Senior Business Excellence Partner

Wheels, Inc. • Schaumburg, IL

3d • $120,000 - $160,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Business Excellence Partner plays a key strategic role in advancing our culture of continuous improvement across the organization. This senior-level position partners directly with functional executives to identify, define, prioritize, and execute initiatives that improve efficiency, quality, cost, and customer outcomes. This role requires a highly autonomous, self-directed leader who can navigate a complex organization, build strong cross-functional relationships, and convert business challenges into practical, measurable solutions. The Senior Business Excellence Partner is accountable to deliver quantifiable improvements and will be evaluated on outcomes such as cost reduction, quality process enhancements, cycle-time improvements, and customer experience gains. Working within the Business Excellence department, this individual applies LEAN, Six Sigma, and other quality methodologies to design and implement process improvements, lead Kaizen events, conduct statistical and financial analyses, guide performance measurement efforts, and support system optimization initiatives. The role also contributes to embedding LEAN thinking and a continuous improvement mindset throughout the organization.

Requirements

• Proven track record of leading enterprise-wide Lean/CI programs with measurable impact in matrixed organizations.
• Deep knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, and structured problem-solving techniques.
• Demonstrated success facilitating Kaizen events and building engagement across levels of the organization.
• Strong business acumen, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, Visio, and project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, or similar).
• Bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, Supply Chain, Operations or related field required; advanced degree is a plus
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification
• 7-10+ years of experience in process improvement, business transformation, or operational optimization within complex service or transactional environments

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience with Salesforce, ServiceNow, or similar enterprise platforms is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Partnership & Leadership Serve as the primary continuous improvement partner to one or more functional executives, helping to define their improvement roadmap and portfolio of initiatives.
• Operate independently, exercising sound judgment in identifying opportunities, scoping work, prioritizing projects, and driving execution with minimal direction.
• Influence stakeholders at all levels to build alignment, remove barriers, and ensure successful implementation of change.
• Communicate recommendations and insights to senior leadership with clarity, confidence, and data-driven rationale.
• LEAN / Quality Leadership Deploy LEAN, Six Sigma, and related quality methodologies to solve complex organizational challenges and improve performance.
• Lead impactful Kaizen events and structured problem-solving workshops that generate measurable improvements.
• Support the development of functional requirements for process changes, system enhancements, and workflow redesigns.
• Conduct COPQ (Cost of Poor Quality) analysis, financial modeling, and statistical assessments to validate the value of proposed solutions.
• Process Improvement & Design Map, analyze, redesign, and optimize end-to-end processes across operational, client-facing, and financial functions.
• Transform ambiguous problems into structured improvement efforts with clear hypotheses, root-cause analysis, and actionable solutions.
• Collaborate with IT and Product teams to translate process needs into system requirements, ensuring technology supports business efficiencies.
• Validate and test process changes to ensure successful implementation and adoption.
• Metrics & Performance Management Develop, enhance, and maintain operational, financial, and relationship metrics that support data-driven decision-making.
• Monitor trends, diagnose issues, and identify opportunities for improvement through quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Standardize performance reporting and ensure consistent visibility of progress against key goals and KPIs.
• Business Analysis & Organizational Navigation Build a deep understanding of business operations, workflows, and customer requirements to inform solution design.
• Navigate complex organizational structures to gain alignment, secure resources, and ensure that solutions are implemented effectively.
• Recommend process, people, and technology solutions grounded in business realities and economic value.

Benefits

• Wheels recognizes benefits are a significant part of your employee experience, and we've created a robust benefits package that is market-leading, competitive offerings so you and your family can receive outstanding care.
• Please click here for an overview of the benefits available to you and your family.
• 50+ health, wellness and engagement benefits
• 2,500+ online learning programs
• We offer opportunities for employees to make a positive impact through mentorship and tutoring elementary school students, participating in blood drives, donating to United Way and other charitable organizations in the greater Chicagoland and Toronto areas.
• We’re proud to offer access to the Advocate Health Care Wellness Portal—a personalized platform designed to help you take charge of your health journey.
• This program is designed to support your overall well-being—physically, emotionally, and financially—by providing tools and incentives that encourage healthy living.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level