Continuous Improvement Graduate

Wiltshire Farm Foods; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food supplier seeks a proactive individual to enhance operational efficiency in manufacturing. This role involves championing continuous improvement, training staff, and collaborating with leadership to drive strategic initiatives. The ideal candidate will have a degree in a relevant field and a passion for process optimization. Join a company dedicated to making a difference in food manufacturing and enjoy competitive benefits.

Benefits

Competitive salary

25 days holiday per year

Discretionary annual bonus scheme

Pension scheme

Life assurance scheme

Subsidised canteen

Free parking

Retail discounts

Qualifications

• Degree expected to be 2:2 or higher by August 2025.
• Confident working with large data sets.

Responsibilities

• Champion continuous improvement methodologies.
• Train and coach teams in Lean principles.
• Collaborate with leadership on strategic improvement programs.

Skills

Process Optimization

Lean Methodologies

Coaching

Data Analysis

Team Collaboration

Education

Degree in Engineering/Mathematics/Sciences

Job description

Overview

Join our team and play a pivotal role in driving a culture of continuous improvement across our Manufacturing operations. As a key change agent, you will assist in leading initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, optimize production processes, and empower employees with the skills and tools to drive meaningful improvements.

What We’re Looking For

• A proactive, results-driven individual with a passion for process optimization and operational excellence.
• Strong ability to influence and engage at all levels, from shop floor teams to senior leadership.
• Experience or knowledge in Lean methodologies and continuous improvement tools.
• Excellent coaching and training skills, with a talent for empowering others to embrace and implement change.
• A strategic thinker who thrives in a dynamic, hands-on environment, driving meaningful transformation within manufacturing.

This role offers a unique opportunity to develop your skills while making a tangible impact on our operations. If you’re ready for a stimulating challenge where autonomy and innovation meet, we’d love to hear from you!

Who we are

apetito is the UK’s leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors serving more than 1,300 care homes, health care and education settings.

Our meals are expertly crafted by our dieticians and chefs, and then frozen to lock in the goodness.

Wiltshire Farm Foods, our sister company, is the UK’s largest ready meal supplier cooking and delivering over 330 different delicious frozen ready meals across the UK.

Responsibilities

• Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence
• Champion the adoption of continuous improvement methodologies, implementing best practices to enhance manufacturing performance and maximize efficiency.
• Identify, develop, and implement solutions to optimize processes, mitigate potential issues, and drive sustainable operational improvements.
• Analyse process capabilities and collaborate with support functions to ensure stability, consistency, and standardization across manufacturing operations.
• Leadership & Culture Transformation
• Foster a proactive and high-performance culture, motivating and aligning staff toward operational excellence.
• Act as a visible and engaged presence on the shop floor, driving a positive culture shift with energy and pace.
• Train, coach, and mentor individuals and teams in Lean principles and process improvement techniques to strengthen organizational capability.
• Take a hands-on approach to leadership, guiding and influencing diverse teams to achieve first-time-right quality products safely and efficiently.
• Strategic Impact & Business Growth
• Work autonomously, collaborating with the leadership team to shape and execute strategic improvement programs.
• Provide data-driven recommendations to identify and capitalize on improvement opportunities within the business.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to reduce production costs while maintaining exceptional customer service, high-quality standards, and optimized production capacity.
• Assist in developing and maintaining a robust framework of tools and methodologies that empower the site to drive continuous improvement.
• Compliance & Quality Assurance
• Uphold high standards of Food Safety, authenticity, legality, and quality, ensuring compliance with factory protocols.
• Implement and monitor corrective actions, resolve non-conformances, and proactively address customer complaints.

Qualifications/Personal Qualities

Essential:

• Hold, or be studying towards, a degree in Engineering/Mathematics/Sciences related discipline with the expectation to receive a 2:2 or higher (graduating by August 2025).
• Confident working with large data sets and able to analyse them to determine any patterns or trends to support further work or solution.
• Comfortable of being “hands on” and working on the shop floor to further understand the problem and find solutions.
• Interaction with shop floor staff at all levels
• Organisational and time management skills
• Make and keep accurate records
• Strong attention to detail
• Team player, able to collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders to achieve shared objectives
• Confident to lead discussions and bring ideas together from different departments
• Passion for food manufacturing

Desirable:

• Project Management experience
• Working in a food production environment

Personal Qualities:

• Excellent analysis, problem management and interpersonal skills
• A completer finisher
• Self-motivated and able to own and manage workload with minimal supervision – a proven self-starter
• Able to demonstrate a structured approach to work as well as being able to work well in team environment and deal with people professionally at all levels
• Is effective at using oral and written forms of communication

Company Benefits

• Competitive salary – accredited Living Wage employer
• 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Option to purchase up to 5 additional days annual leave per year
• Discretionary annual bonus scheme
• Pension scheme - employer matched contributions up to 4%
• Life assurance scheme worth at least 1x annual salary
• Subsidised canteen
• Free parking
• Free turkey or voucher at Christmas
• apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts

Our Values

As a family-owned business, we take great pride in being a company that makes a real difference and is dedicated to creating outstanding meals to be proud of.

We develop a range of products designed to enhance health and well-being for all our customers.

We are driven by a passion for service, and dedicated to feeding some of the UK’s most vulnerable people.

We proudly support British food and farming, focusing on using the best ethical and sustainable produce in alignment with our goal to reach Net Zero by 2040.

Our ethical standards are recognised by the ETI and we are an accredited Living Wage employer.Learn more about apetito’s commitment to a more sustainable future.

We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff and we're on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.