Opex Communication Leader

Job description

This is where your work makes a difference. At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond. Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results. Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride. Your Role at Baxter As the Operational Excellence & Strategic Communications Specialist , you will play a critical role in driving site performance transformation through continuous improvement initiatives, Lean Six Sigma methodologies, and strategic communications. You will serve as a change agent who helps deploy and sustain the Baxter Growth and Performance System (GPS), lead business improvement initiatives, and develop communications that support organizational goals, employee engagement, and cultural transformation. Your Team You will partner closely with leaders and teams across Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and other functional organizations. Working in a highly collaborative environment, you will help align stakeholders, support operational excellence efforts, and drive sustainable business results through effective communication and continuous improvement practices. What We Offer Medical, Dental, Disability, and Life Insurance Coverage Vision Plan Paid Vacation Days and Paid Holidays Paid Parental Leave Retirement Plan Employee Stock Purchase Program Educational Assistance Plan What You'll Be Doing Support site performance improvement initiatives through the deployment and sustainment of the Baxter Growth and Performance System (GPS). Identify, prioritize, and lead continuous improvement initiatives that deliver measurable business impact and benefit realization. Drive cultural transformation through Lean, Six Sigma, problem-solving methodologies, and change management practices. Support achievement of GPS maturity objectives and operational excellence goals. Lead Margin Improvement Program (MIP/VCD) initiatives and contribute to annual savings targets. Support implementation and sustainability of Lean Daily Management Systems (LDMS) across organizational levels. Identify opportunities to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, material flow, waste reduction, and process efficiency. Facilitate operational excellence training programs and Lean leadership development activities. Coach leaders and teams on process ownership, standard work, continuous improvement, and sustainable performance management practices. Design and implement visual management systems and key performance indicators (KPIs). Support annual strategic planning activities, target-setting processes, transformation roadmaps, and organizational performance reviews. Develop, monitor, and communicate operational performance metrics to leadership teams. Strategic Communications & Change Management Develop and execute strategic communication plans aligned with business priorities, transformation initiatives, and organizational objectives. Partner with stakeholders to identify communication needs and create targeted messaging strategies. Convert complex technical, operational, and business information into clear, engaging, and actionable communications. Develop communication content across multiple channels, including email communications, digital displays, intranet platforms, leadership presentations, collaboration tools, websites, alerts, and video content. Lead communication efforts supporting business transformations, operational excellence projects, cultural change initiatives, and employee engagement programs. Manage communication review and approval processes to ensure consistency, compliance, and adherence to company standards. Measure communication effectiveness using engagement metrics and stakeholder feedback mechanisms. Advise leaders on communication strategies for organizational initiatives, milestones, and change management activities. Evaluate and implement communication technologies and channels that enhance audience reach and message effectiveness. Coordinate with external vendors, agencies, and internal partners supporting communication and engagement initiatives. Promote collaboration and alignment across cross-functional teams throughout the organization. What You'll Bring Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Communications, or a related field. Minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience in Continuous Improvement, Communications, Marketing Communications, or a related discipline. Strong knowledge of Operational Excellence, Lean, Six Sigma, and Continuous Improvement methodologies. Experience leading cross-functional projects and facilitating organizational change initiatives. Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills. Demonstrated ability to develop communication strategies and change management plans. Ability to translate technical and operational information into compelling messages for diverse audiences. Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills. Experience with business process improvement, root cause analysis, and structured problem-solving methodologies. Experience developing KPIs, performance dashboards, and business reporting metrics. Ability to effectively interact with employees at all levels of the organization, from frontline team members to senior leadership. Experience in technical writing, training facilitation, coaching, and performance reporting. Technical Skills Collaboration and communication platforms Canva and Adobe Creative Suite (including Photoshop) Presentation development tools Video editing applications Data visualization and reporting tools (preferred) Lean Six Sigma certification preferred. Experience supporting large-scale transformation or change management initiatives. Language Requirements Full bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish (written and spoken). US Benefits at Baxter (except for Puerto Rico) This is where your well-being matters. Baxter offers comprehensive compensation and benefits packages for eligible roles. Our health and well-being benefits include medical and dental coverage that start on day one, as well as insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance. Financial and retirement benefits include the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount, and the 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching. We also offer Flexible Spending Accounts, educational assistance programs, and time-off benefits such as paid holidays, paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service, family and medical leaves of absence, and paid parental leave. Additional benefits include commuting benefits, the Employee Discount Program, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and childcare benefits. Join us and enjoy the competitive compensation and benefits we offer to our employees. For additional information regarding Baxter US Benefits, please speak with your recruiter or visit our Benefits site: Benefits | Baxter Equal Employment Opportunity Baxter is an equal opportunity employer. Baxter evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic. Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal Reasonable Accommodations Baxter is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities globally. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please click on the link here and let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information. Recruitment Fraud Notice Baxter has discovered incidents of employment scams, where fraudulent parties pose as Baxter employees, recruiters, or other agents, and engage with online job seekers in an attempt to steal personal and/or financial information. To learn how you can protect yourself, review our Recruitment Fraud Notice .