Continuous Improvement Unit Section Manager

Continuous Improvement Unit Section Manager (Job  )

Are you ready to lead a team of passionate professionals who take pride in making a difference through public service? Do you thrive in an environment that values collaboration, innovation, and personal growth? If you’re driven by continuous improvement and enjoy helping teams reach their full potential, the Continuous Improvement Unit Section Manager position could be the perfect opportunity for you.

MISSION STATEMENT: Empowering all Montanans through work and opportunity.

DLI CORE VALUES:

• Respect
• Integrity

It's about the people and the impact we make in our communities every day. We are proud of our open, team-based, supportive, and collaborative work environments. Learn more about DLIhere.

As the Section Manager of the Continuous Improvement Unit, you’ll take the lead in shaping how the Employment Standards Division grows and evolves. You’ll guide a skilled, collaborative team dedicated to finding smarter, more effective ways to serve workers, employers, and communities across Montana. Your work will go beyond managing projects—you’ll drive innovation, foster teamwork, and turn great ideas into lasting results.

Through strategic planning and hands‑on leadership, you’ll help streamline processes, strengthen collaboration, and ensure every improvement aligns with the Division’s mission: supporting fair, safe, and thriving workplaces statewide. This is your chance to make a real difference—cultivating a culture of learning, excellence, and continuous growth within one of Montana’s most impactful public service divisions.

Candidates must demonstrate the ability to:

• Lead and manage by inspiring and guiding a diverse, high‑performing project team, ensuring their work drives progress toward the Division’s strategic objectives and goals.
• Provide effective leadership by fostering a culture of professionalism and respect, promoting collaboration, resolving conflicts constructively, embracing organizational change, and offering expert guidance and technical support to staff.
• Oversee daily operations by proactively addressing operational challenges, optimizing resource use, and strengthening cross‑bureau partnerships to enhance communication, coordination, and continuity of operations.
• Plan, organize, and monitor work by clearly setting priorities, streamlining processes, leading purposeful staff meetings, and leveraging data and analytics to advance program, Bureau, and Division goals.
• Manage staff by leading recruitment, selection, onboarding, evaluation, and performance management efforts, consistently upholding State and departmental personnel policies and standards.
• Develop staff by championing professional growth, coordinating meaningful training opportunities, and aligning development plans with organizational needs and employee aspirations.
• Provide project management leadership by driving the Division Road Map and other strategic initiatives, applying sound project management practices, and ensuring alignment with long‑term goals.
• Plan and facilitate projects by leading dynamic meetings and workshops, maintaining comprehensive project documentation throughout the life cycle, communicating progress and outcomes effectively, and ensuring resources are used strategically to achieve results.
• Collaborate with the Technical Services Division by connecting business needs to innovative IT solutions that enhance efficiency, service delivery, and overall performance.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate advanced knowledge and proficiency in the following areas:

• Leadership and people management: Principles and practices of leadership, vision setting, mentorship, and human resources management, including recruitment, onboarding, training, development, performance management, discipline, and off boarding, while building trust and strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strategic, business, and program management: Application of business and management principles to strategic planning, resource allocation, production methods, coordination of people and resources, strategic…