Business Process Improvement Manager

Details

Airbnb's Business Process Improvement team improves processes across Community Support. The global team brings cross-functional partners together to operationalize new processes, analyze current processes for improvement opportunities, and scale solutions across a global network. The team applies business process engineering principles, Lean Six Sigma methodologies, systems thinking, AI-ready design, automation, and process simulation.

This senior individual contributor role within the Service Optimization team advances process engineering by designing systems that prevent problems rather than only improving existing processes. The role operates at the intersection of process engineering, systems design, and applied AI, including building AI prototypes to test and validate new process designs before full implementation.

Responsibilities

• Develop business strategies within Service Optimization and Community Support across people, process, and technology.
• Lead the operationalization of strategies across Community Support and cross-functional teams such as Policy, Finance, and Product.
• Lead complex, large-scale, cross-functional process engineering initiatives from problem definition through measurable outcomes.
• Apply Lean Six Sigma tools and a structured process engineering framework covering problem and system context, reliable and measurable solution design, operational implementation, and continuous evolution.
• Apply and coach others in systems thinking by mapping upstream and downstream context, identifying root causes, and tracing impacts before prescribing solutions.
• Design processes for AI-readiness and automation by default, ensuring they reduce agent and customer burden, are measurable from day one, and can be automated or self-correcting over time.
• Build AI prototypes using AI tools, workflow automation platforms, and lightweight modeling approaches to test new process architectures before full implementation.
• Use process simulation to model process behavior under real-world conditions and stress-test assumptions about volume, variation, and failure modes.
• Develop and improve Community Support process designs that document the full interaction across the customer journey, agent processes, product features, and policies.
• Implement process measurement systems, establish KPIs, deploy statistical process control methods, and track post-launch outcomes.
• Lead change management for process transitions and ensure adoption and sustained improvements.
• Build and scale process engineering competency, systems thinking, and AI-ready design across the team.
• Partner with Product and Technology teams to translate process requirements into tooling specifications.
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, Data Analytics, and Operations stakeholders to align priorities and make data-driven trade-off decisions.
• Communicate progress and findings to senior leadership through clear narratives tied to measurable outcomes.

Requirements

• Preferred bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Engineering, or a related field.
• More than 10 years of post-graduate experience in operations, process management, or process improvement, with at least 7 years in a customer support operations environment preferred.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification or equivalent process engineering expertise. Agile, service design, and Industrial and Systems Engineering experience are additionally valued.
• Practical experience building AI prototypes and proof-of-concept workflow automations using AI tools, no-code or low-code platforms, or scripting.
• Demonstrated ability to design processes for AI-readiness and automation and to engineer systems that evolve with AI capabilities.
• Proven experience applying systems thinking to process design and identifying upstream root causes and downstream impacts.
• Advanced statistical and data-driven analytical skills, including statistical process control, regression analysis, and measurement system analysis.
• Experience using process simulation tools to model process behavior, test design assumptions, and predict outcomes under varying conditions.
• Experience driving organizational change, including stakeholder alignment, communication planning, and adoption measurement.
• Ability to communicate with people at all organizational levels, including senior leadership.
• Ability to influence stakeholders, structure arguments clearly, and drive alignment to measurable outcomes without formal authority.
• Focus on end-to-end customer journeys and customer-centric outcomes.
• Experience developing business processes in customer support operating models that balance multiple stakeholder interests.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity with creative problem-solving, strong analytical skills, and a pragmatic approach.
• Proactive and autonomous, with the ability to manage multiple complex initiatives with minimal direction.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time.

Location

This position is US remote eligible. The role may include occasional work at an Airbnb office or attendance at offsites. Employees must live in a state where Airbnb, Inc. has a registered entity.

Benefits

The role may be eligible for bonus, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits. Airbnb provides reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process and is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

Compensation

The base pay range is $156,000–$195,000 USD. Actual base pay depends on factors including training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, and market demands.