Continuous Improvement Manager

Halfords; South Stoke; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company car

Annual discretionary bonus

Pension

Life assurance

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Job summary

Halfords is recruiting a Continuous Improvement Manager to lead Lean-based change across our garage services. You will travel to multiple sites, deliver efficiency savings, and partner with Legal, Procurement and Category Buying to optimise processes.

You will drive continuous improvements, develop business cases for strategic change, and work with cross-functional teams to achieve our priorities while maintaining high service standards for customers.

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering business change in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with ability to build relationships across functions.
• Experience within the garage services industry welcome but not essential.
• LEAN Thinking or Six Sigma qualifications desirable.
• Highly organized and detail-focused, able to manage multiple projects.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the Lean framework for change within garage services and drive multi-million-pound efficiency projects on time and within budget.
• Maintain a pipeline of improvement opportunities to enhance efficiency and reduce costs across garage services.
• Align acquisitions with operational processes to deliver strategic priorities.
• Create business cases for strategic change following governance processes.
• Ensure customers experience confidence in systems and services through continual review of practices.

Skills

Lean/Six Sigma

Change management

Stakeholder management

Project management

Communication

Travel readiness

Job description

About us

Halfords is on a journey - building the future of motoring and cycling and looking for people who want to help shape what comes next. We’re a place for co‑creators: people who want to make a real impact, take ownership and be part of something that’s still evolving.

As the UK’s leading retailer of motoring and cycling products, we’re supported by one of the country’s largest independent vehicle servicing, maintenance and repair networks through Halfords Autocentres. This breadth gives us a strong, stable foundation - and the freedom to keep innovating and growing.

That means real variety for our colleagues, along with the opportunity to learn, stretch and develop as the business moves forward. Whatever your role, you’ll be part of a team focused on delivering exceptional service - using your expertise to solve problems, guide customers and help keep the nation moving with confidence.

Please note: We are unable to consider applications for anyone who has applied within the last 6 months.

About the role

We are recruiting for a Continuous Improvement Manager to support driving enhancements across processes, equipment and infrastructure within our garages function. Your work will directly support this year’s strategic priorities by delivering labour savings, removing operational pain points and improving capacity. This is a fully cross‑functional role, partnering with colleagues across the business from field and garage colleagues to Legal, Procurement and Category Buying to ensure our operational processes and procedures are continually optimised.

As a field‑based position, you’ll manage your own schedule around project needs and visits. With around 500 garages across the UK, a company car is provided, and flexibility for occasional overnight stays will be required.

While a Southeast England location is preferred, this is a field-based role and we welcome applications from candidates in other locations.

Key responsibilities

• Responsible for delivering the Lean framework for change within garage services and the successful implementation of multi-million-pound efficiency saving projects on time and within budget
• Responsible for maintaining a pipeline of improvement opportunities that enhance efficiency and reduce costs across garage services.
• Supports the alignment of acquisitions with operational process that delivers our strategic priorities
• Responsible for creating business cases for strategic change in accordance with the current strategic governance process
• Responsible for ensuring our customers always experience confidence in our systems and services through continuous review of working practices and processes
• Supports the ongoing development of garage services operating models and maintains a One-Way culture
• Conducts continuous review of existing operational process across garage services ensuring that productivity and efficiency are always being challenged and that the voice of the colleague is played back into the Support Centre
• Supports the sustainment of strategic improvement projects through engagement and involvement of cross functional and field-based teams
• Works collaboratively with Garage Operations, wider support teams, field and garage colleagues to ensure that changes are aligned with strategic priorities, are well communicated and optimise the customer propositions requirement to deliver our customer experience and values commitments

About you

• Proven experience delivering business change in a fast‑paced / comparable environment.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build and maintain effective relationships across functions.
• Experience within the garage services industry, including knowledge of garage systems and processes, is desirable but not essential.
• A collaborative team player with a positive, proactive approach and a willingness to support colleagues to drive projects forward.
• Familiarity with standard project management tools is desirable.
• LEAN Thinking or Six Sigma qualifications are desirable but not essential.
• A willingness to learn, contribute new ideas and continuously improve.
• Highly organised and detail‑focused, able to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining accuracy and quality.
• Full, clean UK driving licence.
• A fair and competitive salary evaluated against market data, company car, annual discretionary bonus scheme, pension, life assurance, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and enhanced family leave.
• Commitment and dedication to your ongoing personal and professional development. We help you to own and grow your potential so you can be at your best in your current role and to support your future career aspirations.
• You will have access to a wealth of employee discounts across the Halfords suite of products and services.
• Wellbeing and inclusion are at the heart of our colleague experience. We offer resources and ongoing support to enhance your wellbeing at work and active Colleague Networks supporting inclusion initiatives across Halfords.

At Halfords we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for our colleagues. We're an equal opportunities employer and proud to welcome applications from all backgrounds and embrace diversity within our one Halfords Family.