Find the perfect Continuous Improvement Managers in Germany in minutes from over 15,000 CVs with the power of AI
Lean initiatives, Kaizen workshops, waste reduction, process mapping, and shop-floor or back-office transformation. Get fast, precise matching with vetted, available freelancers.
About the role
What they do
Continuous Improvement Managers improve how work gets done. They map current processes, find waste, and turn weak handoffs into clear routines. Companies bring them in to lead Lean and Kaizen work, fix recurring bottlenecks, and support change across operations, finance, supply chain, or shared services.
Typical deliverables
- Process maps and root-cause analyses
- Kaizen workshop plans and facilitation
- Improvement roadmaps and action registers
- Standard work, SOP updates, and visual controls
- KPI definitions and performance reviews
- Change communication for teams and line managers
Core skills
A strong Continuous Improvement Manager combines analytical thinking with calm execution. They know how to ask the right questions on the floor and in the office, then turn findings into practical fixes that teams can use.
- Lean, Kaizen, PDCA, 5 Whys, Ishikawa
- Value stream mapping and waste identification
- Stakeholder alignment across functions
- Workshop design and facilitation
- Coaching supervisors and process owners
- Clear documentation and follow-up discipline
Tools and methods
Many projects use process mining, Excel, Power BI, Visio, Miro, or ERP data from SAP environments. In Germany, freelancers often support plant teams, logistics groups, and industrial service units that need structured improvement work without adding long-term headcount. Some clients also ask for help in English and German when teams are international.
When companies hire freelance support
Freelance CI Manager support makes sense when the need is project-based, urgent, or tied to a specific site, audit, or transformation. It is also a good fit when an internal team knows the problems but lacks time to run workshops, gather data, and drive follow-through.
- Recurring process delays or rework
- A new site, line, or shared-service setup
- A transformation that needs quick structure
- Temporary coverage for an absent improvement lead
- Cross-functional work that needs an outside perspective
What strong professionals look like
The best Continuous Improvement Managers do more than point out problems. They get buy-in, document actions, and keep momentum after the workshop ends. Look for people who can balance data, people, and execution, and who adapt well between factory settings, office processes, and mixed teams.
A solid CI Manager or Lean Manager should be able to explain trade-offs, challenge assumptions without friction, and leave behind methods that stick. For German organizations, it helps when they understand local working styles and can collaborate smoothly with managers, operators, and specialists.
Meet FRATCH Continuous Improvement Managers
Carsten Nicklaußen
Interim Manager Production | Lean Management & AI Transformation | Process Optimization in Manufacturing/Automotive
Last position:
Production and Process Consultant at Self-employed
- Ramp-up management: stabilize launches - whether a new product, a new production line, or a series ramp-up - until the processes run reliably
- Production management and process optimization: improve lead times, inventory, and delivery reliability in a lasting way with value stream analysis and continuous improvement
- Solve process and quality issues at the root cause instead of fighting symptoms
- Anchor Lean and shopfloor management in day-to-day work with the leadership team
- Change management and stakeholder management: guide leaders and teams through change and involve the wider environment
Burak Karakoc
LSS Master Black Belt | Transformation Principal
Last position:
Lss Master Black Belt at ANUBIS Transformation Business School for Lean Management Six Sigma
Training wave for education of first transformation agents. Training of candidates in: Lean management, Six Sigma & data analysis, change management, rationalization meetings, conflict & crisis management, stakeholder management international, project management, cultural development, AI for OpEx. Strong response to training & certification concept.
Celestin Fayet
Senior Project Manager & Process Consultant | Quality Management | Six Sigma Black Belt
Last position:
Project Manager & Technical Project Lead at Faycestar-Engineering
- In this role, I led a funded development and prototype project with an external partner.
- I structured processes for time, budget and risk control.
- I coordinated alignments and reports with all stakeholders.
- I systematically prepared the next project phases up to pilot and planned scaling.
Wilhelm Kummer
Freelance Lean Expert
Last position:
Freelance Lean Expert at Science Management International Corporation B.V.
- SMCI project manager for the implementation of a Lean production system at a food manufacturer in Germany and the Netherlands
- Evaluation and analysis of the current situation in the four plants
- Advising the steering committee, developing a Lean roadmap with recommended activities, reporting to the COO
- Conception and implementation of a training program for 300 Lean experts and coaches in Germany and the Netherlands
- Numerous improvements on the shop floor, noticeable increase in motivation and commitment of individual employees through intensive involvement in the on-site implementation of Lean
- Shortening of set-up times and increased flexibility for smaller batch sizes through SMED workshops with cross-functional teams
- Handover of the project to a Lean program manager
- Start of Lean office in the laboratory, QM, product development, marketing, procurement, controlling, HR and IT
Paul Karnowka
Program Manager – Multi-Project Operational Stabilization (Operational Excellence)
Last position:
Program Manager – Multi-Project Operational Stabilization (Operational Excellence) at ITDZ - IT Dienstleistungszentrum Berlin
- Overall leadership of multiple strategic operations projects focused on workplace services, SLA framework, access management, certificate management, e-learning, backup & recovery, test management, and capacity management, as well as implementing system monitoring and feasibility studies for a 24x7 operation, partly including ServiceNow implementation
- Development of various ServiceNow operating concepts related to training, permissions, and emergency management as part of a new cloud-hosting initiative for the ServiceNow platform
- Board reporting and leading steering committees within the framework of corporate strategic objectives, as well as establishing new balanced scorecards to measure KPIs for optimization-driven project results
Eugen Pilarski
Interim Project Manager / Program Management / Operational Excellence
Last position:
Interim Project Manager / Program Management / Operational Excellence
Anand Rahul
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
Last position:
Freelancer Scrum Master, Mentor and Strategist at Confidential Fintec Startup
- Provided coaching and support to Scrum teams to adopt and implement agile practices effectively
- Analyzed business requirements and identified IT solutions to support business goals
- Evaluated existing IT systems and processes to identify optimization opportunities
- Managed stakeholder relationships and coaching
- Facilitated Scrum ceremonies and ensured adherence to Scrum principles and practices
- Identified and implemented lean startup process optimizations to improve efficiency and effectiveness of development and business processes
- Developed and monitored daily business strategies to ensure development goals were met
- Developed and implemented OKR strategies to align team goals with company objectives
- Tools/Methodology: Jira, Confluence, Miro, PowerBI, team building & mentoring, conflict resolution, impediment resolution
Sascha Mondon
Operations, Transformation, Lean & Operational Excellence
Last position:
Senior Director Lab Transformation (CEO Office) at Amedes Group
- Leading the group's transformation program task force on behalf of the CEO and representing the CEO at the sites on operational and transformation executive managerial matters
- Operational & (digital) transformation advisor to the CEO
- Operational stabilisation of the group during a group-wide Operational Excellence and Lean transformation program consisting of process improvement, digitalisation and sourcing consolidation
- Increasing efficiency through automation and AI application in close collaboration with the CIO
- Improvement of the central IT, Finance and HR departments
- Management of the OpEx Teams and advisor to the VP Operational Excellence
- Stakeholder management of shareholders, business entities and employee representatives
Petra Carlsen
Consultant, facilitator and coach for organizational and personnel development
Last position:
Consultant for Agile Leadership and Lean Management at flying anchor GmbH
- Consulting on Agile Leadership and Lean Management
- Facilitation of workshops
- Training and coaching in Agile Leadership, Lean Management and team development
Derek Micallef
Expert in AI Process Automation | n8n | AI Automations Manager | Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
Last position:
AI Automations Manager - Hardware Setup, Automation & Voice Agent at Autohaus Mazda
- Setting up new desktop computers
- Setting up a VPS for automation, databases and chat interface
- Connecting to Azure AI Foundry
- Developing various n8n workflows for email, social media and document management
- Implementing a QA system (backups, error handling, HITL)
- Setting up and optimizing an inbound voice agent
Thomas Meyer-Dethlefs
Operational Excellence Manager
Last position:
Operational Excellence Manager at Consulting
- Planning and implementing a management system in close coordination with the CEO as a member of the senior management core team.
- Appointed Master Black Belt to train Lean Six Sigma Black Belts.
David Gutjahr
Managing Director - Digitalisation & Operational Excellence
Last position:
Managing Director - Digitalisation & Operational Excellence at Dr. Gutjahr Engineering
- Process digitalisation: Designed and implemented advanced automation solutions for mid-sized businesses, integrating workflow digitalisation to reduce operational costs by 20% and boost productivity by 25%.
- Interim operations leadership (6 months): Stepped in as Head of Operations (production planning, purchasing, shop floor management) for a German SME; optimised processes, stabilised supply chain, and increased output capacity by 50%.
- Task force lead: Drove turnaround and recovery initiatives, securing production continuity and realising over €50M in supply chain savings.
- Solution delivery: Combined consulting, implementation, and interim management, delivering high-impact digital transformation projects from concept to on-site execution.
- Stakeholder management: Built close customer relationships, ensuring project success through transparent communication and continuous improvement.
Hardy Bürger
Project and Portfolio Manager
Last position:
Lean Portfolio Manager at HDI Global SE
- Establishing active KPI measurement
- Designing and continuously optimizing LPM processes for budget planning and controlling based on the SAFe framework
- Building and refining a dashboard to provide transparency into an ART's total costs
- Training PMs and ARTs
- Preparing all resource and budget planning
- Generating cost reports and forecasts and identifying action needs
- Establishing strategic portfolio management
Rana Mostafa
Senior Manager – Process Excellence & Change Management
Last position:
Senior Manager – Process Excellence & Change Management at Gropyus Berlin
- Spearheaded streamlined delivery processes for 3+ new product lines — reducing launch time by 20% and aligning product, sales & procurement teams.
- Led global, cross-functional and cross-border project teams across operations and procurement to enable go-live readiness, organizational agility and smooth implementation.
- Built Wrike-based tools that improved project visibility, tracking accuracy, and enabled digital collaboration across departments.
- Implemented KPI systems to monitor performance and drive process transparency across departments.
- Partnered with executive stakeholders to introduce reporting and risk tracking mechanisms for complex product rollouts.
- Championed continuous improvement by designing and scaling the company’s Change Management process.
- Drove digital transformation initiatives, enhancing operational workflows and supporting scalability across functions.
Volker Moos
Lean Consultant & Interim Manager
Last position:
Lean Consultant & Interim Manager at NStar42
- Self-employed interim manager and business consultant
- Support in restructuring, strategic realignment or process engineering for a scale-up based on lean principles across the entire E2E scope or specific segments
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Continuous Improvement Managers statistics
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
25 years
Position duration
2.9 years
Positions per freelancer
12
Top business areas
Operations, Project Management, Quality Assurance
Top industries
Manufacturing, Professional Services, Automotive
Certification focus areas
Quality Assurance, Operations, Project Management
Bachelor's degree or higher
95%
Master's degree or higher
55%
Doctorate
10%
Certifications per freelancer
4
Most common languages
German, English, French
Speak two or more languages
96%
Daily Rate Distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this role are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Average rates for Continuous Improvement Managers & Seniority distribution
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need clarity? Check out our simple overview of FRATCH
A Continuous Improvement Manager reviews how a process really works, not how it is described in procedure documents. They identify waste, delays, and root causes, then lead practical fixes with the people who run the process. The output is usually a clearer way of working, not just a report.
The core mix is process analysis, Lean thinking, and strong facilitation. A good candidate also needs stakeholder management, structured problem solving, and the discipline to follow up on actions. If the work touches plants or operations, hands-on shop-floor credibility matters a lot.
Often, yes in practice, but the title can signal a slightly different emphasis. A Lean Manager may focus more on Lean tools and production systems, while a Continuous Improvement Manager may work broader across operations, service processes, and change programs. In hiring, the real question is whether the person can lead improvements and make them stick.
A freelancer makes sense when the improvement work is tied to a project, a site launch, a turnaround, or a temporary gap in the team. It also helps when you need outside perspective and fast structure without a long onboarding cycle. Permanent hires are better when you need ongoing ownership of a mature internal program.
Common projects include production efficiency work, logistics flow improvement, shared-service process redesign, and quality-related root-cause work. In Germany, clients often look for someone who can work with industrial teams, speak the language of operations, and collaborate well with both local and international stakeholders. That is especially useful in manufacturing and engineering environments.
Expect confidence with process mapping tools, workshop boards, and data analysis in Excel or BI tools. Many roles also involve SAP-based reporting, Miro, Visio, or process mining outputs. The exact stack matters less than the ability to turn data into action.
Look for clear problem framing, good workshop leadership, and measurable follow-through. A strong continuous improvement lead should explain why a process fails, not just where it fails, and should leave behind standard work or controls that the team can keep using. References that mention execution and adoption are a good sign.
Both are possible, but the best format depends on the process. Analysis, planning, and stakeholder updates can often be done remotely, while observation, workshop facilitation, and team coaching usually work better on site. Many projects use a mix of both so the freelancer can see the real process and still move quickly.
The average hourly rate for Continuous Improvement Managers in Germany is 133 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 1,060 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers working as Continuous Improvement Managers in Germany, 95% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 55% hold at least a Master's degree, and 10% hold a doctorate.
On average, freelancers working as Continuous Improvement Managers in Germany have 25 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 2.9 years.
The most common languages among freelancers working as Continuous Improvement Managers in Germany are German (100%), English (96%), and French (20%).
The most common industries among freelancers working as Continuous Improvement Managers in Germany are Manufacturing (84%), Professional Services (64%), and Automotive (48%).
The most common business areas among freelancers working as Continuous Improvement Managers in Germany are Operations (96%), Project Management (96%), and Quality Assurance (76%).
FRATCH Continuous Improvement Managers main locations
Our freelancers and interim experts are at home across the DACH region — available on-site in the major business hubs or fully remote. Choose a location to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
Berlin Hamburg Munich Cologne Frankfurt Stuttgart Dusseldorf Leipzig Dortmund Essen Bremen Dresden Hanover Nuremberg Request a Free Demo
Get in touch with the FRATCH team and we will get back to you within 4 hours.
Would you rather directly get in touch?
We always have the time for a call or email!
Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
