Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification can lead to valuable career opportunities in a wide range of positions at a broad range of companies around the world. With more organizations adopting Lean Six Sigma’s versatile performance optimization methods, Green Belt certification is a powerful asset in today’s job market.
What is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification?
Professionals with Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification have reached a significant milestone in the hierarchy of Lean Six Sigma certification programs. According to iSixSigma, a Six Sigma Green Belt is an employee who has been, “trained on the improvement methodology of Six Sigma and will lead a process improvement or quality improvement team as part of their full time job.”
Green Belt certification is a meaningful credential that distinguishes certificate holders from other job-seekers who may not be familiar with DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) and other key principles acquired through Six Sigma training. Though the highest strategic leadership positions are typically filled by professionals with Six Sigma Black Belt certification, Green Belts lend their talent to projects aimed at improving internal processes and increasing customer satisfaction.
Industries and Companies that Provide Jobs for Lean Six Sigma Green Belts
Industries that rely on the expertise of Six Sigma professionals include automotive, electronics, healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation. Green Belt certification is a requirement for many process engineering, quality assurance, and manufacturing jobs. Companies that hire individuals to fill Six Sigma positions include General Electric Co., The Hershey Company, 3M, Abbott Laboratories, IBM, Honeywell, Newell Rubbermaid, Wells Fargo, and Siemens.
Green Belt certified professionals also find opportunities in human resources. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, Six Sigma data analysis and process evaluation skills can reduce HR costs and be used to recruit talent or improve employee benefits.
Six Sigma Green Belt Career Opportunities by Job Title
Job duties vary by industry, but most Green Belt jobs focus on improving processes, managing projects, and analyzing data. Jobs for professionals with Six Sigma Green Belt certification include:
- Six Sigma Consultant Six Sigma consultants work closely with operations using their project management skills and business acumen to analyze current processes, challenge business assumptions, and make recommendations for changes that will improve work flow and reduce waste.
- Process Engineer Process engineers support a company’s leadership in evaluating internal process with an eye toward efficiency and quality. The median salary for a process engineer in 2016 was $70,876.
- Manufacturing Engineer Manufacturing engineers develop and optimize the processes used to design, build, and ship products. Six Sigma Green Belts in this role use their knowledge of lean methodology to troubleshoot problems and continuously improve the manufacturing process.
- Continuous Improvement Specialist Continuous improvement (CI) specialists identify and coordinate continuous improvement initiatives by collecting data and conducting root cause analysis. CI specialists make recommendations and share their findings with a company’s leadership.
- Quality Engineer Quality engineers are responsible for ensuring that a company’s products meet customer standards. Professionals in this role are typically involved with day-to-day operations as well as long-term improvement planning.
- Operational Excellence Manager Reporting to senior leadership, operational excellence managers work with team members at all levels to manage an organization’s Lean Six Sigma initiatives. Operational excellence managers are instrumental in the success of improvement projects.
- Industrial Engineer Industrial engineers assess production rates, product flow, and quality control processes to identify more efficient ways to use employees, equipment, and other resources to improve operations. The median salary for an Industrial Engineer in 2016 was $63,508.
- Mechanical Engineer Mechanical engineers focus on new products, tools, and devices. Using their knowledge of Six Sigma, mechanical engineers create product concepts, develop equipment, and test products.
- Reliability Engineer Professionals in this role develop reliability test plans for a company’s products and work with internal teams and customers to remedy any reliability concerns.
- Project Manager Project managers are responsible for leading and prioritizing projects of various size and complexity. Project managers use Six Sigma knowledge to optimize the processes and resources used to complete projects.
About Purdue’s Online Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Certificate Program
Purdue University offers comprehensive online Lean Six Sigma (LSS) certificate programs designed for working professionals with varying levels of Lean Six Sigma experience. The online Lean Six Sigma certificate courses prepare professionals to satisfy the immense demand for Lean expertise, skills and certification.
Purdue offers the following courses 100% online:
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
- Lean Principles
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Refresher
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