Principal, Continuous Improvement

About the job

Principal, Continuous Improvement (Hybrid - Columbia, SC)

The Principal, Continuous Improvement serves as one of the Bank's foremost authorities in continuous improvement and operational excellence. They shape enterprise direction through expert advice, establishes the improvement philosophy and standards, and leads the organization's most complex and consequential transformation opportunities. The Principal influences executives and senior leaders through expertise rather than formal people-management authority.

What You'll Do

*Enterprise Operational Excellence Direction *

• Shape the Bank’s long-term approach to operational excellence, productivity, and enterprise transformation.

• Advise executives on the most complex operating model, process, capacity, cost, service, and control challenges.

• Establish enterprise principles, standards, governance, and decision frameworks for improvement work.

• Use internal and external insights to identify systemic opportunities and emerging practices.

• Influence investment, sequencing, and resource decisions across the enterprise improvement portfolio.

*Strategic Transformation and Enterprise Value *

• Lead the Bank’s highest-impact, highest-complexity improvement and transformation initiatives.

• Integrate strategic, financial, operational, customer, technology, risk, and change considerations into solution design.

• Resolve enterprise-level ambiguity and competing priorities through fact-based recommendations and executive facilitation.

• Define and validate measures for long-term value, organizational capacity, performance, and sustainability.

• Ensure major improvements become embedded in operating practices, governance, and leadership routines.

*Institutional Capability and Thought Leadership *

• Serve as the senior authority and trusted advisor for Lean Six Sigma and operational excellence.

• Build enterprise capability through advanced coaching, certification support, and practitioner development.

• Develop and maintain a scalable improvement system that enables leaders and teams to solve problems consistently.

• Represent the Bank’s improvement perspective in district or industry forums when appropriate.

• Mentor senior practitioners and create succession depth in continuous improvement expertise.

What You'll Need

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, operations, engineering, analytics, or related field; equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

• 10+ years of relevant experience in process improvement, operational excellence, business transformation, project delivery, operations, or a related discipline.

• Lean Six Sigma Certification-IASSC

• Enterprise operational excellence strategy and Lean Six Sigma.

• Transformation leadership and resolution of highly ambiguous problems.

• Executive advisory, influence, and organizational systems thinking.

• Financial value, productivity, risk, and governance integration.

• Capability building, coaching, and thought leadership.

About Us

AgFirst Farm Credit Bank provides financing, as well as technology and other value-added services, to association partners so they can lend to rural residents and agricultural operations of all sizes. We take pride in investing in our employees, our partners and our community.

Find out more on AgFirst.com, and follow us on LinkedIn!

Additional Information

• Job Identification: 5136
• Job Category: Admin & Operations
• Posting Date: 2026-11-12
• Apply Before: 2026-11-14
• Job Schedule: Full time