Performance Improvement Director Jobs in Decatur, AL

Description

Looking for an opportunity to make an impact?

At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers’ success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainably. Everything we do is built on a commitment to doing the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community. Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide the way we do business.

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Leidos’ Defense Systems Sector is seeking a Process Improvement Team Lead to support the Indirect Fires Protection Capability (IFPC) Program in Huntsville, Alabama.

The IFPC system is a next-generation, ground-based defense capability designed to counter evolving aerial threats, including unmanned aircraft systems, cruise missiles, and rockets. As the program transitions from development into production, the IFPC organization is expanding its capabilities to improve execution, delivery performance, affordability, and mission readiness.

The Process Improvement Team Lead will establish and lead a structured program-level improvement capability focused on identifying execution constraints, improving cross-functional processes, and implementing sustainable solutions. The selected candidate will work across Program Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, Contracts, and Logistics to improve the processes used to plan, execute, measure, and deliver IFPC program commitments.

This is a hands-on leadership role that requires the ability to translate complex program challenges into practical, measurable improvements while building alignment across a matrixed organization.

If this sounds like the kind of environment where you can thrive, keep reading!

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead a cross-functional process improvement team supporting IFPC program execution, production readiness, delivery, and sustainment objectives.
• Develop and maintain a prioritized improvement roadmap aligned with program cost, schedule, technical, quality, and delivery commitments.
• Facilitate structured problem-solving activities to identify root causes, remove execution barriers, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Evaluate current-state processes and develop improved future-state workflows, roles, responsibilities, decision points, and performance measures.
• Partner with functional and program leaders to improve coordination across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, Contracts, and Logistics.
• Establish metrics and dashboards that measure process performance, improvement effectiveness, cycle time, quality, cost, schedule, and delivery outcomes.
• Lead recurring improvement reviews and communicate progress, risks, decisions, and unresolved constraints to program leadership.
• Support the development and standardization of program management processes, business rhythms, operating procedures, templates, and execution tools.
• Identify opportunities to improve production planning, material flow, configuration control, change implementation, corrective action closure, and delivery readiness.
• Coordinate improvement initiatives with Manufacturing while respecting Manufacturing’s ownership of factory operations and execution.
• Support risk and opportunity management by identifying systemic execution risks and developing measurable mitigation plans.
• Ensure completed improvements are documented, adopted, measured, and sustained by the responsible process owners.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 8 or more years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree and 6 or more years of relevant experience. Additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Demonstrated experience leading process improvement, operational excellence, program execution, manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, quality, or related initiatives.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams within a matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated ability to identify root causes, develop corrective actions, and implement sustainable process changes.
• Experience developing performance metrics, dashboards, process maps, standard work, and executive-level presentations.
• Strong analytical, organizational, facilitation, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and drive actions without direct authority over all participating organizations.
• Experience managing multiple improvement initiatives with competing priorities and deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to brief senior leaders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Project or similar planning and analysis tools.
• Ability to work primarily on-site in Huntsville, Alabama.
• U.S. citizenship is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent continuous improvement certification.
• Project Management Professional certification.
• Experience supporting Department of Defense acquisition, missile, weapon system, aerospace, or complex hardware programs.
• Experience supporting the transition of a product from development into low-rate or full-rate production.
• Experience with Kaizen events, value-stream mapping, standard work, cause-and-effect analysis, control plans, and corrective action systems.
• Demonstrated success implementing improvements that produced measurable cost, schedule, quality, or delivery results.

Clearance Required

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense Secret security clearance.

Position Details

• Location: Huntsville, Alabama
• Work Arrangement: Primarily on-site; limited telework may be considered based on program requirements
• Travel: Up to 10%
• Schedule: Full-time, day shift

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.