriculture and rural America – to Impact More every day. We place a premium on our employees’ unique skills and perspectives and invest in them by offering excellent benefits, competitive pay, flexible work schedules, leadership development opportunities, a corporate incentive plan and more.
