Continuous Improvements Manager

Smurfit Westrock; Northampton; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Smurfit WestRock Northampton is seeking a hands-on Continuous Improvement Manager to drive our Lean and CI agenda on site. You’ll tackle waste, elevate OEE, and translate ideas into measurable improvements across the operation.

The ideal candidate will be data-driven, curious, energetic, and collaborative, with Lean experience in fast-paced manufacturing. Six Sigma or related leadership qualifications are a plus.

Qualifications

• Experience in Lean and Continuous Improvement, ideally within packaging or fast-paced manufacturing.
• Six Sigma, engineering, or leadership qualifications would be an advantage.
• Analytical mindset with data-driven decision making.
• Collaborative, hands-on on the shop floor.

Responsibilities

• Lead our site Lean & Continuous Improvement strategy.
• Identify and eliminate waste, losses, and inefficiencies.
• Lead improvement projects delivering real business impact.
• Improve OEE, flow, capacity, and operational performance.
• Use data to identify opportunities and drive action.
• Work across the site to build CI capability.
• Share best practice and foster a zero-loss culture.

Skills

Lean

Continuous Improvement

Data analysis

Six Sigma

Job description

Are you an ambitious manufacturing professional looking to hit the ground running, getting stuck into making this better?

We’re looking for a safety conscious, enthusiastic Continuous Improvement Manager to join our Northampton site and help drive the next stage of our operational excellence performance.

This is a hands‑on role for someone who enjoys solving problems, challenging the status quo, and turning ideas into measurable results.

What you’ll do

• Lead our site Lean & Continuous Improvement strategy
• Identify and eliminate waste, losses, and inefficiencies
• Lead improvement projects that deliver real business impact
• Improve OEE, flow, capacity, and operational performance
• Use data to identify opportunities and turn insight into action
• Work alongside colleagues across the site to build CI capability
• Share best practice and help create a true zero-loss culture

What we’re looking for

You’ll have experience in Lean and Continuous Improvement, ideally within packaging, corrugated or another fast‑paced manufacturing environment.

You’ll be:

• Curious - always asking “why?”
• Energetic - comfortable being hands‑on and visible on the shop floor.
• Ambitious - motivated to make a genuine difference.
• Analytical - confident using data to drive decisions.
• Collaborative - able to bring people together and take them with you.
• A problem solver - turning challenges into opportunities.

Six Sigma, engineering, or leadership qualifications would be an advantage, but we’re interested in your capability, experience, and mindset - not just your certificates.

Ready to make an impact? If you want to be at the heart of a manufacturing operation, influence change and see the results of your work every day, we’d love to hear from you.