Continuous Improvement Manager - State Program Administrator Manager

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* Working Title:

Continuous Improvement Manager*
* ** Job Class:
State Program Administrator, Manager*
* ** Agency:
Department of Employment and Economic Development*
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** Job ** : 96307

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** Location** :
St. Paul

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** Telework Eligible** :
Yes, may be eligible for some telework

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** Full/Part Time** :
Full-Time

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** Regular/Temporary** :
Unlimited

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** Who May Apply** :
Open to all qualified job seekers

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** Date Posted** : 08/14/2026

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** Closing Date** : 09/08/2026

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** Hiring Agency/Seniority Unit** :
Department of Employment and Economic Development / Managerial

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** Division/Unit** :
Paid Family and Medical Leave

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** Work Shift/Work Hours** :
Day Shift

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** Days of Work** :
Monday - Friday

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** Travel Required** :
No

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** Salary Range:**  $41.58 - $60.10 / hourly; $86,819 - $125,488 / annually

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** Classified Status** :
Classified

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** Bargaining Unit/Union** : 220 - Manager/Unrepresented

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** FLSA Status** :
Exempt - Executive

+ Designated in Connect 700 Program for Applicants with Disabilities ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./connect
700/) :
Yes

** The work you'll do is more than just a job.*
* At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well-being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities.

** About the Paid Leave Division:*
* Paid Leave is a new program that launched January 1, 2026. The program provides partial wage replacement to Minnesota workers that are out of work due to a qualifying condition such as a serious health condition that prevents you from working, or when you need time to care for a family member or a new child.

We have built a program that is easy for every Minnesotan to use. We are engaging the people who depend on us: workers, employers, caregivers, and insurers, to learn from them and continue to improve the program around what they need. We are using modern delivery service and product practices to deliver the program.

The Paid Leave team has high standards and an unrelenting commitment to serving Minnesotans. It is a start-up environment without legacy systems or preconceived ways of working. Our aim is to deliver a service that delights Minnesotans.

** Position

Purpose:

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* The Continuous Improvement Manager leads the organization's business process management capability, ensuring operational processes are designed, governed, and continuously improved to support efficient, scalable, and customer-centered service delivery.

This role serves as the operational owner for end-to-end business process design, partnering closely with Operations, Product Management, Policy, Quality, Training, and Project Management Office (PMO) to ensure operational processes evolve alongside new products, technology enhancements, and policy changes.

Unlike operational leaders who are responsible for executing work, this role is responsible for designing how work should be performed. The position establishes Paid Leave process standards, drives operational improvement initiatives, and ensures operational readiness for organizational change.

As the organization grows, this role will build and lead the Continuous Improvement function, including Business Process Analysts and Continuous Improvement specialists.

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* Key Responsibilities:

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** Business Process Ownership & Operational Design
- ** Priority designing how operational work is performed. Working in partnership with Operations, Product Management, Policy, Technology, and other stakeholders, this position establishes the operational design required to deliver consistent and high-quality services.

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** Continuous Improvement
- ** Lead the operation's continuous improvement program by proactively identifying opportunities to improve operational performance. Through data analysis, employee engagement, root cause analysis, and Lean methodologies, this role drives measurable improvements in quality, timeliness, customer experience, and organizational effectiveness.

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** Operational Governance and Readiness**  - The Continuous Improvement Manager ensures operational processes remain aligned with organizational priorities and that Operations is prepared to successfully implement new capabilities. This role establishes governance for business processes, manages the operational improvement portfolio, and partners across the organization to ensure operational readiness for change.

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** Organizational Leadership
- ** The Continuous Improvement Manager provides leadership for the Continuous Improvement function while fostering collaboration, accountability, and a culture of continuous improvement. This role develops organizational capability in business process management, builds trusted partnerships across the organization, and influences strategic operational decisions…