Operational Excellence And Engineering Manager

3Recruit Ltd; Swansea; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

An international agricultural business in Swansea is seeking an Operational Excellence and Engineering Manager to drive continuous improvement and ensure reliable plant performance. In this key leadership role, you will lead lean initiatives, manage maintenance tasks, and promote a culture of operational excellence. Candidates should have a strong engineering background and experience in process improvement. This position is critical for maintaining compliance with regulatory and company standards.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in operational excellence and continuous improvement practices.
• Strong background in engineering and maintenance roles.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead rapid improvement events and root cause problem-solving.
• Coach and mentor Process Technicians in lean thinking.
• Manage and oversee maintenance tasks and site improvements.

Skills

Lean thinking

Root cause analysis

Process improvement

Maintenance management

Job description

Overview

Company Profile

A fast-growing, ambitious international agricultural business. We turn our passion for dairy nutrition into great products that advance the health and performance of ruminant farm animals.

Main Purpose & About the Role

The Operational Excellence and Engineering Manager is a key leadership position at the responsible for driving continuous improvement, ensuring reliable plant performance, and maintaining full compliance with regulatory and company standards.

Working across all site functions, this role leads the development and implementation of lean initiatives, preventive maintenance strategies, and engineering projects, while embedding a culture of operational excellence and 5S throughout the factory.

Through proactive maintenance, rapid fault resolution, and cross-functional collaboration, the Operational Excellence and Engineering Manager delivers safe, efficient, and sustainable operations that meet productivity, quality, and safety objectives.

Key Measures of Success

• Reduction in unplanned downtime and Mean Time to Repair.
• Improved PPM schedule compliance and completion rate
• Reduction in Safety incidents related to engineering or maintenance
• Improved Emergency response time and resolution effectiveness

Responsibilities

• Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement: Lead rapid improvement events (Kaizen events) and root cause problem-solving across production, quality, and engineering areas.
• Promote standardised work, visual controls, and waste elimination across the site.
• Coach and mentor Process Technicians in lean thinking, root cause analysis, and first-line maintenance.
• Engineering & Maintenance: Directly manage the site Maintenance Technician to deliver safe, compliant, and timely preventative and corrective maintenance.
• Manage Engineering and maintenance related contractors to ensure suitability for task and schedule frequency of work.
• Plan, prioritise, and oversee maintenance tasks, working with the Factory Manager and Production Manager.
• Oversee facilities management, including building maintenance and site improvements