Continuous Improvement Manager

Role Responsibility

Key accountabilities:

1. Own and deliver the London Continuous Improvement Strategy aligned to the FY27 Roadmap.
2. Act as a member of the London Leadership Team, contributing to the overall leadership, performance and culture of the site.
3. Lead the implementation of Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence across all site functions.
4. Develop and maintain the London Continuous Improvement roadmap, ensuring priorities deliver measurable business benefits.
5. Partner with functional leaders to improve Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People performance.
6. Lead structured problem solving and facilitate cross-functional improvement projects.
7. Build continuous improvement capability across the organisation through coaching, training and standardisation.
8. Ensure improvements are sustainable and maintain Bigham's standards for Safety, Quality and Food Integrity.

Key responsibilities:

Leadership:

1. Actively contribute as a member of the London Leadership Team. 
2. Own the governance and reporting of the London Continuous Improvement Roadmap, ensuring benefits are tracked and delivered.
3. Challenge existing ways of working and identify opportunities to improve business performance. 
4. Use data and operational insight to influence business decisions.
5.  Build strong relationships across Engineering, Supply Chain, Technical, Food, Finance and People.
6. Promote collaboration and accountability across the Leadership Team.
7.  Lead site-wide change programmes and support organisational transformation.

Continuous Improvement & Lean Implementation:

• Implement Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence tools, including: 
• Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
• 5 Whys.
• Process mapping.
• Standard work.
• Visual management.

2. Facilitate structured problem-solving sessions and continuous improvement workshops across the site.

 3. Identify opportunities to improve productivity, efficiency, quality, service, safety and cost across the business. 

4. Partner with functional leaders to improve operational performance across the site. 

5. Develop and implement standardised processes to ensure improvements are sustained.

 Operational Performance & Analysis:

1. Analyse operational data to identify performance gaps and improvement opportunities. 

2. Use data to identify root causes of operational losses, including downtime, waste and yield loss. 

3. Build clear business cases for improvement initiatives where required. 

4. Track and report the impact of CI initiatives on operational performance. 

5. Develop and maintain site performance dashboards and identify strategic improvement opportunities. 

6. Present improvement plans and progress through Leadership Team and KPM reviews.

 7. Measure and report financial and operational benefits delivered through CI initiatives.

Project Delivery:

1. Lead the London Efficiency programme, ensuring initiatives are prioritised, delivered and benefits are tracked. 

2. Lead cross-functional improvement projects from concept through to implementation. 

3. Organise and manage process trials and testing of new methods, equipment or systems. 

4. Coordinate cross-functional input where required to ensure successful delivery.

 5. Ensure improvement initiatives are delivered safely on time and with minimal operational disruption. 

6. Prioritise improvement projects aligned to the London Roadmap and annual business objectives. 

7. Lead cross-functional transformation projects involving multiple departments.

 8. Ensure benefits are measured and sustained after implementation.

Capability Building:

1. Coach leaders in root cause analysis and continuous improvement tools. 

2. Develop Continuous Improvement capability across the organisation through coaching, training and knowledge sharing. 

3. Promote a culture of continuous improvement and ownership of problems across the organisation.

The Ideal Candidate

Experience:

1. Proven experience delivering operational improvement projects in a manufacturing environment. 
2. Strong background in Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence and structured problem solving.
3. Experience leading cross-functional improvement programmes and embedding sustainable change. 
4. Experience in food manufacturing or fast-paced FMCG preferred. 
5. Experience leading organisational change and delivering
6. measurable business improvements.
7. Experience influencing senior stakeholders and working across multiple functions. · Understanding of retail supply chains. 
8. Experience using operational data and KPIs to identify and prioritise improvement opportunities.

     Skills: 

1. Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing methodologies.
2. Highly skilled in Root Cause Analysis and structured problem solving.
3. Strong analytical and data interpretation capability. 
4. Advanced MS Excel.
5. Excellent communication and influencing skills.
6. Strong facilitation skills for workshops and leadership discussions. 
7. Strong project management and organisational skills. 
8. Financial awareness and ability to develop business cases. 
9. Ability to make clear, evidence-based decisions in complex situations.

Attributes:

1. Passion for Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence.
2. Hands-on and comfortable working on the factory floor.
3. Collaborative leader who builds strong relationships across functions.
4. Self-motivated and proactive.
5. Calm and logical thinker. 
6. Positive, resilient and solutions focused.
7. Leads by example and drives accountability.
8. Commercially aware with a strong focus on delivering measurable business results.