As stated earlier, being a champion or a black belt is not a part- time job. All the training and discipline just considered would be a waste of time and money if the champions and black belts didn’t put it to use right away full time. These are full-time jobs and, as such, must be treated that way in every respect by companies. To that end, you need job descriptions to define the positions of champion and black belt, in order to elicit interest from potential candidates.
Like any other job description common in business today, these descriptions need to indicate the title, level, reporting structure, purpose, responsibilities, and qualifications required.
By developing a standardized job description, you further indi-
cate the permanent, full-time character of Six Sigma.
The following examples of Six Sigma job postings should give you a good idea of what to include.
OPEN POSITION SPECIFICATION POSTING NOTICE
Position Title:Champion Organization Level:
Business Unit or Organization:
Location of Job:
Position Reports to (Immediate Supervisor): VP level or higher Position Purpose:The customers that form the enormous base of today’s world market are sending a clear and undeniable message—
produce higher-quality products at lower cost with greater responsive- ness. Numerous companies have heard this message and are visibly ris- ing to the Six Sigma challenge. For many, Six Sigma has led to the breakthrough improvement of business, engineering, manufacturing, service, and administrative processes. Of course, such a process-orient- ed focus leads to significant reduction in cost and cycle time; however, the principal focus is always on the continuous improvement of cus- tomer satisfaction.To this end, the Six Sigma champion certification program was conceived, designed, and developed. The intent of this program is to provide key individuals with the managerial and technical knowledge necessary to facilitate the leadership, implementation, and deployment of Six Sigma.The instructional goal is to transfer and rein- force fundamental Six Sigma strategies, tactics, and tools necessary for achieving breakthroughs in key product designs, manufacturing process- es, services, and administrative processes.To best support this focus, the program delivery has been structured into two self-contained seg- ments that, when successfully completed, lead to certification.
Naturally, the resulting certificate denotes and communicates a high level of executive commitment, dedication, competency, and leadership.
Qualifications (skills or talents) that a candidate MUST pos- sess to gain consideration for this position:
Must have demonstrated success of leading a team and key individuals to a business result. Demonstrated project management skills.Technical competence in basic statistical calculations and graphical analysis such as Pareto, time series, and correlation.The basic concepts of problem- solving and coaching employees. Proven track record in removing bar- riers and dealing directly with organizational issues to resolve conflict between and within functional groups.A leader that demonstrates
through actions and follow-up. Competent in basic budget and accounting principles within business units and between functional boundaries.
Additional qualifications that are desiredin a candidate and will be important in making the final candidate selection:
Managerial and technical knowledge necessary to facilitate the leader- ship, implementation, and deployment of Six Sigma.Ability to under- stand basic concepts and fit them into realistic implementation action plans. Clearly understands and practices business planning that links to company strategies. Ability to mentor and inspire key individuals and teams to reach new levels of improvement. Ability to negotiate within and between functional groups. A relentless desire to improve the cur- rent state of the business.A respected leader inside the company.
Ideally suited for the person who is given the task of implementing new projects or initiatives in the company with a proven track record for results.
OPEN POSITION SPECIFICATION POSTING NOTICE
Position Title:Black Belt Organization Level:
Business Unit or Organization:
Location of Job:
Position Reports to (Immediate Supervisor):Champion and Project Leadership
Position Purpose:Black belts are contributors from various disciplines who, when trained, become change agents for operational excellence. Black belts carry a very high level of peer respect and are clearly seen as lead- ers—they manage risks, set direction, and lead the way to breakthrough improvement.They are paradigm shifters to help others discover a better improvement process.They should be encouraged to stimulate manage- ment thinking by posing new ways of doing things, to challenge convention- al wisdom by demonstrating successful application of new methodologies, to seek out and pilot new tools, to create innovative thinking, and to serve as role models for others to follow in their footsteps.
Qualifications (skills or talents) that a candidate MUST possess to gain consideration for this position:
Possess process/product knowledge, basic statistical knowledge, organiza- tional knowledge, and communication skills. Perform work of analytical, detailed, and logical nature. Project management skills are required. Basic
Job descriptions are a good way to ensure that your candi- dates are actually up to the responsibilities; by specifying the qualifications necessary, you eliminate unqualified candidates or those with only a superficial interest. This is even more impor- tant when you consider the time and resources it takes to train black belts: you want to be as sure as possible that you will be investing in someone with the credentials and motivation to succeed in the long term.