Sr. Program Manager, Continuous Improvement (12-month Fixed-Term Contract)

Get to know The Pokémon Company International

 

The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children's entertainment properties in the world.

 

Learn more online at corporate.pokemon.com and pokemon.com. And check out Twitter (twitter.com/pokemon), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/Pokémon), Youtube (youtube.com/pokemon), and Instagram (instagram.com/pokemon).

 

Get to know the role

• Job Title: Sr. Program Manager, Continuous Improvement
• Job Summary: This role will organize, manage, and deliver the continuous improvement program for the Pokémon Center organization.
• FLSA Classification (US Only): Exempt
• People Manager: No

 

What you’ll do

• Manage the continuous improvement program for Pokémon Center product development, including the creation and maintenance of a project backlog.
• Assess product development lifecycle needs across the Pokémon Center organization, improving processes and tools, and creating key performance metrics.
• Lead interdepartmental teams to complete concurrent projects, promoting measurable improvements and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with important partners to align program priorities with organizational goals and objectives.
• Facilitate and guide cross-functional discussions, balancing the needs of the organization.
• Conduct resource and cost analysis, estimating expected needs for the program and each project.
• Apply change management framework to guide people through changes for successful adoption and minimal disruption.
• Conduct risk assessments, report identified risks to management, and provide recommendations for mitigation of risk.
• Act as a liaison between company and vendors.
• Partner with various teams to develop and provide training and information to impacted parties.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, industry, contractual, and company regulations, standards, specifications, and best practices.

               

What you’ll bring

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or a demonstrated equivalent level of applicable experience.
• 8-11 years of experience managing and delivering business process change.
• Familiarity with KPI development, root cause analysis, and application of process optimization tools and techniques (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, PDCA) to solve product development issues and create scalable processes.
• Experience with Business Process Management and Product Lifecycle Management tools.
• Experience with change management methodologies (e.g., Prosci).
• Expert user of Visio or other process mapping software.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

 

How you’ll be successful

• Passion for Pokémon: Develops an understanding of the Pokémon brand, the impact it has on our people, culture, business, fans, and communities, and applying that knowledge and passion to everything you do.
• Challenging the Expected: Approaches challenges with curiosity and creativity, embracing the possibility of failure as an opportunity to learn something new, develop innovative ideas, solve complex problems and identify unique opportunities.  
• Integrity and Respect: Demonstrates integrity and respect by leading with empathy, listening to others, seeking out different perspectives, and taking personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and results.
• Dedicated to Quality: Takes ownership to maintain and promote high standards, looks for new ways to learn and improve, and embraces a growth mindset to seek and apply feedback from others in an effort to continuously improve. 
• Building Relationships: Develops and strengthens relationships, adopting a “team first” mentality and working collaboratively to solve problems and meet shared goals.  
• Delighting Customers: Listens and understands the interests and needs of our customers a