Operational Excellence Manager (Lean Manufacturing)

Salary: £60,000 + Benefits

Location: Uxbridge (Hybrid after onboarding)

Are you passionate about Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence and delivering measurable business improvement?

We're recruiting an Operational Excellence Manager to join a globally recognised engineering and manufacturing organisation operating at the forefront of the defence sector.

This is a highly visible role where you'll drive Continuous Improvement across manufacturing supply chain and sourcing operations, working alongside senior operational leaders to improve productivity, efficiency, quality and operational performance.

If you enjoy solving complex operational problems, leading change and delivering measurable business improvements, this is an opportunity to make a genuine impact within one of the UK's most respected engineering organisations.

You'll become the operational lead for Lean transformation across sourcing and supply chain, helping deliver improvements that directly support manufacturing performance.

You'll use Lean principles, operational data and stakeholder engagement to remove waste, improve processes and create sustainable improvements across a highly regulated manufacturing environment.

This is a hands-on role where you'll spend time working with operational teams rather than sitting behind PowerPoint presentations.

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• Lead Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement initiatives across Supply Chain, Procurement and Sourcing.
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• Deliver Lean transformation programmes using Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies.
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• Facilitate Value Stream Mapping workshops to identify waste and improve operational flow.
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• Drive process standardisation, root cause analysis and structured problem solving.
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• Analyse KPI, ERP and SAP data to identify opportunities for productivity, quality and efficiency improvements.
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• Develop operational dashboards and performance reporting.
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• Lead cross-functional Continuous Improvement workshops across Manufacturing, Engineering, Procurement, Quality and Operations.
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• Coach and develop a Continuous Improvement Analyst.
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• Embed a culture of Lean thinking and Operational Excellence throughout the business.
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• Support operational readiness within a highly regulated aerospace and defence manufacturing environment.
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You'll probably have experience in one or more of the following roles:

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• Operational Excellence Manager
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• Continuous Improvement Manager
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• Lean Manager
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• Manufacturing Excellence Manager
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• Operational Excellence Engineer
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• Senior Continuous Improvement Engineer
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• Lean Manufacturing Manager
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You'll also bring experience of:

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• Lean Manufacturing
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• Continuous Improvement
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• Operational Excellence
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• Lean Six Sigma
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• Value Stream Mapping
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• Root Cause Analysis
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• DMAIC or PDCA
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• Process Mapping
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• KPI development
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• ERP or SAP
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• Manufacturing, Engineering, Aerospace, Automotive or Defence environments
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• Supply Chain, Procurement or Sourcing improvement
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• Leading cross-functional improvement programmes
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• Coaching or mentoring operational teams
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This is not a consultancy-style Continuous Improvement role.

You'll work within a live manufacturing environment where every improvement has a direct impact on operational performance, product quality and customer delivery.

You'll enjoy genuine ownership, visibility with senior leadership and the opportunity to influence how Operational Excellence is embedded across the organisation.

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• £60,000 salary
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• 9% non-contributory pension
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• Healthcare plan
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• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
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• Buy additional annual leave
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• Lunchtime finish every Friday
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• Personalised development plan
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• Cycle to Work scheme
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• Hybrid working after onboarding
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• Long-term career progression within a global engineering business
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If you're an experienced Operational Excellence or Continuous Improvement professional looking to join a market-leading engineering organisation where you'll have real influence and visibility, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today to review the full job details