Operational Excellence Partner – Continuous Improvement

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

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

8 bank holidays

Pension up to 7.5%

Life assurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Sharesave scheme

Company shop

Online retail discounts

Cycle to Work scheme

Free on-site parking

Job summary

Premier foods is seeking a Continuous Improvement Specialist to drive operational excellence at the Ashford site. You will lead CI activities, coach teams, and apply Lean, Six Sigma and Kaizen to reduce waste and improve safety, quality and productivity.

Reporting to the CI Manager, you will partner with Production, Engineering and Quality to embed new ways of working, monitor KPIs and deliver sustained improvements across the manufacturing operation.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Manufacturing Excellence or similar role.
• Experience in manufacturing, FMCG, food production, engineering or operational environments.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Lead continuous improvement activities for your area.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve safety, quality, productivity and cost performance.
• Analyse operational data to uncover improvement opportunities and support informed decision-making.
• Apply Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen and RCA methodologies to solve operational challenges.
• Facilitate workshops and structured problem-solving sessions.
• Coach and mentor teams on continuous improvement tools and techniques.
• Support reduction of downtime, waste, and process inefficiencies.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) including OEE, yield and productivity.

Skills

Continuous Improvement

Operational Excellence

Lean Manufacturing

Kaizen

Root Cause Analysis

Data Analysis

Stakeholder management

Coaching

Cross-functional

Education

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Premier foods is seeking a Continuous Improvement Specialist to drive operational excellence at the Ashford site. You will lead CI activities, coach teams, and apply Lean, Six Sigma and Kaizen to reduce waste and improve safety, quality and productivity.

Reporting to the CI Manager, you will partner with Production, Engineering and Quality to embed new ways of working, monitor KPIs and deliver sustained improvements across the manufacturing operation.