Performance Improvement Senior Manager Career Guide

If you’re interested in efficiency and organization, then a career as a performance improvement senior manager could be a great fit. In this career guide, you’ll find a description of the performance improvement senior manager position, including education and training requirements, and where you might find job opportunities in this challenging field.

Becoming a performance improvement senior manager takes the right combination of knowledge and experience. Along the path to this exciting career, you should expect competition for many positions. Employment opportunities and salaries will vary according to location, educational background and experience.

What is a Performance Improvement Senior Manager?

Professionals in the performance improvement field analyze and improve processes to achieve maximum effectiveness, efficiency and productivity. The concept involves measuring the output of various processes, making adjustments to increase efficiency, effectiveness or output, and then measuring the results.

The performance improvement senior manager will typically make recommendations for changes, as well.  They may focus on areas such as production, supply, finance or human resources and their work can result in new procedures, processes, tools, materials or suppliers. Their main goal is to make a business perform at its maximum efficiency and productivity.

Why Jobs in Performance Improvement Senior Management Matter

The role of performance improvement senior manager is important to help organizations align their business requirements with bottom line results. Improving performance can positively affect customer relations, brand loyalty, expenses, sales volume and profits.

Running as efficiently as possible is vital for any organization, large or small. In today’s highly competitive global business environment, gaps in performance can have serious consequences. Consumers have endless choices for the products and services they want, so companies must deliver the right mix of goods and services to meet their needs, at a price the market will accept. Performance improvement senior managers help make that happen.

Typical job duties vary according to the industry and position, but may include: creating standard operating procedures and best practices; identifying key performance indicators; targeting opportunities for improvement; analyzing data and conducting improvement initiatives.

Where Can I Find Jobs in Performance Improvement Senior Management?

Performance improvement senior managers are in demand by public and private entities in a number of growing industries across the globe. Position-specific skills will often transfer from one industry to another.

From healthcare to hospitality, firms that employ performance improvement senior managers represent a wide variety of industries. Others include finance, government, insurance, information technology and manufacturing. Some performance improvement senior managers work in their own consulting firms.

Performance Improvement Senior Management Education Preparation

While specific education requirements will vary according to the employer, position and industry, a college degree is generally preferred. Performance improvement senior managers may come from a variety of educational backgrounds.

• Associate’s Degree: Entry-level performance improvement positions may be obtainable with an associate’s, or two-year degree, along with solid work experience. Advancing in the performance improvement field will likely require a bachelor’s degree.
• Bachelor’s Degree: The majority of performance improvement senior manager jobs require at least a four-year bachelor’s degree. Some employers may prefer a concentration in public health, finance, business administration or a related field, while others might require a degree in information technology, engineering or a related discipline. Advancing your career in supply chain operations may require additional work experience or an advanced degree.
• Master’s Degree: Qualifications for advanced performance improvement positions, such as performance improvement senior manager, may include a master’s degree in supply chain management or information technology, or a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA). These advanced degrees typically take an additional one to two years beyond the bachelor’s level. 

Candidates for performance improvement senior manager positions will also need the right combination of business skills and knowledge, along with certain personal attributes.                       

Training, Other Qualifications and Advancement

To secure a position as a performance improvement senior manager you may need to demonstrate proficiency in the following:

• Knowledge of quality improvement and performance improvement concepts
• Strong written and verbal communication, presentation and mathematics skills
• An understanding of business principles, strategy, technology processes and operations
• The ability to develop project measures of success, analyze progress and evaluate outcomes
• Strong interpersonal skills to execute and manage activities in a fast-paced environment
• The ability to apply technology in solving business problems

Opportunities for advancement may require additional work experience, industry certifications, or an advanced degree. Some employers offer tuition assistance programs that could enable you to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Launching a Performance Improvement Senior Management Career

If you have strong analytical and technical skills, a desire to see an organization reach its goals and a knack for problem solving, you could be a great fit for a performance improvement senior management position. The first step is making sure you have the right educational background and skill set for you to launch this rewarding career.