Lean & Operational Excellence Lead (36‑Hour Week)

Airbus SE; Belfast City District; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit sharing

Contributory pension

Share options

Flexible working

36-hour week

Job summary

Airbus Belfast Limited is seeking an Operational Excellence / Lean Expert to drive structured deployment of Lean standards and digital solutions across production and support functions in Belfast. You will coach site leadership, lead shop-floor improvement tasks, and integrate MES/SQCDP tools to deliver measurable performance gains.

The role focuses on developing leadership capabilities, standardising practices, and advancing continuous improvement across the site in a train-the-trainer model.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in Lean deployment and operational excellence in manufacturing.
• 5+ years of relevant experience with certifications (e.g., Six Sigma Black Belt, APICS, Kepner-Tregoe or equivalent).
• Experience leading workshops such as Kaizen, VSM, SMED, and 5S.

Responsibilities

• Define the Lean/AOS deployment architecture across plant or production areas.
• Coach site leadership and operations teams to embed standardized ways of working.
• Lead cross-functional task forces from diagnosis to implementation and sustain improvements.
• Facilitate Kaizen and value stream mapping workshops to eliminate waste and enhance flow.
• Collaborate with Quality, Logistics, Manufacturing and Engineering on digital solutions.

Skills

Lean manufacturing deployment

Operational excellence

Problem-solving

Coaching & mentoring

Digital integration (MES/SQCDP)

Tools

MES

SQCDP dashboards

Job description

Airbus Belfast Limited is seeking an Operational Excellence / Lean Expert to drive structured deployment of Lean standards and digital solutions across production and support functions in Belfast. You will coach site leadership, lead shop-floor improvement tasks, and integrate MES/SQCDP tools to deliver measurable performance gains.

The role focuses on developing leadership capabilities, standardising practices, and advancing continuous improvement across the site in a train-the-trainer model.