Site Operational Excellence Lead

B&S Group; Ruislip; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

B&S Group is seeking a high-energy, hands-on Site Operational Excellence Lead to drive Lean and Continuous Improvement across our UK site. You will be highly visible, observe processes first-hand and deliver measurable improvements without compromising safety or quality.

The role requires leading Kaizen events, establishing baselines and targets, coaching managers, and embedding the Kaizen system across the site in collaboration with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, IT

Qualifications

• Strong practical experience in Lean, Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement or Six Sigma.
• A proven record of personally delivering measurable operational improvements.
• Experience leading change within a complex operational environment.
• Strong project-management and change-management capability.
• Experience coaching and developing operational teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience setting baselines, tracking KPIs and measuring financial or operational benefits.
• Lean Six Sigma or equivalent formal Lean/Operational Excellence training.
• Experience within pharmaceutical, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, warehousing or another regulated environment.
• An understanding of GMP, GDP, CAPA, change control, deviations, validation and controlled documentation.

Responsibilities

• Spend significant time across operational areas, seeing problems first-hand rather than managing by reports
• Identify waste, bottlenecks, poor processes and opportunities for improvement
• Lead Kaizen events, rapid improvement projects and structured problem-solving activities
• Turn opportunities into clear plans with defined baselines, targets, owners and deadlines
• Drive projects through implementation and make sure improvements are sustained
• Improve productivity, labour efficiency, service, quality, cost, inventory, flow, capacity and lead times
• Challenge missed commitments and ensure actions do not drift
• Build Lean capability through practical coaching and hands-on development
• Develop managers and Lean champions who can solve problems and hold the gains
• Embed the B&S Kaizen system across the site
• Work closely with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, IT and People & Culture
• Keep every improvement aligned with GMP, GDP, safety and quality requirements

Skills

Lean, Operational Excellence

Six Sigma

Change management

Project management

Coaching

Analytical/problem solving

Baseline/KPIs tracking

GMP/GDP/CAPA knowledge

Regulated environment experience

Education

Lean Six Sigma training

Job description

SITE OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE LEAD – LEAN & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

OVERVIEW

We are looking for a high-energy, hands-on Lean leader to drive Operational Excellence across our site.

This is not a desk-based role for someone who simply identifies opportunities, writes reports or facilitates improvement meetings.

We want someone who gets things done.

You will be highly visible across the operation—working with teams, observing processes first-hand, challenging the status quo and delivering measurable improvements.

Your job is simple: find what is slowing the site down, fix it and make sure it stays fixed—without compromising safety, quality or compliance.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

You will:

• Spend significant time across operational areas, seeing problems first-hand rather than managing by reports
• Identify waste, bottlenecks, poor processes and opportunities for improvement
• Lead Kaizen events, rapid improvement projects and structured problem-solving activities
• Turn opportunities into clear plans with defined baselines, targets, owners and deadlines
• Drive projects through implementation and make sure improvements are sustained
• Improve productivity, labour efficiency, service, quality, cost, inventory, flow, capacity and lead times
• Challenge missed commitments and ensure actions do not drift
• Build Lean capability through practical coaching and hands-on development
• Develop managers and Lean champions who can solve problems and hold the gains
• Embed the B&S Kaizen system across the site
• Work closely with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, IT and People & Culture
• Keep every improvement aligned with GMP, GDP, safety and quality requirements

HOW SUCCESS WILL BE MEASURED

We are interested in outcomes, not activity.

Your success will be measured through:

• Validated financial savings
• Productivity and labour-efficiency improvements
• Reduced waste, rework, downtime and lead times
• Improved service, quality and right-first-time performance
• Capacity released
• Sustainable improvements that remain in place
• Stronger operational discipline and standard work
• Lean capability developed across the site
• Projects delivered to scope, time, quality and agreed benefit

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Personality is critical.

You will be:

• Exceptionally energetic and driven
• Hands-on and comfortable getting your sleeves rolled up
• Commercially minded and focused on measurable results
• Confident challenging people at every level
• Comfortable having difficult conversations
• Persistent and unwilling to let actions drift
• Able to create urgency without creating unnecessary conflict
• Positive, resilient and able to energise others
• Highly organised and disciplined in following through
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving operational environment

You should be the type of person who:

• Walks into an operation and immediately starts spotting opportunities
• Notices waste that others have stopped seeing
• Does not accept “we’ve always done it this way”
• Tests assumptions using facts and data
• Follows up when someone commits to an action
• Removes barriers rather than simply pointing them out
• Measures whether an improvement genuinely delivered
• Gets real satisfaction from seeing performance improve

EXPERIENCE

You will ideally bring:

• Strong practical experience in Lean, Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement or Six Sigma
• A proven record of personally delivering measurable operational improvements
• Experience leading change within a complex operational environment
• Strong project-management and change-management capability
• Experience coaching and developing operational teams
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience setting baselines, tracking KPIs and measuring financial or operational benefits
• Lean Six Sigma or equivalent formal Lean/Operational Excellence training
• Experience within pharmaceutical, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, warehousing or another regulated environment
• An understanding of GMP, GDP, CAPA, change control, deviations, validation and controlled documentation

Formal qualifications are useful, but we will place greater weight on what you have actually delivered.

Come ready with evidence: the problem, the baseline, what you did, the result and whether it lasted.

WHY JOIN US?

This is an opportunity to make a visible and measurable impact across the operation.

For the right person, the role could provide a platform into broader Operational Excellence or operational leadership positions.

If you see problems, get involved, challenge constructively, drive accountability and deliver results, we would like to hear from you.

B&S Group is committed to providing equal opportunities and creating an inclusive workplace. Applications are welcomed from suitably qualified candidates from all backgrounds.