Continuous Improvement Manager

Charlie Bigham's | B-Corp; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Charlie Bigham's London Kitchen is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager to lead the CI strategy, drive Operational Excellence and support the London Roadmap. Working with the Leadership Team, you will embed lean across safety, quality, delivery and people performance.

You will coach leaders, facilitate structured problem solving (RCA, 5 Whys) and build a London CI roadmap, delivering measurable benefits.

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering operational improvement projects in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong background in Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence and structured problem solving.
• Experience leading cross-functional improvement programmes and embedding sustainable change.
• Experience in food manufacturing or fast-paced FMCG preferred.
• Experience leading organisational change and delivering measurable business improvements.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders and working across multiple functions.
• Understanding of retail supply chains.
• Experience using operational data and KPIs to identify and prioritise improvement opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver the London Continuous Improvement Strategy aligned to the FY27 Roadmap.
• Act as a member of the London Leadership Team, contributing to the overall leadership, performance and culture of the site.
• Lead the implementation of Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence across all site functions.
• Develop and maintain the London Continuous Improvement roadmap, ensuring priorities deliver measurable business benefits.
• Partner with functional leaders to improve Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People performance.
• Lead structured problem solving and facilitate cross-functional improvement projects.
• Build continuous improvement capability across the organisation through coaching, training and standardisation.
• Ensure improvements are sustainable and maintain Bigham's standards for Safety, Quality and Food Integrity.
• Lead the London Efficiency programme, ensuring initiatives are prioritised, delivered and benefits are tracked.
• Lead cross-functional improvement projects from concept through to implementation.
• Organise and manage process trials and testing of new methods, equipment or systems.
• Coordinate cross-functional input where required to ensure successful delivery.
• Ensure improvement initiatives are delivered safely on time and with minimal operational disruption.
• Prioritise improvement projects aligned to the London Roadmap and annual business objectives.
• Lead cross-functional transformation projects involving multiple departments.
• Ensure benefits are measured and sustained after implementation.
• Coach leaders in root cause analysis and continuous improvement tools.
• Develop Continuous Improvement capability across the organisation through coaching, training and knowledge sharing.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and ownership of problems across the organisation.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Operational Excellence

Root Cause Analysis

5 Whys

Process mapping

Standard work

Visual management

Data interpretation

MS Excel

Communication

Facilitation

Project management

Financial awareness

Decision making

Tools

MS Excel

Job description

Job Introduction We are looking for a Continuous Improvement Manager who will be responsible for leading the Continuous Improvement strategy for the London Kitchen, driving Operational Excellence and supporting the delivery of the London Roadmap. Job Introduction We are looking for a Continuous Improvement Manager who will be responsible for leading the Continuous Improvement strategy for the London Kitchen, driving Operational Excellence and supporting the delivery of the London Roadmap. As a member of the London Leadership Team, the role will work cross-functionally to improve safety, quality, service, cost and people performance through Lean Manufacturing, structured problem solving and effective change management. The role will provide strategic leadership for the site's improvement agenda, ensuring continuous improvement is embedded across all functions and aligned to the site's business priorities. Working closely with the Leadership Team, the role will identify and prioritise improvement opportunities, deliver sustainable business improvements and embed a culture of continuous improvement across the site. Role Responsibility Key Accountabilities

• Own and deliver the London Continuous Improvement Strategy aligned to the FY27 Roadmap.
• Act as a member of the London Leadership Team, contributing to the overall leadership, performance and culture of the site.
• Lead the implementation of Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence across all site functions.
• Develop and maintain the London Continuous Improvement roadmap, ensuring priorities deliver measurable business benefits.
• Partner with functional leaders to improve Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People performance.
• Lead structured problem solving and facilitate cross-functional improvement projects.
• Build continuous improvement capability across the organisation through coaching, training and standardisation.
• Ensure improvements are sustainable and maintain Bigham's standards for Safety, Quality and Food Integrity.

Key Responsibilities Leadership:

• Actively contribute as a member of the London Leadership Team.
• Own the governance and reporting of the London Continuous Improvement Roadmap, ensuring benefits are tracked and delivered.
• Challenge existing ways of working and identify opportunities to improve business performance.
• Use data and operational insight to influence business decisions.
• Build strong relationships across Engineering, Supply Chain, Technical, Food, Finance and People.
• Promote collaboration and accountability across the Leadership Team.
• Lead site-wide change programmes and support organisational transformation.

Continuous Improvement & Lean Implementation

• Implement Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence tools, including:
• Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
• 5 Whys.
• Process mapping.
• Standard work.
• Visual management.
• Facilitate structured problem-solving sessions and continuous improvement workshops across the site.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, efficiency, quality, service, safety and cost across the business.
• Partner with functional leaders to improve operational performance across the site.
• Develop and implement standardised processes to ensure improvements are sustained.

Operational Performance & Analysis

• Analyse operational data to identify performance gaps and improvement opportunities.
• Use data to identify root causes of operational losses, including downtime, waste and yield loss.
• Build clear business cases for improvement initiatives where required.
• Track and report the impact of CI initiatives on operational performance.
• Develop and maintain site performance dashboards and identify strategic improvement opportunities.
• Present improvement plans and progress through Leadership Team and KPM reviews.
• Measure and report financial and operational benefits delivered through CI initiatives.

Project Delivery

• Lead the London Efficiency programme, ensuring initiatives are prioritised, delivered and benefits are tracked.
• Lead cross-functional improvement projects from concept through to implementation.
• Organise and manage process trials and testing of new methods, equipment or systems.
• Coordinate cross-functional input where required to ensure successful delivery.
• Ensure improvement initiatives are delivered safely on time and with minimal operational disruption.
• Prioritise improvement projects aligned to the London Roadmap and annual business objectives.
• Lead cross-functional transformation projects involving multiple departments.
• Ensure benefits are measured and sustained after implementation.

Capability Building

• Coach leaders in root cause analysis and continuous improvement tools.
• Develop Continuous Improvement capability across the organisation through coaching, training and knowledge sharing.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and ownership of problems across the organisation.

The Ideal Candidate Experience

• Proven experience delivering operational improvement projects in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong background in Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence and structured problem solving.
• Experience leading cross-functional improvement programmes and embedding sustainable change.
• Experience in food manufacturing or fast-paced FMCG preferred.
• Experience leading organisational change and delivering
• measurable business improvements.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders and working across multiple functions.
• Understanding of retail supply chains.
• Experience using operational data and KPIs to identify and prioritise improvement opportunities.

Skills

• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing methodologies.
• Highly skilled in Root Cause Analysis and structured problem solving.
• Strong analytical and data interpretation capability.
• Advanced MS Excel.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• Strong facilitation skills for workshops and leadership discussions.
• Strong project management and organisational skills.
• Financial awareness and ability to develop business cases.
• Ability to make clear, evidence-based decisions in complex situations.

Attributes

• Passion for Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence.
• Hands-on and comfortable working on the factory floor.
• Collaborative leader who builds strong relationships across functions.
• Self-motivated and proactive.
• Calm and logical thinker.
• Positive, resilient and solutions focused.
• Leads by example and drives accountability.
• Commercially aware with a strong focus on delivering measurable business results.