Continuous Improvement Lead

phs Group; Tamworth; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary

Company car or car allowance

Virtual GP

Buy and sell holiday scheme

phs Perks discounts

ILM training

Apprenticeship opportunities

23 days holiday + bank holidays + Buy/

Job summary

phs Group is seeking a hands-on Continuous Improvement Lead to work across the organisation, diagnosing issues and driving practical improvements that boost productivity and customer experience. You will lead cross-functional initiatives from discovery through to implementation, using technology and AI as enablers of sustainable change.

This high-impact individual contributor role involves influencing senior stakeholders and operational teams, turning priorities into measurable benefits while

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading improvements and transformations, including AI adoption.
• Ability to move from diagnosis to implementation with measurable benefits.
• Strong mapping, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage a prioritised pipeline of improvement opportunities aligned to the business plan and Executive Team priorities.
• Review end-to-end processes to identify inefficiency, duplication, bottlenecks and control weaknesses, then recommend improvements.
• Lead cross-functional improvement projects from discovery through to testing, implementation and benefit realisation.
• Develop clear business cases, delivery plans and success measures using data to demonstrate value.
• Identify where automation, generative AI and agentic AI can improve outcomes while meeting governance and security requirements.

Skills

Continuous improvement

Process mapping

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decision-making

Stakeholder influence

Tools

Automation

Generative AI

Agentic AI

Data analysis tools

Job description

About The Role

Continuous Improvement Lead

Based in South Wales or Tamworth

Competitive Salary + Company Car or Allowance

Fixed Term Contract, 1 year

Are you passionate about making businesses work better? We are looking for a hands‑on Continuous Improvement Lead to work across phs Group, identifying and delivering practical improvements that simplify how we work, increase productivity and strengthen the experience of our customers and colleagues. You will lead cross-functional activity from initial diagnosis through to implementation and measurable benefit realisation, using technology, automation and AI as enablers of sustainable change.

This is a high-impact individual contributor role with no direct reports. You will influence senior stakeholders and operational teams across the Group, challenge established ways of working constructively and turn business priorities into practical, measurable results.

The Continuous Improvement Lead role at phs Group will involve:

• 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 to 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.

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

• Proven experience delivering continuous improvement, business change, process improvement or operational transformation initiatives, including the adoption and use of AI.
• A 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.

Desirable:

• A lean, Six Sigma, change management or 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.