Global Operational Excellence Lead

RS UK & Ireland; Stockport; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

RS UK & Ireland is seeking a Global Operational Excellence Lead to drive transformation programmes across global teams, champion Lean and Continuous Improvement, and deliver measurable business value. You will lead Black Belt initiatives, embed a culture of continuous improvement with a strong focus on financial processes.

You will build capability, influence senior stakeholders, and guide regional teams in adopting Lean practices, while ensuring improvements are sustained in BAU operations.

Qualifications

• Experience leading global Lean/CI programmes and Black Belt initiatives.
• Proven track record delivering results on time and in full.
• Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead OPEX/CI programmes and Black Belt projects with on-time, on-budget delivery.
• Drive Lean Management System adoption and CI maturity across regional teams.
• Identify opportunities via value stream mapping and structured problem solving.
• Ensure governance, benefits tracking, KPIs and data-driven reporting.
• Build relationships and champion CI/OPEX across BAU operations.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

Global leadership

Stakeholder management

Data-driven decision making

Coaching skills

Value stream mapping

MS Office

Process improvement platforms

Education

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification

Master's in Operations / Industrial Engineering

Tools

Power BI

Hoshin planning

Job description

Location: This is a hybrid role, offering a combination of being able to work remotely and from our Manchester, Corby or London office.

Contract Type: 18 months FTC

The Opportunity

As the Global Operational Excellence Lead, you will lead high-impact transformation programmes that drive operational excellence, improve customer outcomes and deliver measurable business value.

Working across global teams, you will champion Lean and Continuous Improvement methodologies, lead complex Black Belt-level initiatives, and identify opportunities to enhance efficiency, scalability and future-state ways of working. With strong strategic and stakeholder leadership, you will influence change, build capability, and help embed a culture of continuous improvement across the organisation with a heavy focus on all Financial processes.

What You Will Be Doing

• Lead and deliver OPEX/Continuous Improvement programmes and Black Belt projects in line with governance frameworks, strategic objectives and Hoshin plans, ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery and sustainable business outcomes.
• Drive Lean Management System adoption, CI maturity and capability development across regional teams through coaching, training, certification, communities of practice and embedding a culture of operational excellence.
• Identify, prioritise and execute process improvement opportunities through value stream mapping, automation and structured problem solving, reducing waste, defects and inefficiencies while increasing customer value, scalability and process performance.
• Ensure robust performance management, governance and reporting by tracking strategic objectives, benefits realisation, KPIs, risks and project progress, enabling data-driven decision making and continuous improvement.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships and act as a CI/OPEX champion, promoting best practices, sharing success stories, supporting change adoption and ensuring improvements are embedded and sustained in BAU operations.

What You’ll Bring

• Strong Continuous Improvement/Operational Excellence professional with Black Belt (or advanced Green Belt) expertise and a proven track record of translating strategy into actionable plans and delivering results on time and in full.
• Extensive experience leading complex, cross-functional and global improvement programmes, managing priorities effectively, and delivering outcomes through others in matrix environments.
• Skilled in stakeholder management, influencing and partnering with senior leaders, with excellent communication, coaching and training capabilities across all organisational levels.
• Passionate change agent and process improvement champion who challenges the status quo, drives customer-focused solutions, and promotes a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Highly resourceful, analytical and resilient self-starter with strong interpersonal skills, adaptability, and proficiency in Microsoft Office tools and process improvement platforms.

We Are RS

At RS, we are making amazing happen for a better world.

As a global product and service solutions provider, we help industrial customers operate more efficiently and sustainably. Operating in 33 markets, we support around one million customers worldwide with more than 875,000 stocked products, access to over five million additional products, and a range of service solutions designed to help businesses thrive.

What sets us apart is our people. More than 8,500 colleagues around the world bring technical expertise, digital innovation, and a customer first mindset to everything we do. Guided by our values - We are one team, We deliver brilliantly, We do the right thing, and We make every day better, we're creating an environment where our people can grow, contribute and make a meaningful impact.

Join us and help make amazing happen.

Rewards

Our Reward Strategy Philosophy is designed to offer market competitive base salaries and provide all of our people the opportunity to participate in a short-term incentive, enabling them to share in the success of the Company.

Our total reward package is more than just the cash; our recognition and benefit offering provide the opportunity for us to recognise, reward and enable the wellbeing of our people at all stages of their journey with RS. Our rewards and benefits vary by country, but include:

• Financial - pension/retirement; life assurance; salary finance (payroll deduction loan scheme)
• Wellbeing - medical plans; health screening; critical illness; disability insurance; holiday / paid time off; employee assistance programme; discounted gym/health club membership
• Lifestyle - transportation assistance schemes (e.g., cycle to work, travel loans, car leasing); onsite catering/lunch vouchers; retail discounts
• Spotlight - our global recognition programme provides a platform to highlight and recognise people role modelling our values

Ready to Make Amazing Happen?

Join over 8,500 colleagues and help us shape the future of our industry. Whoever you are, wherever you are - it all starts here.