Head Of Kaizen And Continuous Improvement

Be Part of Something Transformational – CRC are seeking a Head of Kaizen & Continuous Improvement

Lead. Transform. Inspire.

We are excited to offer a unique opportunity for an experienced and values-driven Kaizen & Continuous Improvement Lead to join CRC at an important stage in our organisational journey. Guided by our 2025–2030 strategy and grounded in the CRC values of stewardship, person-centredness, courage, respect, collaboration, and quality, we are seeking a motivated improvement professional who can support meaningful, organisation-wide transformation and service improvement initiatives that enhance outcomes for the children, families, and adults at the heart of everything we do.

Reporting to the Head of Quality, Risk and Safety, the Kaizen & Continuous Improvement Lead will support the ongoing development of CRC’s continuous improvement approach by promoting a culture of learning, operational improvement, innovation, and collaboration across services. The role will contribute to the implementation of improvement frameworks, transformation initiatives, and service improvement programmes aimed at enhancing quality, experience, and operational effectiveness.

Working closely with the Head of Quality, Risk and Safety, operational managers, and multidisciplinary teams, the postholder will support the coordination and delivery of continuous improvement activities across the organisation. A key focus of the role will be building improvement capability by supporting teams to embed Lean, Kaizen, and continuous improvement methodologies into everyday practice.

This role is suited to an experienced improvement practitioner who enjoys working collaboratively across complex environments, supporting teams through change, and helping services identify practical and sustainable improvements. The successful candidate will contribute to improvement projects, facilitate workshops, support governance processes, and assist teams in reviewing and redesigning services to ensure they remain person-centred, effective, and future focused.

The role will also support innovation, data-informed decision making, and continuous learning across CRC, helping to strengthen improvement capability and organisational effectiveness.

If you are passionate about continuous improvement, service transformation, and supporting positive change within a values-led organisation, we would love to hear from you.

Message from the Head of Quality, Risk and Safety

“At CRC, our Kaizen journey is continuing to grow, and this role will provide important support in helping us embed continuous improvement into everyday practice across the organisation.

Working as part of the quality and continuous improvement function, you will support teams and managers to identify opportunities for improvement, strengthen improvement capability, and contribute to transformation initiatives that enhance the quality and effectiveness of our services.

We are looking for someone who brings practical improvement experience, strong collaboration skills, and a passion for supporting sustainable change. This role offers an excellent opportunity to work across a wide range of services, helping teams apply Lean and Kaizen approaches in meaningful and achievable ways.

You will work closely with colleagues across CRC to support improvement initiatives, facilitate engagement, and help promote a culture where continuous learning and improvement are part of how we work every day.

If you are enthusiastic about quality improvement, enjoy working with people, and are committed to supporting better outcomes for the individuals and families we support, we would be delighted to hear from you.”

Our Values in Action

Person Centredness

Lead the development and delivery of improvement approaches that place children, families, and adults at the centre of all services. Support transformation programmes, strategic planning, and service redesign across CRC by ensuring person‑centred thinking consistently guides decision‑making and everyday practice.

Quality

Oversee the use of data, performance metrics, and quality improvement methodologies to drive evidence-based decision making. Ensure measurable improvements in service delivery, outcomes, and organisational performance.

Respect

Build strong, trusted relationships across CRC, fostering a culture of openness, inclusion, and shared purpose. Engage meaningfully with staff, leaders, and stakeholders to support collaborative transformation.

Courage

Provide bold and innovative leadership, challenging traditional ways of working and driving forward-thinking approaches to service improvement. Lead organisational change with confidence, clarity, and resilience.

Collaboration

Work in partnership with executive teams, operational leaders, and multidisciplinary services to co-design and deliver transformation programmes. Promote a culture of shared ownership, engagement, and collective responsibility for improvement.

Stewardship

Ensure responsible use of resources through strategic improvement initiatives that deliver value for money, efficiency, and sustainable impact. Champion best practice, innovation, and organisational learning across CRC.

Essential Criteria

• Minimum of 5 years’ senior-level experience leading continuous improvement, operational excellence, transformation, or service redesign initiatives within large and complex organisations, with experience in healthcare transformation, disability services, integrated care models, or similarly operationally complex environments.
• Demonstrated experience working within an organisation undergoing significant transformation, organisational change, cultural development, or service modernisation.
• Proven track record of leading and delivering large-scale transformation programmes that have resulted in measurable operational, cultural, financial, or service improvements.
• Extensive experience developing and embedding Lean, Kaizen, Continuous Improvement, or Operational Excellence frameworks across multiple teams or services.
• Strong strategic leadership capability with experience influencing senior stakeholders, executive leadership teams, and multidisciplinary services.
• Experience designing and implementing organisational improvement roadmaps, governance structures, and transformation strategies.
• Significant experience leading, coaching, and developing high-performing teams through periods of change and operational transformation.
• Advanced facilitation skills with experience leading large-scale workshops, Rapid Process Improvement Workshops (RPIWs), strategic planning sessions, and cross-functional improvement programmes.
• Strong knowledge and practical application of Lean methodologies, Kaizen principles, process redesign, root cause analysis, and change management frameworks.
• Experience using data, quality metrics, and performance reporting to inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement outcomes.
• Excellent communication, influencing, stakeholder engagement, and relationship management skills with the ability to build credibility at all organisational levels.
• Demonstrated ability to create a culture of innovation, accountability, continuous learning, and person centred improvement.
• Strong project and programme management experience with the ability to manage multiple complex priorities simultaneously.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent improvement qualification.
• Formal project or programme management qualification (PRINCE2, Agile, PMP, MSP).
• Experience leading organisational culture change initiatives.
• Experience working within healthcare transformation, disability services, or integrated care models.
• Demonstrates excellent knowledge of data analytics and uses insights to shape improvement activity, inform decision-making, and present findings effectively to a wide range of audiences

For the Full Job Specification please see the attached document.

Informal enquiries to Catherine Stuart, Head of Quality, Risk and Safety, Tel 087-1806519, cstuart@crc.ie.

Department of Health Salary Scale, Grade VIII - code 0655 (Salary Scale - €83,081 - €100,205).

Applicants must demonstrate in their CV and supporting documentation how they meet the criteria for the role as short-listing will apply.

Applications must be received on or before Thursday, 18th June 2026. Please submit your application via the 'Apply Now' button below.

Data Protection: Please refer to CRC Privacy Statement | Central Remedial Clinic to learn more about how we handle your personal data and the rights that you have during the recruitment cycle.

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