Operational Excellence Lead - Lean & Continuous Improvement

IRL - 1500 Takeda Ireland Limited; Ireland; On-site; EUR 72,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

Takeda Bray site seeks an Operational Excellence Lead to drive Lean strategy and AOS roadmap, coach cross-functional teams, and implement process improvements across manufacturing operations, ensuring safety, quality and regulatory compliance.

You will collaborate with Quality, Production, Engineering, and Digital teams, support digital transformation, mentor Yellow/Green Belts, manage KPIs and change management, and travel occasionally.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of experience in manufacturing or operations with a focus on Lean, OE, or Continuous Improvement.
• Lean/AOS and Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher); Yellow Belt training/certification preferred.
• Proven track record in leading cross-functional projects and delivering measurable improvements.
• Strong project management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in change management (ideally e3+) and coaching stakeholders at all levels.
• Comfortable working in GMP-regulated environments; pharma experience is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with SAP, MES, Minitab, and MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Drive the site’s Operational Excellence (OE) strategy and AOS (Agile Operating System) roadmap.
• Lead Lean and Six Sigma (Green Belt level) initiatives to improve efficiency, quality, and cost performance.
• Facilitate workshops (e.g. Kaizen events, value stream mapping, root cause analysis) to identify and implement improvement opportunities.
• Coach and develop site teams in Lean methodologies, structured problem-solving, and continuous improvement practices.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners including Quality, Production, Engineering, and Digital (DD&T) to ensure alignment and integration of improvement initiatives.
• Support digital transformation by identifying automation opportunities and data-driven process optimization.
• Oversee the Six Sigma program, including mentoring Yellow/Green Belts and certifying Yellow Belt candidates.
• Monitor and report performance metrics (KPIs), identify gaps, and lead corrective actions.
• Apply Organizational Change Management (OCM) principles (e3+) to drive successful implementation of improvement projects.
• Support strategic programs like Business Process of the Future and Factory of the Future.
• Ensure all initiatives are aligned with safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.

Skills

Lean

Six Sigma

Change management

Cross-functional leadership

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in technical or scientific discipline

MBA or MSc preferred

Tools

SAP

MES

Minitab

MS Office

Job description

Takeda Bray site seeks an Operational Excellence Lead to drive Lean strategy and AOS roadmap, coach cross-functional teams, and implement process improvements across manufacturing operations, ensuring safety, quality and regulatory compliance.

You will collaborate with Quality, Production, Engineering, and Digital teams, support digital transformation, mentor Yellow/Green Belts, manage KPIs and change management, and travel occasionally.