Imagine yourself…
Using your passion to create a culture for continuous improvement across innovation and product teams.
Acting as a change agent, shaping innovation strategy by optimizing systems and workflows.
Empowering teams to unlock breakthrough thinking using data, insight, and experimentation.
It’s all possible with a role at X-Rite Pantone, the global leaders in color science and technology.
X-Rite Pantone, a Veralto company, provides complete end-to-end color management solutions for clients in every industry where color matters. At X-Rite Pantone, you’ll deftly blend the art and science of color to help customers inspire, select, measure, formulate, communicate, and match color so that users get color right the first time, every time. And along the way, you’ll build a vibrant career through rich skill-building opportunities, on-the-job learning, and coaching and training that support your continued development and growth.
This role reports directly to the VP, Global Operational Excellence & VES and is structured as a remote position with approximately 25% travel to Regensdorf (Switzerland) and the United States, where the R&D teams are located. Travel typically consists of one week per month onsite in Switzerland or the US, followed by remote work. The ideal candidate can be based in any city within a 3.5–4 hour train ride of Regensdorf. The primary responsibility of this role is to drive the deployment of VES tools and methodologies across global R&D and Product Management, accelerating innovation outcomes and embedding a culture of continuous improvement.
How You’ll Make a Difference:
Support the deployment of VES tools and methodologies — including Accelerated Product Development (APD), Continuous Delivery (CD), Product Planning (PPG), Strategic Innovation Review (SIR), and Rationalized Roadmap (RRM) within R&D and Product Management teams to accelerate innovation outcomes globally in an agile manner.
Partner with R&D and Product Management leadership to identify, prioritize, and execute high-impact improvement across the innovation pipeline.
Facilitate Kaizen events, rapid improvement workshops, and Value Stream Mapping / Visual Project Management (VSM / VPM) to eliminate waste and reduce New Product Development (NPD) cycle times
Coach cross-functional teams on VES principles and tools, build internal capability, and a self-sustaining culture of continuous improvement across global sites.
Drive adoption of structured problem-solving methods (root cause analysis) to resolve R&D and product development bottlenecks.
Help establish visual management systems and daily management cadence that improve transparency, accountability, and decision velocity across innovation teams.
Collaborate with the VP, Global Operational Excellence & VES, and senior leadership to define, track, and communicate key performance metrics aligned to innovation strategy.
Champion cross-functional alignment by bridging Operational Excellence and R&D/Product Management, ensuring VES initiatives support growth and commercial objectives.
Key Responsibilities & Behavioral Expectations:
Innovation Excellence & Leadership
Help define a winning roadmap for attractive segments utilizing Customer Insight, Problem to Portfolio (P2P), Strategy Partner Grow (SPG), and Technology Development Process (TDP).
Implement, improve, and sustain standard work and operating rhythms for Innovation and Product Management teams.
Support the effective deployment of NPD Planning and NPD Execution
Coaching, Facilitation & Capability Building
Facilitate Kaizen events, workshops, JDIs, and problem-solving sessions.
Provide ongoing coaching on NPD tools – including FMEA, VSS, VPM, and LEx for NPD Commercialization.
Model situational leadership, resilience, and positive change adoption behaviors
Kaizen, CP/CT, & PSP Funnel Ownership
Own the Innovation Kaizen Funnel and ensure high-quality intake, charter, and sustainment.
Help grow the CP/CT talent pipeline, partnering with the global VES team to strengthen Innovation and Product Management capability.
Coach teams to identify, define, and solve high-impact business problems using structured PSP and DIVE thinking
Monitor funnel health and link efforts to business priorities and CVDs
Cross‑Functional Alignment
Drive harmony, collaboration, and alignment across (Marketing, IT, Finance, Production, New Product Introduction (NPI), and Supply Chain teams), by ensuring transparency, clarity of priorities, and consistent execution and accountability of improvement initiatives.
Demonstrate managerial courage by constructively challenging assumptions, elevating risks early, and addressing barriers that impede Innovation progress or capability development.
Model resilience when navigating regional complexity, shifting priorities, and cultural nuances - maintaining composure, adaptability, and a solutions-oriented mindset.
Represent XRP in global VES and Veralto Enterprise System Office forums
Leadership Competencies
Continuous Improvement Mastery
Strong capability in VES fundamental tools: Problem Solving Process (PSP), Kaizen, Voice of Customer (VOC), Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Standard Work (SW), Daily Management (DM).
Proven ability to improve processes and drive measurable business outcomes.
Influence & Change Leadership
Able to work without authority across cultures and seniority levels.
Capable of building followership and creating momentum for change.
Facilitation & Coaching Excellence
Effective facilitator who creates psychological safety, structure, and momentum within teams.
Adaptable communication style across functions and country contexts
Data-Driven Decision Making
Uses insights and business intelligence data to diagnose issues and drive improvements.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, business, or a related field required.
3-5+ years of experience in operational excellence, continuous improvement, or business transformation, specifically in R&D, engineering, or product development environments.
Ability to travel up to 25% across EMEA and the USA.
Required fluency in English, and preferred Swiss German. Additional EMEA languages are a plus.
Preferred Qualifications
Demonstrated success in facilitating Kaizen events and continuous improvement initiatives, specifically in the areas of Software, Firmware.
Exposure to AI and digital tools applied to innovation.
Experience with VES, Danaher Business System (DBS), or an equivalent enterprise-level lean/continuous improvement system.
Strong communication skills with demonstrated ability to present complex ideas clearly to both technical and executive audiences.
X-Rite Pantone is proud to be part of the Product Quality & Innovation segment of Veralto (NYSE: VLTO), a $5B global leader dedicated to ensuring access to clean water, safe food and medicine, and trusted essential goods. When you join Veralto’ s vibrant global network of 17,000 associates, you join a unique culture and work environment where purpose meets possibility: where the work you do has an everyday impact on the resources and essentials we all rely on, and where you’ll have valuable opportunities to deepen your skillset, pursue your ambitions, and grow your career. Together, we’re Safeguarding the World’s Most Vital Resources™—and building rewarding careers along the way.
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