Operational Excellence Coordinator

The Compleat Food Group; Crewe; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food company in Crewe seeks an Operational Excellence Coordinator to enhance site performance and drive improvement initiatives. Responsibilities include assessing operational needs, leading projects, and coaching teams to adhere to operational excellence standards. The successful candidate should possess a degree or similar qualification and have experience in manufacturing, preferably in chilled food/FMCG. This role offers competitive pay and a range of benefits centered on both financial wellness and career development.

Benefits

Salary Sacrifice Schemes

33 days annual leave

Enhanced retail discounts

Free product handouts

EV charging points

Qualifications

• Degree level qualification not limited to specific fields.
• Experience in a manufacturing environment is preferred.
• Knowledge of Operational Excellence programs is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver operational excellence plans with site teams.
• Track benefits of improvement activities.
• Lead site improvement projects requiring cross-functional involvement.

Skills

Emotional intelligence

Presentation skills

Analytical skills (Excel)

Problem-solving

Driving license

Education

Degree level or equivalent qualification

Job description

Operational Excellence Coordinator

Location: Crewe

Working Hours: Monday – Thursday: 8:30am – 5pm and Friday: 8:30am - 4pm

Salary: Up to £30,000 - £32,000 per annum DOE

About The Compleat Food Group

At The Compleat Food Group, we’re proud to be a food business built on purpose and passion. Formed in 2021, we’re on a mission to create Food to Feel Good – great quality, tasty and affordable food that people love to eat.

We’re home to some of the UK’s most exciting and loved food brands, including Wall’s Pastry, Pork Farms, Wrights, The Real Yorkshire Pudding Co., unearthed, Vadasz, Squeaky Bean, Palace Culture, and Harvey & Brockless. Alongside our branded portfolio, we’re a leading supplier of delicious own-label pastry, sweet bakery, party food, olives and antipasti, added‑value egg products, continental meats, dips and sauces and plant‑based food to the UK’s major retailers, as well as across foodservice.

With over 6,000 talented colleagues across 17 sites, and an annual turnover of £1.3bn, we’re united by a shared ambition to shape the future of food for the better. We are backed by European private equity firm PAI Partners.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• The Operational Excellence coordinator works closely with the cross‑functional teams at site to design and deliver the site’s operational excellence plan, developing the site’s OE performance to deliver improvements in Cost/Margin while advancing operational maturity and competency.
• Perform site diagnostic/assessments to highlight opportunities for improvement in line with the budget setting cycle.
• Inform site leadership team and BU OE manager of the opportunities to allow opportunity‑based target setting in the budget cycle.
• Track benefits – ensuring all activity is tracked.
• Lead site improvement projects that are higher in complexity or require cross‑functional involvement.
• Set up projects with site team members for prioritised opportunities, ensuring charter in place and coaching the teams to deliver projects.
• Ensure strong site governance for improvement activities.
• Set up and sustain the site business performance management process to ensure robust performance management at all levels (handover, SIC, Daily, Weekly, Monthly intervals) aligned to the central blueprint standard.
• Deploy best‑practice operational excellence techniques within the Operations function through design, coaching, and training of staff (e.g., SMED, RCA, Mass Balances) to reduce waste and non‑value‑add activity/cost and align processes to central blueprint standards.
• Ensure central CI programmes are cascaded and aligned to local requirements.
• Perform Operational Excellence maturity assessments in line with central defined process and ensure site improvement plan is in place and progressing.
• Support the development of a CI culture, ensuring leadership process confirmations across site as part of the defined leader’s standard work.
• Competency development – establish competency requirements for identified roles across the plant and perform training needs analysis to ensure a site competency (for operational excellence) plan is in place.
• Ensure employees are trained to required standards and are effectively audited and signed off as competent.

Qualifications

• Degree level or equivalent qualification (specific fields not a pre‑requisite although engineering (Bio, Chem, Mech), manufacturing, food or technical an advantage).
• Experience of working within a manufacturing factory, ideally chilled food/FMCG an advantage.
• Experience with Operational Excellence programs (Lean, TPM, 6 Sigma…) with associated certification preferred.
• Good level of English in writing and speaking.

Experience

• Minimum 2 years employment.

Skills

• High levels of emotional intelligence with ability to engage others in the need for change.
• Presentation skills – confident communicator.
• Good level of analytical skills including Excel (pivot tables, formulae).
• Strong problem‑solving and logic reasoning skills.
• Driving license.

Why Join Us?

Financial & Lifestyle Benefits

• Salary Sacrifice Schemes – including Electric Vehicles, Home & Tech, Cycle to Work, and SMART Pension.
• 33 days’ annual leave (including bank holidays) with the option to purchase extra.
• Holiday discounts via our online retail platform.
• Access to enhanced retail discounts online and in‑store.
• Free product handouts across our sites, so you can sample and enjoy our delicious products first hand.
• EV charging points – available at selected sites.

Health & Wellbeing

• 24/7 access to Grocery Aid for free financial, emotional, and practical support.
• Physical Wellbeing Hub – free on‑demand exercise classes, gym discounts.
• Free diet & nutrition advice with access to thousands of healthy recipes.
• Online wellbeing support – from mindfulness to lifestyle resources.
• Financial wellbeing tools – including mortgage calculators, budgeting tools, and financial aid.

Career Growth & Development

• Access to a personalised online learning platform (LMS).
• Formal and informal training opportunities tailored to your role.
• Performance Development Plans and regular Career Conversations.
• Company Mentoring Scheme to add depth and really support your career journey.
• Recognition through Club Compleat rewards.

Community & Culture

• 2 paid volunteering days per year to give back to causes that matter to you.
• Charity initiatives and fundraising events.
• Team socials to connect and celebrate together.
• Employee networks & support groups – including Women @ Compleat.
• New baby gift for new parents.

The Compleat Food Group fosters an inclusive, respectful culture where everyone feels safe, supported, and valued. We welcome diverse talent, knowing it drives exceptional results and a better workplace. We are committed to Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect, ensuring all colleagues can thrive by bringing their whole selves to work. As an equal opportunity’s employer, we provide all the support you need to succeed. Contact us with any questions about Diversity & Inclusion or accessibility during the application process.