Continuous Improvement Specialist

Be yourself at Protolabs

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a diverse team that feels they are valued in the workplace. So do you feel you do not meet every single requirement but still intrigued? We encourage you to still apply!

You can help make our company even better. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, mental or physical ability, or any way you represent yourself. We strongly believe diversity makes for more successful teams.

We are the leaders in digital manufacturing. We hire doers, makers, and creative thinkers who tackle our roles with an entrepreneurial spirit. Our culture is centered around meaningful work that brings new and innovative products to market at unprecedented speeds. We are a diverse team that comes from all walks of life and take pride in our team who is smart, genuine, humble, and passionate about what we do.

It’s our people who fuel our creativity and make our culture feel like home.

This is a hybrid position (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the office) based out of our Maple Plain location.

We are seeking a proactive and analytical Continuous Improvement Specialist to join our Customer Success organization. This role is critical to identifying and eliminating process friction, streamlining workflows, and driving efficiency for our 100-person team. The ideal candidate will help organize and prioritize improvement efforts, define system requirements, and free up team capacity to focus on strategic goals.

As part of Protolabs' Proto Excellence Business System, the role applies Lean and continuous improvement practices — a customer-value lens, structured problem solving, standard work, and daily management — to deliver measurable gains in service quality, speed, and efficiency.

• Shadow team members to understand current workflows, identify pain points, and uncover opportunities for quick improvements (“Kaizens”).
• Analyze the existing backlog of process issues to connect related items and identify root causes.
• Map current-state processes and collaborate with stakeholders to design and define ideal future-state workflows.
• Gather and analyze data from service systems (CRM/Salesforce, AX/ERP, eCommerce, and case/contact data) to quantify performance, size problems, and prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Work with team leadership to prioritize improvement initiatives based on impact and effort.
• Develop clear business requirements for CRM (Salesforce), AX (ERP), eCommerce, and other system enhancements, creating a prioritized backlog for the technology team.
• Act as a liaison between the business team and technical resources to translate needs into actionable development work.
• Partner directly with team members on specific projects to drive them to completion, including a sustainment plan.
• Perform hands‑on work to help clear obstacles and build momentum for the team.
• Participate in — and help develop and refine — team huddles and leadership meetings to gather information, provide updates, support problem solving and escalation, and act as an extension of the leadership team.
• Coach and support the team in continuous improvement practices such as structured problem solving, standard work, and visual/daily management.
• Help foster a culture of continuous improvement by identifying improvement opportunities and demonstrating the value of process optimization.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in business, operations,…