Master Black Belt

A Master Black Belt is an individual who has been certified to train other black belts. Black belts are the trainers and continuous improvement team coaches for a company.

Having a Master Black Belt is a credential. It is not a job title. Many who attain that level do, however, end up committed to a career in continuous improvement roles. You might see a Master Black Belt as a Lean Manager, Director of Continuous Improvement, or Vice President of Operational Excellence.

But they also end up in more general senior roles where they use their continuous improvement expertise to support the Lean or Six Sigma strategy for a large swath of the organization.

Master Black Belt Responsibilities

Master Black Belts have a wide range of responsibilities.

1. MBBs perform a “train the trainer” function and get black belts up to speed.
2. MBBs manage the Lean training materials in the organization.
3. MBBs act as mentors to the senior leadership team to help them develop the continuous improvement strategy.
4. MBBs lead the most important or challenging projects in an organization.
5. MBBs roll out improvement efforts in newly acquired companies.

Belt System Overview

The belt ranks are as follows:

• Yellow Belt: Team participant
• Green Belt: Team leader
• Black Belt: Trainer/Coach/Facilitator
• Master Black Belt: Strategist/Train the Trainer/Mentor

Note that there is no governing body for belt certifications. They are attained through private training companies, professional organizations, or through a company certifying its own employees. Take certifications with a grain of salt and confirm the reputation of the source.