Continuous Improvement Lead

JR United Kingdom; Derby; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading snacks company as a Continuous Improvement Lead, where you will drive operational efficiency and champion team transformation. With a focus on Lean Six Sigma methodologies, you will lead impactful projects and cultivate a culture of excellence and innovation. Embedded in a collaborative environment, you’ll leverage your engineering expertise to enhance productivity and shape the operational future of the organization.

Benefits

Highly competitive compensation package

Opportunities for professional growth and development

BUPA Health Cash Plan

NEST Pension and Met Life Insurance

Digital reward platform with discounts

Qualifications

• Experience in manufacturing environments with understanding of production processes.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to influence at all levels.
• Hands-on approach with significant time on the factory floor.

Responsibilities

• Lead CI projects from ideation to execution with defined milestones.
• Identify and eliminate waste through time and motion studies.
• Train and coach team members to embed a mindset of continuous improvement.

Skills

Problem-solving

Facilitation

Analytical capability

Leadership influence

Team collaboration

Education

Degree in Engineering, Operations, or related discipline

Green Belt Lean Six Sigma (or higher)

Tools

Advanced Excel

Job description

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At Europe Snacks Ltd, we believe our people are our greatest asset. We pride ourselves on being a great place to work, having been recognised as an ‘Outstanding Workplace’ in 2022 and 2023. We live our values of Entrepreneurship, Excellence, and Care in everything we do. As a leading name in the snacks industry, we are committed to fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence.

The Role

Are you passionate about transforming operational efficiency and fostering a culture of continuous improvement? We’re looking for a Continuous Improvement Lead to join our Park Royal team and take ownership of driving productivity and efficiency across our manufacturing site. Reporting to the Head of CI, you will be at the forefront of applying Lean Six Sigma and TPM methodologies, shaping how we improve performance, reduce waste, and lead impactful change projects.

What You’ll Do

As our Continuous Improvement Lead, you’ll champion a proactive approach to operational excellence. You will:

• Lead Projects from Ideation to Execution: Take direct responsibility for CI projects, ensuring defined milestones, stakeholder engagement, and impactful results.
• Identify and Eliminate Waste: Conduct time and motion studies to uncover inefficiencies and improve productivity on the shop floor.
• Champion Lean Methodologies: Act as a subject matter expert in Lean Six Sigma (Yellow/Green Belt) and TPM tools, providing coaching and support across functions.
• Drive Standardisation: Lead on the development and monitoring of SOPs and internal policies to support consistent, high-quality outcomes.
• Support S&OP Integration: Align CI initiatives with broader business and operational strategies, contributing to performance improvement and growth plans.
• Influence Cultural Change: Train and coach team members to embed a mindset of continuous improvement across departments.
• Ensure Health & Safety Excellence: Take a lead role in identifying and eliminating H&S risks, raising near misses, and promoting a zero-tolerance approach to unsafe practices.
• Provide Strategic Insight: Analyse external and internal trends to shape future CI strategies and report performance updates to SLT and stakeholders.
• Control Costs: Help manage operational budgets and drive down costs through improved processes and reduced non-conformance.

About You

You are a motivated problem-solver who thrives on shop-floor engagement and results-driven change. You bring:

• A degree in Engineering, Operations, or a related discipline.
• Green Belt Lean Six Sigma (or higher) / TPM qualification.
• Proven experience in manufacturing environments with a strong understanding of production processes and quality systems.
• Excellent problem-solving and facilitation skills, with confidence in leading workshops and cross-functional discussions.
• Strong analytical capability and advanced Excel skills.
• Ability to influence, coach, and inspire at all levels – from shop floor to leadership.
• A hands-on approach: comfortable spending 60–70% of your time on the factory floor.
• A growth mindset and collaborative spirit, with resilience to challenge the status quo and drive continuous improvement.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a business that empowers you to lead transformation and make a real impact.
• Join a collaborative, people-focused environment that values innovation and development.
• Thrive in a company that champions diversity, inclusivity, and personal growth.

What We Offer

• Highly competitive compensation package.
• Ample opportunities for professional growth and development.
• BUPA Health Cash Plan, NEST Pension and Met Life Insurance.
• Digital online reward platform including discounts and multiple salary sacrifice options.
• Recognition, wellbeing, and engagement programmes that support you to be your best.

How to Apply

If you're excited by the opportunity to shape demand strategy, drive business-critical decisions, and collaborate across teams in a fast-growing, values-led business - apply now and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Europe Snacks.

Europe Snacks is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences. If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact us.

Please note, we are not working with recruitment agencies for this vacancy and kindly ask that agencies do not contact me directly regarding this role.