Lean Continuous Improvement Leader

Thales Group; Oxford; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days holiday plus bank holidays

Pension scheme and life cover

24/7 Employee Assistance Programme

24 hours p.a. paid volunteering

Gym membership discounts

Job summary

Thales UK is seeking a Lean Leader for Crawley Manufacturing to drive lean culture and improve performance on the shop floor. You will embed PDCA, champion problem solving and lead cross-functional teams across production and engineering to sharpen operations.

You will work with Oracle, iObeya, PowerBI, Minitab and MES systems to deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, quality and cost, ensuring sustained capability beyond the role.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in Lean manufacturing and strong knowledge of Lean tools and practises.
• Exceptional problem solving and analytical skills.
• Real fluency and expertise in Lean tools: VSM, 5S, Flow improvement techniques, Visual Management.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute transformation activities that elevate efficiency and margins.
• Train, coach and develop the Industry team for process optimisation.
• Analyse and plan improvements aligned to Group strategy Thales Towards 2030.
• Facilitate a cultural shift towards Lean agility and operational excellence.
• Ensure Lean Continuous Improvement implementation with a structured, measurable approach.
• Strategically plan and coordinate all Lean activities across APRU and site.
• How success is measured: Delivery (OTDIF), Quality (FPTY) and Cost (UPC) improvements.
• Advancement of Lean maturity on-site.
• Deployment of TIOM Lean certification targets within 24 months.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Lean tools

Problem solving

Analytical skills

Leadership

Oracle

iObeya

PowerBI

Minitab

MES systems

Tools

Oracle

iObeya

PowerBI

Minitab

MES systems

Job description

daily operations, not just running workshops. You'll coach teams, lead transformations, and drive measurable results across Quality (FPTY), Delivery (OTDIF) and Cost (UPC).This is a hands‑on, high‑visibility role. You'll work directly with Site Production, Engineering, Our Autonomous Production and Repair Unit (APRU) Managers, Head of Industry and the UK Head of Lean Continuous Improvement – and your fingerprints will be on the culture, not just the metrics.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Proven experience in Lean manufacturing and strong knowledge of Lean tools and practises in general – Lean Six Sigma, Green Belt, Back Belt – or equivalent hard‑won experience
• Exceptional problem solving and analytical skills
• Real fluency and expertise in Lean tools: VSM, 5S, Flow improvement techniques, Visual Management
• Problem solving frameworks as daily habits, not slide content
• Proven success in low‑volume, bespoke manufacturing environments
• Demonstrated, ability to lead and influence at every level, from Location: Crawley, United Kingdom

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.

ARE YOU THE VOICE OF LEAN? LEAN LEADER - Crawley Manufacturing | Thales UK

We don't want someone who talks about continuous improvement. We want someone wholives it – on the shop floor, with the teams, every day. Thales UK builds technology that matters. As our Lean Leader in Crawley, your mission is to make our manufacturing operations sharper, faster, and better – for good.

THE ROLE

You’ll be the go‑to expert for Lean Continuous Improvement (LCI) across our Glasgow site. That means embedding robust problem solving (PDCA) and Lean thinking into production cells to cross‑functional teams including stakeholders at all levels, A builder's mindset: you leave capability behind, not dependency. Experience with Oracle, iObeya, PowerBI, Minitab or MES systems? Even better.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and execute transformation activities that elevate efficiency and margins
• Train, coach and develop the Industry team for process optimisation
• Analyse and plan improvements aligned to Group strategy "Thales Towards 2030"
• Facilitate a cultural shift towards Lean agility and operational excellence
• Ensure Lean Continuous Improvement implementation with a structured, measurable approach
• Strategically plan and coordinate all Lean activities across your APRU and site
• HOW SUCCESS IS MEASURED Delivery (OTDIF), Quality (FPTY) and Cost (UPC) improvements
• Advancement of Lean maturity on-site
• Deployment of the Thales Industry Operating Model (TIOM) Lean certification targets achieved within 24 months
• Proactive Lean activity engagement across all functions

  What we can offer you

  • 28 days holiday plus bank holidays
  • Pension scheme and life cover
  • 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
  • 24 hours p.a. paid volunteering
  • Gym membership discounts and employee discount schemes

  SECURITY CLEARANCE

  This role will require SC Clearance. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant will undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance. Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance. To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years. In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years' residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the National Security Vetting (NSV) Agency – United Kingdom Security Vetting – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

  Location: Crawley, United Kingdom

  Type: Full time

  Thales is an equal opportunities employer. Diversity and inclusion are integral to our success.

  At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all.

  The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role.

  We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are and the unique strengths they bring.