Operational Excellence Lead – Continuous Improvement

Consortium; Ashford; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Pension up to 7.5%

Life assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Company shop

Cycle to Work

Free on-site parking

Job summary

Premier Foods is seeking a Continuous Improvement Specialist in Ashford, Kent. You will lead CI initiatives across the site, coaching teams and applying Lean, Six Sigma and Kaizen to boost safety, quality, productivity and cost performance.

The role offers a Monday–Friday 37.5-hour week with some flexibility and a salary up to £47,000 depending on experience. Join a team focused on operational excellence and data-driven decision making, delivering sustainable improvements and engaging colleagues

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Manufacturing Excellence or similar role.
• Experience working within a manufacturing, FMCG, food production, engineering or operational environment.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing tools and methodologies.
• Practical experience of Root Cause Analysis techniques and structured problem-solving.
• Ability to analyse data, identify trends and make evidence-based recommendations.
• Experience facilitating cross-functional projects and improvement workshops.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to coach and influence teams to adopt continuous improvement practices.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and KPI reporting.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent qualification.
• Experience of Value Stream Mapping and OEE improvement programmes.
• Knowledge of food manufacturing, quality management systems or regulated production environments.
• Experience working within a matrix management structure.

Responsibilities

• Lead and facilitate continuous improvement activities for your area.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve safety, quality, productivity and cost performance.
• Analyse operational and manufacturing data to uncover improvement opportunities and support informed decision-making.
• Apply Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen and Root Cause Analysis methodologies to solve operational challenges.
• Facilitate workshops, value stream mapping exercises and structured problem-solving sessions.
• Coach and mentor Team Leaders, Specialist Operators and operational teams on continuous improvement tools and techniques.
• Support the reduction of downtime, waste, rework and process inefficiencies.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators, including OEE, yield, waste and productivity measures.
• Collaborate with Production, Engineering, Quality and Maintenance teams to deliver sustainable improvements.
• Support change management activities and help embed new ways of working across the business.
• Develop and maintain improvement documentation, including A3 reports, action plans and performance dashboards.
• Promote a culture of accountability, operational excellence and continuous improvement in your area.
• Partner with Finance to analyse waste, yield and cost performance, identifying opportunities to improve profitability.
• Support health, safety, environmental and food safety standards through active participation in audits, risk assessments and improvement initiatives.

Skills

Continuous Improvement

Lean Manufacturing

Problem Solving

Data Analysis

Project Management

Coaching

Microsoft Excel

Stakeholder Management

OEE

Kaizen

Tools

Value Stream Mapping

KPI Reporting

Job description

Premier Foods is seeking a Continuous Improvement Specialist in Ashford, Kent. You will lead CI initiatives across the site, coaching teams and applying Lean, Six Sigma and Kaizen to boost safety, quality, productivity and cost performance.

The role offers a Monday–Friday 37.5-hour week with some flexibility and a salary up to £47,000 depending on experience. Join a team focused on operational excellence and data-driven decision making, delivering sustainable improvements and engaging colleagues