Senior Specialist - Continuous Improvement

at  WestJet

WHY WESTJET:

Every WestJet journey has the potential to enrich lives; a career with us is no exception.
WestJet arrived on the Canadian airline scene in 1996 and changed the industry for the better. We made air travel more affordable for Canadians and now we’re going global.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Generate continuous improvement program reporting, which includes preparing executive, Steering Committee, board reports, liaising with FP&A and various departments for updates, and developing the KPI dashboard to track progress and results of continuous improvement initiatives
• Maintain the cost program governance framework, which includes defining each initiative, milestone, scope, and deliverable, liaising with workstream and initiative leaders, helping to facilitate/escalate issues and roadblocks, and updating the tracking tool; Conduct regular health checks of improvement initiatives
• Serve as a change agent enabling ongoing culture change, characterized by disciplined execution and accountability; Design and implement change management strategies to support organizational transformation; Develop and execute communication plans to ensure stakeholder engagement; Ability to positively influence the behavior and performance of peers and leaders, and positively impact the decision-making of senior management
• Act as a driving force for action through leadership and/or coaching of continuous improvement initiatives with cross-functional teams to execute improvements that deliver significant, quantifiable, and sustainable business results
• Forge successful relationships and partner with business leaders to assess current processes and identify areas for improvement and cost savings; Provide thought leadership to further develop process-oriented thinking in the organization; Challenge the status quo and encourage others to do as well
• Work within the Continuous Improvement team to further develop frameworks, methodologies, strategy, and success metrics to support the achievement of best in class business results
• Drive employee engagement through Continuous Improvement by recognizing and rewarding contributions to productivity, simplicity, and cost effectiveness

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• 8+ years of experience in process improvement, cost reduction, program management, and governance roles within a large enterprise
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Engineering, or related field combined with relevant experience
• Lean / Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher) required
• Change management certification (e.g., Prosci ADKAR) a plus
• Experience in planning and implementing large-scale organizational change that engages all employees, from front-line staff to the C-suite
• Coaching skills to guide individuals or teams to identify areas for improvement and the tools and problem-solving framework to deliver sustainable results
• Ability to gain engagement and trust with diverse teams in the face of obstacles or resistance
• A proven track record of being able to influence the behaviour of others without authority
• Strong organizational & problem-solving skills, and an aptitude for dealing with ambiguity
• Ability to respectfully challenge the status quo
• Excellent verbal & written communication skills with the ability to engage individuals at all levels within an organization
• A positive can-do attitude with the ability to work effectively and enthusiastically as a team player
• Exceptional facilitation skills and ability to build collaboration within cross-functional teams
• A solutions-oriented practitioner, that fosters a culture of creativity, common sense, and proactivity
• Naturally curious, highly organized, and detail-oriented self-starter that takes great pride in delivering high-quality results
• Unquestioned business ethics, personal integrity, and a genuine commitment to WestJet’s values

Please refer the Job description for details