Univar Solutions

Senior Manager – Continuous Improvement

Univar Solutions

full-time

Posted on:

Location Type: Hybrid

Location: Downers Grove • Illinois • United States

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Salary

💰 $170,000 - $190,000 per year

Job Level

Senior

About the role

  • Analyze operational, financial, and digital workflow data to develop hypotheses on performance drivers, with emphasis on decision automation, predictive insights, and AI-supported execution
  • Translate difficulties, anecdotes, observations, current state processes, and critical metrics into clearly scoped opportunities for new strategic transformation projects
  • Identify where advanced analytics, machine learning, or GenAI-enabled workflows can improve planning accuracy, asset utilization, service levels, and cost-to-serve
  • Estimate financial value and operational impact of transformation projects, specifying value levers and how/where outcomes will hit P&L
  • Map current state business processes with an emphasis on evaluating how the company makes key decisions, both strategic and operational
  • Lead cross-functional teams to design future-state, AI-enabled operating models that integrate people, process, and enterprise technology
  • Inform the design of quantitative models to guide better decisions and technology to enable future state operational workflows
  • Plan change management activities required for value capture, including communications, employee training, and technology cutovers
  • Build enterprise-grade business cases for digital and AI transformation initiatives, including return on investment, risk, and change readiness
  • Lead projects and teams through PMO framework, ensuring progression according to scope, schedule, budget, and quality standards
  • Document project risks and dependencies, then work across the enterprise to mitigate these proactively so transformation delivery timelines stay on track
  • Facilitate requirements gathering, proposal structuring, and vendor selection with key partners
  • Oversee the build and activation project phases, often managing multiple consulting firms, contractors, analytics vendors, AI solution providers, and internal teams
  • Hold regular Steering Committee meetings with executive sponsors to communicate progress, raise issues, make important decisions, and progress through stage gates
  • Align diverse stakeholders around a single vision, set of priorities, and understanding of portfolio finances, timelines, risks, and status
  • Organize portfolio review meetings for multiple audiences
  • Call out potential roadblocks quickly and with urgency to mobilize resources proactively

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree required
  • Advanced degree – MBA or quantitative field (ex. economics, operations research, statistics, data science, computer science) – preferred
  • Minimum of 7 years of experience, preferably in consulting, strategy, analytics, continuous improvement, enterprise transformation, supply chain finance, or program management functions
  • Experience leading multiple large ($1mil+) projects, preferably around technology deployment, process improvement, or embedding analytics into strategic/operational decisions
  • Strong communication skills (both written and verbal)
  • Strong planning and organizing skills
  • Experience managing consultants, contractors, and internal project teams
  • Knowledge of the logistics industries preferred
  • Influence strategy and outcomes without formal operational authority
  • Open-minded questioning, “What would need to be true for this to work?”
  • Creativity in problem solving, especially complex processes involving many teams and decisions
  • Project Management standard processes across all lifecycle phases, including extensive risk management
  • Business process mapping, future state design, and change management to bridge the gap
  • Technology design fluency – both workflows and analytics – including agile development approaches
  • Adaptable communication with many very different stakeholder groups
  • Presentation preparation and delivery to senior leadership
  • Ability to work across all levels of the organization, including frontline, analysts, executives, and Board
  • Independence and a desire to function autonomously with limited direction
  • Management of consultants, contractors, and internal project teams
  • Strong data fluency and data storytelling required
  • MS Office (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook) required.
Benefits
  • Health insurance
  • Vision insurance
  • Dental insurance
  • 401k matching for retirement
  • Flexible time off
Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools
advanced analyticsmachine learningGenAI-enabled workflowsfinancial modelingbusiness process mappingchange managementproject managementrisk managementdata storytellingtechnology design fluency
Soft Skills
strong communication skillsplanning and organizing skillsinfluence without authoritycreativity in problem solvingadaptable communicationindependenceleadershipstakeholder alignmentproblem-solvingteam management
Certifications
Bachelor's degreeMBAadvanced degree in quantitative field