Continuous Improvement Lead

PHS Group Ltd.; Caerphilly; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Company car or allowance

Virtual GP

Holiday buy/sell

Employee discounts

ILM training

Job summary

phs Group is seeking a hands-on Continuous Improvement Lead to drive practical improvements across the business, from diagnosis to realisation. You will lead cross-functional initiatives and leverage automation and AI as enablers while ensuring governance and data-driven decisions.

Based in South Wales or Tamworth, the role offers a competitive salary, company car or allowance, and a range of benefits. You will develop business cases, map processes, and coach teams to embed new ways of working.

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering continuous improvement, business change, process improvement or operational transformation initiatives, including the adoption and use of AI.
• Track record of taking improvement activity from diagnosis through to implementation and measurable benefit realisation.
• Strong process mapping, analytical and structured problem-solving skills.
• Experience working across functions and influencing senior stakeholders without direct authority.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to connect improvements to cost, productivity, customer service, quality and risk.
• Experience supporting the adoption of new systems, processes or ways of working.
• A practical understanding of automation, generative AI and agentic AI, including how they can be applied safely to business change.
• Confidence using data and performance measures to identify opportunities, test assumptions and demonstrate impact.
• Strong communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to translate complex issues and technology into clear, practical actions.
• A results-driven, pragmatic and collaborative approach, with the resilience to maintain momentum across multiple and changing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Building and managing a prioritised pipeline of improvement opportunities aligned to the business plan and Executive Team priorities.
• Reviewing end-to-end processes to identify inefficiency, duplication, bottlenecks and control weaknesses, then recommending practical improvements.
• Leading cross-functional improvement projects from discovery and process design through testing, implementation, adoption and benefit realisation.
• Developing clear business cases, delivery plans and success measures, using operational, financial, customer and colleague data to demonstrate value.
• Identifying where approved automation, generative AI and agentic AI can improve outcomes, while meeting governance, information security, privacy and responsible AI requirements.
• Facilitating workshops, coaching colleagues and supporting teams to embed new tools, processes and sustainable ways of working.

Skills

Continuous improvement

Process mapping

Data analysis

Stakeholder leadership

Automation

Generative AI

Cross-functional teamwork

Problem solving

Communication

Job description

Continuous Improvement Lead

Fixed term contract for 1 year

Based in South Wales or Tamworth

Competitive Salary + Company Car or Allowance

Are you passionate about making businesses work better?

We are looking for a hands-on Continuous ImprovementLeadto work across phs Group,identifyingand delivering practical improvements that simplify how we work, increaseproductivityand strengthen the experience of our customers and colleagues. You will lead cross-functional activity frominitialdiagnosisthrough toimplementation and measurable benefitrealisation, using technology,automationand AI as enablers of sustainable change.

The Continuous Improvement Lead role at phs Group will involve:

• Building and managing aprioritisedpipeline of improvement opportunities aligned to the business plan and Executive Team priorities.
• Reviewing end-to-end processes toidentifyinefficiency, duplication,bottlenecksand control weaknesses, then recommending practical improvements.
• Leading cross-functional improvement projects from discovery and process designthrough totesting, implementation,adoptionand benefitrealisation.
• Developing clear business cases, deliveryplansand success measures, using operational, financial, customer and colleague data todemonstratevalue.
• Identifyingwhere approved automation, generative AI and agentic AI can improve outcomes, while meeting governance, information security,privacyand responsible AI requirements.
• Facilitating workshops, coachingcolleaguesand supporting teams to embed new tools,processesand sustainable ways of working.

The ideal candidate for a Continuous Improvement Lead at phs Group will have:

• Proven experience delivering continuous improvement, business change, processimprovementor operational transformation initiatives, including the adoption and use of AI.
• A track recordof taking improvement activity from diagnosisthrough toimplementation and measurable benefitrealisation.
• Strong process mapping,analyticaland structured problem-solving skills.
• Experience working across functions and influencing senior stakeholders without direct authority.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to connect improvements to cost, productivity, customer service,qualityand risk.
• Experience supporting the adoption of new systems,processesor ways of working.
• A practical understanding of automation, generativeAIand agentic AI, including how they can be applied safely to business change.
• Confidence using data and performance measures toidentifyopportunities, testassumptionsanddemonstrateimpact.
• Strong communicationand facilitation skills, with the ability to translate complex issues and technology into clear, practical actions.
• A results-driven,pragmaticand collaborative approach, with the resilience tomaintainmomentum across multiple and changing priorities.

Desirable:

• A lean, Six Sigma, changemanagementor project management qualification
• Practical delivery experience is important for this role.

In return for your commitment and expertise, you will get:

• Competitive Salary
• Company car or car allowance
• Virtual GP for you and your household
• Buy and sell holiday scheme
• Amazing employee discounts with major supermarkets and retailers with ‘phs Perks’
• Training to expand your skills. We offer accredited ILM training through external and in-house training
• Apprenticeship opportunities
• 23 days holiday plus bank holidays (31 days in total) plus a Buy / Sell holiday scheme
• Free Parking onsite so no parking costs
• Other benefits such as improved parental and paternity leave, a 24-hour wellbeing helpline, cycle to work scheme, pension scheme, life assurance and more…

About phs:

Phs Group was founded in 1963 and we are the leading provider for Hygiene Services in the UK, Spain and Ireland with over 90,000 customers across 300,000 locations incorporating numerous businesses during its 63 years of business.

Our businesses include: Washrooms, Healthcare, Floorcare, Phs Direct and Direct 365 (sale of consumables), Phs Greenleaf, Teacrate, Besafe, Wastekit and Compliance.

At phs, we pride ourselves on our diverse workforce, and ensuring we have an inclusive environment for all our staff. We remain committed to ensuring our teams can bring their true selves to work without risk or fear of discrimination.