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Job Description
Description
The Director of Continuous Improvement provides enterprise leadership for operational excellence across the company’s operations and business processes. This role oversees the teams and individuals leading continuous improvement and operational excellence projects across the organization, ensuring their work is aligned to business priorities and delivers measurable value.
The position establishes discipline around what improvement work is done, how it is executed, how results are measured, and how progress is reported to senior leadership. Success is defined by sustained improvements in safety, cost, productivity, asset reliability, development of new products and business opportunities, and overall business performance.
The position establishes discipline around what improvement work is done, how it is executed, how results are measured, and how progress is reported to senior leadership. Success is defined by sustained improvements in safety, cost, productivity, asset reliability, development of new products and business opportunities, and overall business performance.
Regular travel (30% to 50%) to operating locations in UT and NM is required.
Key Responsibilities
Business Strategy & Initiatives
- Identification of opportunities to improve business performance and communication to site General Managers, Executive Leadership, and the Board of Directors on how these improvements will be implemented.
- Coordination across the company’s departments, at the executive level, to ensure initiatives are aligned with the overall business strategy.
Mining Operations & Business Results
- Lead and oversee continuous improvement efforts across mining, processing, maintenance, supply chain, and support functions.
- Ensure site-based improvement projects align to operational and financial priorities such as safety performance, production reliability, cost control, throughput, and margin improvement.
- Partner closely with site leaders to ensure initiatives address real operational constraints and business needs.
- Balance enterprise consistency with site-level practicality to ensure solutions are sustainable in mining environments.
- Ensure site-based improvement projects align to operational and financial priorities such as safety performance, production reliability, cost control, throughput, and margin improvement.
- Partner closely with site leaders to ensure initiatives address real operational constraints and business needs.
- Balance enterprise consistency with site-level practicality to ensure solutions are sustainable in mining environments.
Governance, Reporting & Value Realization
- Establish a clear governance model for continuous improvement projects, including sponsorship, prioritization, milestones, and accountability.
- Define what gets reported, how it is reported, and at what cadence for site, corporate, and executive leadership.
- Ensure reporting clearly communicates the business problem, expected and realized benefits, project status, risks, and next steps.
- Partner with finance and operations leadership to ensure benefit tracking is credible and tied to business results.
- Define what gets reported, how it is reported, and at what cadence for site, corporate, and executive leadership.
- Ensure reporting clearly communicates the business problem, expected and realized benefits, project status, risks, and next steps.
- Partner with finance and operations leadership to ensure benefit tracking is credible and tied to business results.
Operational Excellence Framework & Standards
- Develop and maintain a common operational excellence framework appropriate for mining and asset-intensive operations.
- Standardize problem-solving, performance management, and improvement methodologies while allowing site-specific flexibility.
- Embed continuous improvement into daily operating rhythms rather than treating it as a standalone initiative.
- Standardize problem-solving, performance management, and improvement methodologies while allowing site-specific flexibility.
- Embed continuous improvement into daily operating rhythms rather than treating it as a standalone initiative.
Executive Communication & Influence
- Translate site-level operational data and project outcomes into clear executive-level insights.
- Prepare and deliver regular updates to senior leadership and the company’s Board of Directors on progress, value delivered, and upcoming priorities.
- Serve as a trusted advisor on operational excellence strategy and execution across the mining portfolio.
- Prepare and deliver regular updates to senior leadership and the company’s Board of Directors on progress, value delivered, and upcoming priorities.
- Serve as a trusted advisor on operational excellence strategy and execution across the mining portfolio.
What Success Looks Like
- CI/OE projects are aligned to business priorities and operational realities.
- Leaders understand which initiatives are underway, why they matter, and the value being delivered.
- Reporting is consistent, transparent, and trusted across sites and corporate leadership.
- Continuous improvement is embedded in how mining operations run.
- Leaders understand which initiatives are underway, why they matter, and the value being delivered.
- Reporting is consistent, transparent, and trusted across sites and corporate leadership.
- Continuous improvement is embedded in how mining operations run.
- Improvements deliver meaningful and measurable financial impact.
Qualifications & Experience
- B.S. in engineering, accounting, or finance. MBA (or other applicable graduate degree) is strongly preferred
- 7+ years of experience in mining, manufacturing, or asset-intensive operations.
- Proven success leading and governing multi-site improvement initiatives with measurable business outcomes.
- Strong understanding of mining operations, mineral processing, and performance drivers.
- Experience leading and developing CI/OE programs and influencing site leadership teams.
- Strong executive communication skills.
- Proven success leading and governing multi-site improvement initiatives with measurable business outcomes.
- Strong understanding of mining operations, mineral processing, and performance drivers.
- Experience leading and developing CI/OE programs and influencing site leadership teams.
- Strong executive communication skills.
- Experience in data collection, warehousing, and reporting (Tableau, Power BI, or similar) required.
- Experience in budgeting, accounting, and / or financial planning & analysis is preferred.
Leadership Profile
- Business- and operations-focused
- Credible with site leaders and executives
- Data-driven and results-oriented
- Pragmatic, disciplined change leader
- Credible with site leaders and executives
- Data-driven and results-oriented
- Pragmatic, disciplined change leader
Work Environment & Travel
Work is typically performed indoors in an office environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. Incumbents must be able to perform work that requires typing, reading, communicating, sitting for prolonged periods of time, standing, and walking.
The employee:
- Is regularly required to use hands to type, touch, handle, or feel
- Is frequently required to stand and reach with hands and arms
- Is occasionally required to walk and climb or balance
- May occasionally be required to lift and/or move up to 15 pounds
When the incumbent visits an operations worksite, personal protective equipment including but not limited to head protection, hearing protection, safety glasses, safety shoes, and flame-resistant clothing may be required.
Travel is expected approximately 50% to operating locations in Utah and New Mexico.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Targeted salary range for this position is $180K to $205K annually. Salary commensurate with experience and skill set. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision plans with generous employer premium contributions, as well as 401(k) with employer match, bonus programs, PTO, tuition reimbursement, and wellness benefits. More details can be found at https://www.intrepidpotash.com/careers/culture-and-rewards/.
The above declarations are not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities of the job described, nor are they intended to be such a listing of the skills and abilities required to do the job. Rather, they are intended only to describe the general nature of the job.
This position will be open through May 30, 2026. Colorado law requires an estimated closing date for job postings. Please don't be discouraged from applying if you see this date has passed.
The above declarations are not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities of the job described, nor are they intended to be such a listing of the skills and abilities required to do the job. Rather, they are intended only to describe the general nature of the job.
Intrepid Potash Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants and employees are considered for positions and are evaluated without regard to mental or physical disability, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status or any other protected Federal, State/Province or Local status unrelated to the performance of the work involved.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA Employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.