Continuous Improvement Manager

Zest Food Jobs; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Zest Food Jobs in West London is seeking a hands-on Continuous Improvement Manager to join the site leadership team and own the CI and Operational Excellence agenda. You’ll shape the CI strategy across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People, challenging the status quo and driving measurable improvements on the shop floor and beyond.

Working with Engineering, Supply Chain, Technical, Food, Finance and People, you’ll map root causes, lead Lean and problem‑solving initiatives, embed standard

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering measurable operational improvement projects.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing and structured problem solving.
• Experience leading cross-functional improvement programmes.
• Track record embedding sustainable change.
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills.
• Experience working with operational KPIs and performance data.
• Excellent communication, facilitation and influencing skills.
• Strong project management capability.
• Commercial awareness and ability to demonstrate financial benefits.
• Experience within food manufacturing or FMCG is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Own the site's CI roadmap and lead cross-functional delivery across Engineering, Supply Chain, Technical, Food, Finance and People.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence initiatives and drive root-cause analysis (5 Whys) and structured problem solving.
• Map processes, establish standard work and visual management to improve productivity and reduce waste.
• Drive site-wide efficiency, downtime reduction and transformation programmes.
• Develop performance dashboards and data-led decision making with KPIs.
• Coach leaders and build CI capability; sit on the Leadership Team to influence performance and culture.
• Ensure improvements are sustained and that there is ownership across the organisation.

Skills

Continuous Improvement

Lean Manufacturing

Operational Excellence

Leadership

Data Analysis

KPIs / Metrics

Project Management

Stakeholder Management

Job description

Continuous Improvement Manager | Food Manufacturing

West London

What if your next Continuous Improvement role gave you the opportunity to genuinely shape how an entire site operates?

I'm partnering with a highly reputable and growing food manufacturing business that is continuing to invest in its people, processes and future. As part of that growth, we're looking for an experienced Continuous Improvement Manager to join the site leadership team and take ownership of the CI and Operational Excellence agenda.

This isn't a role where you'll simply be asked to run a few Lean projects, produce reports and move on to the next one.

You'll have the opportunity to influence the direction of the site.

Working closely with the General Manager and wider Leadership Team, you'll own the site's Continuous Improvement strategy, identifying where the biggest opportunities lie and then turning those opportunities into measurable improvements across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People.

You'll be the person challenging the question: "Why do we do it this way?"

And, more importantly, you'll have the influence and credibility to help the business find a better answer.

What will you be doing?

You'll take ownership of the site's CI roadmap, working cross-functionally with Engineering, Supply Chain, Technical, Food, Finance and People to identify losses, understand their root causes and deliver sustainable solutions.

From the factory floor to the Leadership Team, you'll bring structure, pace and accountability to improvement activity.

You'll lead initiatives around:

• Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence
• Root Cause Analysis, 5 Whys and structured problem solving
• Process mapping, standard work and visual management
• Productivity, efficiency, yield and waste reduction
• Downtime and operational loss elimination
• Site-wide efficiency and transformation programmes
• Cross-functional improvement projects
• Performance dashboards, KPIs and data-led decision making
• Change management and embedding new ways of working

A major part of the role will be making improvements stick.

You'll coach leaders, develop CI capability across the organisation and help build a culture where people don't simply identify problems — they take ownership of solving them.

You'll sit as a key member of the site's Leadership Team, giving you a voice in the wider performance, culture and strategic direction of the operation.

That means this is as much about influence and leadership as it is about Lean tools.

You'll need to be comfortable challenging senior stakeholders, building relationships across departments and using data and operational insight to influence decisions.

You'll also have one direct report, giving you the opportunity to develop and lead CI capability within the site.

Who are we looking for?

We're looking for someone who has already built their career around Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing or Operational Excellence within a manufacturing environment.

You’ll ideally have:

• Proven experience delivering measurable operational improvement projects
• A strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing and structured problem solving
• Experience leading cross-functional improvement programmes
• A track record of embedding sustainable change
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills
• Experience working with operational KPIs and performance data
• Excellent communication, facilitation and influencing skills
• Strong project management capability
• Commercial awareness and the ability to demonstrate financial benefits

Experience within food manufacturing or fast-paced FMCG would be highly advantageous, particularly if you've worked within a retail-facing supply chain.

But above all, we're looking for someone who is hands-on, curious and commercially minded.

Someone who enjoys being on the factory floor just as much as presenting an improvement plan to the Leadership Team.

Someone who doesn't accept "that's just the way we've always done it" as an answer.

Why this opportunity?

Because you'll be joining a business where Continuous Improvement genuinely matters.

You'll have senior-level exposure, ownership of the site's CI strategy and the opportunity to influence multiple functions across a complex food manufacturing operation.

You'll be given the platform to take your experience, challenge existing thinking and leave a tangible mark on the performance of the site.

I

f you're an experienced CI professional who wants more than another project-based role — and you're looking for an opportunity where your ideas, leadership and ability to deliver change will genuinely be valued — I’d love to hear from you.