Continuous Improvement Manager - Food

Tesco; Welwyn Garden City; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company in Welwyn Garden City is seeking a Cost Management Specialist to oversee cost model management and enhance supplier partnerships. This role involves working closely with stakeholders to drive financial improvements and ensure adherence to best practices. The ideal candidate has strong financial skills, experience in a manufacturing environment, and a passion for continuous improvement. Competitive benefits include a 20% annual bonus and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Annual bonus scheme up to 20%

Holiday starting at 25 days

Private medical insurance

Comprehensive maternity/paternity leave

24/7 virtual GP service

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Strong experience in stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to interpret financial statements and reporting.
• Experience in a recognized manufacturing environment.
• Proven results using Business Improvement techniques.
• 5+ years in program/project management in Food sector.

Responsibilities

• Deliver end-to-end benefit through cost base program.
• Support Tesco product partners for financial improvements.
• Provide oversight on supplier cost base models.
• Participate in cross-functional efficiency projects.
• Ensure adherence to Tesco policies and codes of conduct.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Financial competency

Business Improvement techniques

Analytical software

Project management

Training and coaching

Tools

Microsoft Office suite

Job description

Tesco UK • Shire Park, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire • Permanent • Apply by 13-Nov-2025

The Tesco Sourcing team is at the pioneering edge of Sourcing strategy, Cost Modelling, End to End efficiencies and Price Risk Management within the Retail sector.

This role will offer the chance to develop world class cost model management and exposure to industry leading end to end analysis.

This is also a fantastic opportunity to grow in a fast-paced environment, helping reshape the way we work through structured governance and develop our supplier partners!

What is in it for you

• Annual bonus scheme of up to 20% of base salary
• Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (plus Bank holidays)
• Private medical insurance
• 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave (after 1 years' service) at full pay, followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay, we also offer 6 weeks fully paid paternity leave
• Free 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for you and your family, free access to a range of experts to support your mental wellbeing

You will be responsible for

• Delivering end to end benefit through our cost base programme reviewing supply chain from Raw Material, Inbound Logistics, Processing and Distribution.
• Supporting and stretching Tesco product partners to support unlocking stretching site financial business improvements, supporting return on investment programmes.
• Providing independent oversight on supplier cost base models, identifying impacts and P&L drivers.
• Being an active member across the Tesco group, supplying to and drawing from best practice standards to help drive coordinated group-wide performance improvement.
• Supporting our sourcing team and own brand supply strategy decisions as well as buying teams with industry expertise and intelligence on raw materials and industry/supplier cost structures, P&L.
• Preparing periodic briefings to categories and senior management.
• Participating in cross-functional deep dive projects to drive large scale efficiency across the business.
• Working with our supplier/partner to assess cost drivers, business models and review capacity models - on site and off site at factories and distribution centres.
• Managing of projects holding stakeholders to account regarding critical paths.
• Continuous improvement of our approach and ability to collaborate cross-functions.
• Adhering to all Tesco policies, GSCoP and our Business Code of Conduct, always acting with integrity and due diligence.

You will need

• Strong stakeholder engagement experience.
• Strong financial competency, understanding and ability to interpret financial statements and reporting.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment, recognised as a world class or lean organisation.
• Experience of delivering results using Business Improvement techniques.
• Experience within leading teams through business process changes and site improvement plans.
• Skilled in analytical software plus competent user of Microsoft Office suite.
• Proven experience to be able to deliver training, coach others and facilitate group problem solving sessions.
• Program and project management experience. These may be trained or developed however the ideal candidate would have 5 years experience within Food (Short life).

#LI-HA1 #LI-Hybrid

About us

You might know us as a supermarket, technology company or even for our award-winning mobile network. Truth is, we're all of those things, and much more. Our colleagues work with one goal in mind, helping to make every day a little better for our customers, colleagues and communities all over the world. No two customers are the same, neither are our colleagues.

At Tesco, we champion a balance that lets you thrive both in and out of work. Spend 60% of your week collaborating with colleagues at our office locations or local sites and the rest remotely. Whether you're just kicking off your career, juggling passions, or navigating big life events, we're here to support you. We always welcome a conversation about flexible working, so talk to us throughout your application about how we can support.

We're proud to be an accredited Disability Confident Leader, where everyone's welcome. That's why we commit to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you need support with your application, click here for more information. And if you're interested in joining our team but don't tick every box, don't let that hold you back from applying.