Senior Process Engineer – Lean & Process Excellence

pladis; Carlisle; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

pladis is seeking a Senior Process Engineer - Process Excellence to lead hands-on process improvements across R&D and manufacturing. You will apply Lean Six Sigma, SPC and robust trial design to reduce waste, improve quality and productivity, and support new machinery and technology introductions.

The role reports to the Director of Process Excellence and requires collaboration with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain and R&D teams to deliver measurable improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, Manufacturing or a related technical discipline.
• Experience in process engineering, process improvement or technical trials within a manufacturing or R&D environment.
• Good working knowledge of Lean Six Sigma, SPC, root cause analysis and structured problem-solving tools.
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills, with the ability to turn trial outcomes into clear recommendations.
• Experience supporting process optimisation, waste reduction and productivity improvement initiatives.
• Ability to work collaboratively across functions and influence stakeholders through evidence-based technical input.
• Clear communication skills, with the ability to explain technical findings in a practical and accessible way.

Responsibilities

• Plan, run and evaluate process trials for new products and technologies.
• Apply root cause analysis to identify inefficiencies, defects and variation.
• Develop and implement plans to improve quality, efficiency, capacity and cost.
• Establish KPIs and SPC measures to monitor process capability and improvements.
• Identify and reduce waste across seven waste categories.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

SPC

Root cause analysis

Data interpretation

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Education

Bachelors degree in Engineering, Food Science, Manufacturing or related technical discipline

Job description

pladis is seeking a Senior Process Engineer - Process Excellence to lead hands-on process improvements across R&D and manufacturing. You will apply Lean Six Sigma, SPC and robust trial design to reduce waste, improve quality and productivity, and support new machinery and technology introductions.

The role reports to the Director of Process Excellence and requires collaboration with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain and R&D teams to deliver measurable improvements.