Associate Director, Lean & Manufacturing Excellence

AstraZeneca plc; Macclesfield; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca plc in Macclesfield invites an Associate Director, Lean for a 12 month secondment. You will partner with Process Execution Teams to drive operational excellence, embed Lean through AZSS, and deliver tangible site improvements.

The role requires leadership of cross-functional improvement portfolios, coaching Lean facilitators, and driving KPI performance across manufacturing. This fixed-term contract offers an impactful opportunity within a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Degree in a Manufacturing/Engineering field or equivalent.
• Proven experience leading Operational Excellence (Lean/TPM) and Digital Manufacturing initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing and supply chain processes.
• Understanding GMP, Safety, Environment, SOPs, regulatory standards, and project management.

Responsibilities

• Provide Lean expertise to support the development of the Macclesfield Operations Manufacturing Excellence strategy and champion workstreams.
• Lead PET Manufacturing Excellence plans aligned with site priorities and scorecards.
• Drive improvements using Lean principles, AZSS, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Build PET capability in Manufacturing Excellence, AZSS, KPI management and standard practices.
• Influence and improve ways of working by standardising processes with Process and Leadership Teams.
• Lead PET and site improvement portfolios delivering defined business outcomes.
• Represent PETs in governance and support BPM-related maturity of processes.
• Coach and develop Lean Facilitators to sustain Lean behaviours.
• Lead cross-functional improvement initiatives to enhance plant utilisation and reliability.
• Analyse KPIs to support operational targets and present actionable insights to senior leaders.
• Deploy PET continuous improvement strategies and annual target setting.

Skills

Lean leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decisions

Value Stream Mapping

Root Cause Analysis

Project management

Stakeholder management

Education

Engineering degree (Manufacturing/Mechanical/Electrical)

Tools

AZSS

Six Sigma tools

Job description

AstraZeneca plc in Macclesfield invites an Associate Director, Lean for a 12 month secondment. You will partner with Process Execution Teams to drive operational excellence, embed Lean through AZSS, and deliver tangible site improvements.

The role requires leadership of cross-functional improvement portfolios, coaching Lean facilitators, and driving KPI performance across manufacturing. This fixed-term contract offers an impactful opportunity within a fast-paced environment.