Operational Excellence Lead

BAE Systems Taleo; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Career development opportunities

Job summary

BAE Systems in Portsmouth seeks an Operational Excellence Lead to shape and deliver the organisation’s OE strategy, driving continuous improvement and leading the deployment of Sustainable Operational Excellence (SOE) across the business.

Reporting into the Head of Transformation & Improvement, you will lead a team of experienced Operational Excellence Coaches, influence stakeholders at all levels, and collaborate across functions to embed sustainable ways of working and achieve measurable

Qualifications

• Experience as an Operational Excellence Coach or has been coached during an SOE deployment.
• APM or equivalent level qualification is essential.
• Degree in a Business, Project Management or associated discipline (Preferred).

Responsibilities

• Developing and delivering the Operational Excellence strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and priorities.
• Leading the development, deployment and governance of the Sustainable Operational Excellence (SOE) plan across the business.
• Measuring, tracking and reporting the impact of Operational Excellence activity through defined KPIs and performance metrics.
• Leading, coaching and developing a team of 14 Operational Excellence Coaches and a Senior Project Professional, promoting a high-performance culture.
• Building and maintaining strong, influential relationships with senior leaders and cross functional stakeholders.
• Influencing, challenging and collaborating with key stakeholders to drive continuous improvement and business performance.
• Managing budgets and supplier relationships to ensure effective and efficient use of resources.
• Identifying and implementing opportunities to improve organisational capability, efficiency and operational performance.

Skills

Operational excellence coaching

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Mentoring

Education

APM or equivalent qualification

Degree in Business/Project Management

Job description

Operational Excellence Lead-00138439
This vacancy is not currently eligible for the UK Employee Referral Scheme.

Description

This vacancy is open to permanent and fixed-term BAE Systems employees only. While agency workers have access to relevant permanent opportunities, this role has been designated as an internal opportunity and therefore only permanent and fixed-term employees of BAE Systems are eligible to apply.

You’re expected to have completed 12 months in role prior to applying for an advertised vacancy and you should also discuss the internal opportunity with your line manager to ensure sustained business continuity and to further support your career development.

We know there may be exceptional individual circumstances that impact this, in the first instance please discuss this with your line manager.

If you don’t feel you can talk to your Line Manager, you can contact your HRBP.

PLEASE NOTE: Should you be invited for interview; you acknowledge that the Recruitment team will contact you and your line manager regarding your application for this opportunity.

Operational Excellence Lead

The Operational Excellence Lead plays a key role in shaping and delivering the organisation’s Operational Excellence strategy, driving a culture of continuous improvement and leading the deployment of Sustainable Operational Excellence (SOE) across the business.

Reporting into the Head of Transformation & Improvement, this role is responsible for defining strategic direction, influencing stakeholders at all levels and ensuring Operational Excellence activity delivers measurable business impact. Leading a team of experienced Operational Excellence Coaches, you will work collaboratively across multiple functions to build organisational capability, support strategic priorities and embed sustainable ways of working.

This is an exciting opportunity to develop your career within BAE Systems, offering significant exposure to senior leaders and the chance to influence performance and improvement across the wider business.

Your main responsibilities as Operational Excellence Lead will involve:

• Developing and delivering the Operational Excellence strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and priorities.
• Leading the development, deployment and governance of the Sustainable Operational Excellence (SOE) plan across the business.
• Measuring, tracking and reporting the impact of Operational Excellence activity through defined KPIs and performance metrics.
• Leading, coaching and developing a team of 14 Operational Excellence Coaches and a Senior Project Professional, promoting a high-performance culture.
• Building and maintaining strong, influential relationships with senior leaders and cross functional stakeholders.
• Influencing, challenging and collaborating with key stakeholders to drive continuous improvement and business performance.
• Managing budgets and supplier relationships to ensure effective and efficient use of resources.
• Identifying and implementing opportunities to improve organisational capability, efficiency and operational performance.

Your skills and qualifications:

• Experience as an Operational Excellence Coach or has been coached during an SOE deployment.
• APM or equivalent level qualification is essential.
• Degree in a Business, Project Management or associated discipline. (Preferred)

Location:

Portsmouth (Naval Base) domestic travel to other Defence Solutions sites.

Grade:

GG13

Flexible Working:

Attracting and retaining the sharpest minds is essential for a globally competitive business. Our aim is to recruit the very best talent and we welcome applications from a diverse range of people, from all backgrounds, with many different skills, experience and perspectives. We offer the flexibility you need to do what’s important to you, whether that’s job sharing, home working, or simply the ability to flex your start and stop times. Where practical, we’ll support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your full potential.

Maritime and Land Defence Solutions

As part of Defence Solutions, our Warship Support, Products and Munitions businesses play a vital role in ensuring naval forces remain equipped, ready, and capable across the full spectrum of operations, both at sea and on land.

In Warship Support, we sustain the Royal Navy’s surface fleet from HM Naval Base Portsmouth, from platform maintenance and system upgrades to deployed operational support, we work alongside the Royal Navy to ensure fleet availability and mission readiness. Our work ranges from routine dockyard tasks to complex engineering enhancements, keeping everything from T45 Destroyers to Type 23 Frigates and Aircraft Carriers modern, effective, and ready for operations.

Across our Maritime Products portfolio, we deliver advanced systems and equipment such as combat systems, sensors, propulsion technologies, and training solutions. From torpedoes like Sting Ray and Spearfish and mine neutraliser Archerfish to cutting-edge radar systems such as Sampson, Artisan and Commander Land our technology gives the Royal Navy and its allies superior detection, tracking, and engagement capability. These systems sit at the core of modern naval operations, ensuring platforms perform in the most demanding maritime environments.

We operate across the UK and are proud to employ skilled professionals across engineering, manufacturing, project management, logistics, and more. Join us, and you’ll contribute to critical defence programmes that protect national security and support front‑line operations.

There are endless opportunities to grow at BAE Systems, and we will build upon the diversity of your experience through supporting your movement across our organisation. Our mission is to support our colleagues reach their full potential and so you’ll always find something new that will continue to inspire and provide an exciting and varied career that continues to play a crucial role in creating a secure tomorrow for generations to come.

We believe when you bring together different people and different perspectives it inspires creativity and drives innovation. It helps us fulfil our purpose and it’s integral to our culture. We want everyone to be heard and respected, allowing us all to develop in an inclusive workplace and thrive together. We also want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified people, who are BAE Systems employees and have been in their current role for 12 months or longer.

Please be aware that many roles working for BAE Systems will be subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors including your nationality, any previous nationalities you have held, and your place of birth may limit those roles you can perform for the organisation.

Job

Project Management

Primary Location

Portsmouth

Organisation

Maritime & Land Sector (GSF)

Closing Date

21/Oct/26, 10:59:00 PM

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