Job Title

DescriptionThe Global Standards & Customer Excellence (GSCE) organization is seeking a Senior Process Improvement Specialist to drive network-wide projects and innovate new processes at scale to join our Cross Mile Continuous Improvement (XMCI) team. The XMCI team is looking for a Senior Process Improvement Specialist who will serve as the execution engine of our network's continuous improvement pipeline u2014 leading and facilitating kaizen events that deliver measurable, sustained results across NA Operations. Working from kaizen-ready charters developed by the XMCI scoping team, this role is responsible for planning, facilitating, and driving cross-functional kaizen events to successful completion u2014 guiding diverse teams of stakeholders through structured problem-solving to implement solutions that improve safety, quality, people, and cost outcomes. This role operates across multiple miles and business units within Amazon Stores, providing broad exposure to senior leadership up to the VP level and a unique vantage point into how Amazon's end-to-end logistics network operates. This is a high-visibility, high-influence role that requires exceptional stakeholder management. You will lead kaizen events where the participants don't report to you u2014 site General Managers, Operations Managers, Area Managers, process engineers, frontline associates, and support function leaders will all be in the room, and you will be the person responsible for aligning them around the problem, guiding them through root cause analysis and solution development, navigating competing priorities and perspectives, and driving the team to actionable outcomes within the event timeframe. Your ability to build trust quickly, manage group dynamics, facilitate productive conflict, and hold teams accountable to the process will be the difference between a kaizen that delivers lasting change and one that produces a report that sits on a shelf. You will need to earn credibility with site leadership before, during, and after every event u2014 demonstrating deep operational acumen, methodological rigor, and genuine respect for the expertise that local teams bring to the table. Beyond facilitation, you will own the end-to-end event lifecycle u2014 from pre-event planning through post-event follow-up and sustainment handoff. You will partner upstream with the XMCI scoping team to review charters, validate readiness, and ensure you have the right team composition and stakeholder alignment before an event begins. You will lead the event itself u2014 structuring the agenda, teaching and applying Lean tools and methodologies, guiding the team of multi-business unit leaders up to the VP level through current state validation, root cause analysis, solution development, and implementation planning. And you will own the post-event close-out u2014 documenting results, developing sustainment plans with site leadership, and handing off validated outcomes to the XMCI analytics team for financial validation and entitlement tracking. In this role, you will also provide regular reporting on event execution, results, and sustainment status to XMCI leadership and network stakeholders. Throughout all of this, you will serve as a brand ambassador for XMCI and a champion of Amazon's culture of Lean Excellence u2014 modeling what world-class facilitation looks like, building local CI capability through every event you lead, and empowering site leadership to own and sustain the improvements long after the event is complete. The right candidate is an experienced kaizen facilitator who thrives in front of a room, builds trust quickly across all levels of an organization, and is energized by the challenge of guiding diverse teams to breakthrough results in compressed timeframes. This role will require travel up to 50% of the time. Key job responsibilities Event Planning & Stakeholder Alignment u2022 Partner with the XMCI scoping team to review kaizen-ready charters, validate event readiness, and ensure the problem statement, scope, baseline metrics, and business case are sound before committing to execution u2022 Lead pre-event stakeholder engagement u2014 aligning site leadership, process owners, and functional partners on event objectives, expectations, roles, and commitments well in advance of the event u2022 Develop detailed event plans including agenda design, Lean tool selection, data requirements, logistics, and pre-work assignments tailored to the specific problem and site context u2022 Assemble and confirm the right cross-functional team composition for each event u2014 ensuring the right mix of decision-makers, subject matter experts, process owners, and frontline associates are in the room u2022 Build trust and credibility with site leadership ahead of each event u2014 demonstrating respect for local expertise, understanding of site-specific context, and clarity on what the event will and will not accomplish u2022 Manage stakeholder expectations across multiple levels u2014 from frontline participants to site GMs to senior leaders up to the VP level u2014 ensuring alignment on objectives, timeline, and anticipated outcomes Kaizen Event Facilitation & Execution u2022 Lead and facilitate kaizen events across multiple miles and business units within Amazon Stores u2014 guiding cross-functional teams through structured problem-solving methodologies to deliver measurable improvements in safety, quality, people, and cost u2022 Structure and manage the event agenda u2014 teaching and applying the appropriate Lean tools and methodologies (value stream mapping, root cause analysis, 5 Why, fishbone diagrams, standard work, process flow analysis, waste walks, spaghetti diagrams, PDCA, and others) based on the nature of the problem u2022 Guide teams through current state validation u2014 leveraging the baseline data and root cause hypotheses from the charter while encouraging the team to verify and build on those findings through direct observation and analysis during the event u2022 Facilitate productive dialogue, healthy conflict, and consensus-building among diverse stakeholders with competing priorities and perspectives u2014 navigating group dynamics with confidence, empathy, and methodological discipline u2022 Drive the team from problem understanding through solution development and implementation planning within the event timeframe u2014 maintaining pace, focus, and energy while ensuring rigor is not sacrificed for speed u2022 Lead the development of actionable implementation plans with clear owners, timelines, and success metrics u2014 ensuring solutions are practical, sustainable, and owned by the people who will live with them after the event u2022 Manage real-time event risks u2014 adjusting scope, approach, or team dynamics as needed to keep the event on track and productive u2022 Ensure all events are executed in alignment with XMCI methodology standards and reflect Amazon's commitment to Lean Excellence Post-Event Close-Out & Sustainment u2022 Own the post-event close-out process u2014 documenting event results, solutions implemented, projected financial and operational impact, and open action items in a clear, standardized format u2022 Develop comprehensive sustainment plans in partnership with site leadership u2014 defining who owns each improvement, how it will be monitored, what metrics will be tracked, and what triggers should prompt escalation if results begin to erode u2022 Facilitate event report-outs to site leadership, XMCI leadership, and senior stakeholders u2014 clearly communicating what was accomplished, what the projected impact is, and what is needed to sustain the results u2022 Hand off validated event results and documentation to the XMCI analytics team for financial validation and entitlement tracking u2014 ensuring clean, complete, and Finance-ready data u2022 Conduct post-event follow-ups at defined intervals (30/60/90 days) to verify sustainment, support site leadership in maintaining momentum, and identify any corrective actions needed u2022 Provide regular reporting to XMCI leadership and network stakeholders on event execution status, results delivered, sustainment health, and lessons learned Stakeholder Management & Relationship Building u2022 Build strong, trust-based relationships with site General Managers, Operations Managers, Area Managers, and functional leaders across multiple miles and business units within NA Operations u2014 earning the credibility needed to lead effective events in environments where you have no direct authority u2022 Influence without authority at every level u2014 from frontline associates to VPs u2014 navigating the matrixed, cross-business unit environment with sound judgment, empathy, and a bias for action u2022 Serve as a communications consultant and brand ambassador for XMCI u2014 ensuring every event and stakeholder interaction reinforces the team's reputation for world-class facilitation, operational rigor, and genuine partnership u2022 Manage the delicate balance between driving results during the event and respecting the operational realities and constraints of the host site u2014 earning repeat invitations by being the kind of facilitator that site leadership wants to work with again u2022 Build local CI capability through every event u2014 teaching participants the tools and thinking, not just leading them through the motions, so that site teams are more capable of driving improvement on their own after the event u2022 Gather and incorporate stakeholder feedback after every event to continuously improve the facilitation experience and strengthen the XMCI brand Methodology, Standards & Continuous Improvement u2022 Develop and continuously refine standardized facilitation guides, event templates, tools, and playbooks that ensure consistency and quality across all XMCI kaizen events regardless of site, mile, or business unit u2022 Contribute to the evolution of XMCI's continuous improvement operating system u2014 providing field-level insights from event execution that inform how charters are scoped, how events are designed, and how sustainment is structured u2022 Partner with the XMCI scoping team to provide feedback on charter quality u2014 creating a feedback loop that strengthens both the scoping and facilitation functions over time u2022 Partner with the XMCI analytics team to ensure event documentation and results capture are structured for clean financial validation and entitlement tracking from the outset u2022 Stay current on industry best practices in Lean, Six Sigma, facilitation, and change management u2014 bringing outside-in thinking to Amazon's CI ecosystem and continuously raising the bar on what world-class kaizen facilitation looks like u2022 Champion a culture of continuous improvement that empowers local leadership to own and sustain results u2014 reinforcing XMCI's dual focus on operational optimization and building a common Amazon CI culture A day in the life - Act as a strategic advisor to process improvement managers and field operators, providing guidance on developing and executing effective network-level program expansion, or process changes. - Develop and maintain schedules, ensuring timely and proactive dissemination of curriculum to stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle. About the team The XMCI team's mission is to be the standard for world-class continuous improvement for global logistics to support Amazon's goal of becoming Earth's Best Employer. We work backwards from customer needs to develop mechanisms, technology, and content to deliver the right training at the right time. These training solutions prepare our learners to be successful in driving safety, quality, people and cost metrics within our business.Basic Qualifications- Bachelor's degree or above in engineering, project management, operations, logistics, supply chain or related field - Experience in lean or six sigma methodologies for operational, process, and performance improvement projects including process mapping and process re-design - Experience with process improvement, Kaizan, and Six Sigma, or experience as a lean sensei - Six Sigma Green Belt, or 1+ years of managing department spend and labor budgets, performing root cause analysis (RCA), and implementing continuous improvement (CI) experience - Experience working cross functionally across several teams - Experience in stakeholder management, dealing with multiple stakeholders at varied levels of the organization - Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing tools such as: 5S 5Y FMEA PDCA Value Stream Mapping DMAIC Run Charts Pareto Analysis - Travel up to 50% of the time - Strong written and verbal communication skills u2014 ability to facilitate large group sessions, lead executive report-outs, and document results clearlyPreferred Qualifications- Lean-Six Sigma Black Belt certification - Master's degree in Engineering (Industrial or Mechanical), Operations Research, or related fields Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status. Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit for more information. If the country/region youu2019re applying in isnu2019t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner. The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at . USA, TN, Nashville - 108,800.00 - 146,900.00 USD annually USA, TX, Irving - 120,900.00 - 163,200.00 USD annually USA, VA, Arlington - 120,900.00 - 163,200.00 USD annually USA, WA, Bellevue - 120,900.00 - 163,200.00 USD annually