Intelligent Optimization Lead, Continuous Improvement

Summary

Microsoft is seeking an Intelligent Optimization Lead, Continuous Improvement to make AI value compound across strategic customer engagements. The role establishes and runs a continuous improvement operating rhythm, redesigns workflows, embeds new ways of working, interprets adoption and operational signals, and transfers the improvement discipline to customer teams.

Responsibilities

• Establish and run the Continuous Improvement Framework as a permanent, always-on operating rhythm rather than a one-off activity, grounded in kaizen and strong facilitation
• Redesign and rerun workflows to outcomes, running structured improvement cycles in which each measurement cycle feeds and improves the next
• Solve the last-mile problem by embedding new ways of working into standard work, clear ownership, and a disciplined execution cadence
• Read the Copilot Dashboard and other measurement signals to find where usage is shallow, which roles are stuck, and where behavior change is or is not landing, and convert those signals into prioritized improvements
• Continuously refine prompt libraries, enablement materials, and agent configurations based on usage data and Work IQ behavior signals
• Detect and correct agent drift, retire or rework low-value agents, and direct further investment toward high-ROI agents
• Establish standard work, ownership, and review cadences that make improvements durable and repeatable across teams
• Facilitate improvement events and retrospectives that treat friction and feedback as inputs to the next cycle rather than one-off fixes
• Capture reusable improvement patterns and playbooks that raise the quality and speed of every subsequent cycle
• Transfer the continuous improvement discipline, cadences, and tooling to the customer's own people so the rhythm is sustained after the engagement fades
• Recommend and drive the discontinuation of workflows, agents, and enablement assets that are not returning value (including work the engagement itself originally built) to ensure capacity flows to the most important value

Skills

• * Master's Degree in Business, Engineering, Operations, Information Systems, or related field AND 4+ years experience in continuous improvement, operational excellence, process improvement, or transformation delivery + OR Business, Engineering, Operations, Information Systems or related field AND 6+ years experience in continuous improvement, operational excellence, process improvement, or transformation delivery + OR equivalent experience
• * Proven track record running continuous improvement or operational excellence programs that delivered sustained, measurable results
• * Hands-on experience with kaizen, Lean, or comparable improvement methodologies and facilitation of improvement events
• * Experience establishing standard work, ownership models, and execution cadences that make change durable
• * Experience with quality assurance or evaluation practices for production systems
• * Ability to read operational and adoption metrics and translate them into prioritized improvements
• * Strong facilitation and stakeholder-management skills across business and technical teams
• * Ability to work directly with operators and business owners to embed new ways of working into daily operations
• * Strong problem-solving skills in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
• * Lean, Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt), or equivalent continuous improvement certification
• * Experience improving AI or automation solutions in production, including managing model, prompt, or agent performance over time
• * Familiarity with Microsoft Copilot adoption and the Copilot Dashboard in Viva Insights, and with using usage signals to drive improvement
• * Understanding of agent operations, including drift detection, evaluation, and lifecycle management
• * Experience linking improvement work to value and P&L outcomes
• * Industry depth in one or more sectors such as Financial Services, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Energy, or Government
• * Experience transferring a continuous improvement capability into a client's own organization

Qualifications

Must Haves

• * Master's Degree in Business, Engineering, Operations, Information Systems, or related field AND 4+ years experience in continuous improvement, operational excellence, process improvement, or transformation delivery + OR Business, Engineering, Operations, Information Systems or related field AND 6+ years experience in continuous improvement, operational excellence, process improvement, or transformation delivery + OR equivalent experience

Nice to Haves

• * Proven track record running continuous improvement or operational excellence programs that delivered sustained, measurable results
• * Hands-on experience with kaizen, Lean, or comparable improvement methodologies and facilitation of improvement events
• * Experience establishing standard work, ownership models, and execution cadences that make change durable
• * Experience with quality assurance or evaluation practices for production systems
• * Ability to read operational and adoption metrics and translate them into prioritized improvements
• * Strong facilitation and stakeholder-management skills across business and technical teams
• * Ability to work directly with operators and business owners to embed new ways of working into daily operations
• * Strong problem-solving skills in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
• * Lean, Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt), or equivalent continuous improvement certification
• * Experience improving AI or automation solutions in production, including managing model, prompt, or agent performance over time
• * Familiarity with Microsoft Copilot adoption and the Copilot Dashboard in Viva Insights, and with using usage signals to drive improvement
• * Understanding of agent operations, including drift detection, evaluation, and lifecycle management
• * Experience linking improvement work to value and P&L outcomes
• * Industry depth in one or more sectors such as Financial Services, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Energy, or Government
• * Experience transferring a continuous improvement capability into a client's own organization