Continuous Improvement Manager

Knauf Insulation; St Helens; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Knauf Insulation is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager to lead improvement initiatives within their Engineering Team. This role focuses on promoting a culture of continuous improvement, training teams, and optimizing processes to achieve sustainable outcomes. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, a degree in a relevant field, and experience in process improvement methodologies such as LEAN and Six Sigma.

Benefits

Enhanced holiday entitlement – 33 days including bank holidays

16 weeks of company sick pay after 3 months

Group income protection

Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption packages

Life assurance (4x salary)

Pension scheme

Staff bonus scheme

Career development opportunities

Employee assistance programs

Health plans

Qualifications

• Significant experience in process plant operations with a focus on improvement.
• Experience engaging personnel in process improvement activities.
• Ability to challenge the status quo constructively.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support improvement initiatives on site.
• Facilitate improvement activities and mentor teams.
• Provide technical guidance to the plant team.

Skills

Communication

Leadership

Problem Solving

LEAN/Six Sigma

Education

Degree in industrial or business discipline

Job description

Job Title: Continuous Improvement Manager

Knauf stands for opportunity. We recognize that opportunity varies for each individual, and we pride ourselves on seeing potential in everyone. This exciting role within Knauf Insulation's Engineering Team offers a chance to build a unique career in a values-driven culture with a clear purpose of creating a better tomorrow for all. We are a global manufacturer of construction materials, with 41,500 team members across 90 countries and 300 sites, providing vast opportunities for ambitious and energetic individuals. We value everyone's contributions equally and encourage you to bring your whole self to work, enriching our business as we achieve more together in a safe and inclusive environment.

Knauf Insulation is part of the Knauf Group. To learn more about our business, click here.

Are you the right fit?

• Do you have a strong drive for improvement?
• Do you prioritize safety?
• Do you possess effective communication and influencing skills?

As our Continuous Improvement Manager, you will lead and support improvement initiatives on site, collaborating with various business areas to achieve measurable, sustainable outcomes aligned with our Vision and Goals. Your role includes facilitating improvement activities, mentoring teams, and ensuring skills are embedded for the long term.

Key responsibilities include:

• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and support teams with knowledge of CI tools and techniques.
• Share expertise in continuous improvement to identify opportunities and define projects with clear objectives.
• Train and facilitate Kaizen events and other improvement initiatives.
• Provide technical guidance to the plant team and support process optimization aligned with business goals.
• Lead and support business projects, enabling teams to become self-sufficient in leading improvements.
• Ensure access to best practices internally and externally to maintain a competitive edge.
• Support personnel in Six Sigma training and application of related tools.
• Work with the Process Excellence Manager to keep CI processes rigorous and sustainable.
• Apply structured problem-solving approaches such as 5 Why, 8D, DMAIC.
• Always prioritize safety and influence safety culture across interactions.

Desired qualifications and qualities:

We value your attitude, behaviors, and values. Willingness to learn and adapt is essential. Additional advantages include:

• Experience engaging personnel in process improvement activities.
• Significant experience in process plant operations with a focus on improvement.
• Degree in an industrial or business discipline.
• Motivating leadership and communication skills.
• A comprehensive toolbox of improvement skills, preferably in LEAN/Six Sigma.
• Ability to challenge the status quo constructively.

We offer:

• Enhanced holiday entitlement – 33 days including bank holidays, with options to purchase more.
• 16 weeks of company sick pay after 3 months.
• Group income protection, enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption packages.
• Life assurance (4x salary), pension scheme, staff bonus scheme.
• Career development opportunities, employee assistance programs, health plans, and various schemes supporting wellbeing and sustainability.

Next steps:

We value your time and will respond to your application promptly.