At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead process design and optimisation to enhance performance in Marketing & Commercial.
- Company: Join McLaren Racing, a pioneering team striving for excellence in motorsport.
- Benefits: Enjoy private healthcare, life insurance, and access to a state-of-the-art campus.
- Other info: Dynamic workplace with a focus on diversity, equity, and continuous improvement.
- Why this job: Transform how we work and make a real impact in a high-performance environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in process design and strong stakeholder management skills required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
At McLaren Racing, we believe only by chasing performance in everything we do can we give ourselves the best chance of success. Performance on track and in the factory. Performance for our people, our business and our partners. It’s about more than winning. It’s about hitting the highest standards, and then raising the bar again.
Purpose of the role
At McLaren Racing, performance is everything. As our Lead, Operational Excellence & Transformation Manager (12 Month FTC) you'll help shape how our Marketing & Commercial function operates at its best. This is a high-impact role focused on transforming the way we work. You'll diagnose current ways of working, redesign processes for a high-performance environment, and establish frameworks that make us faster, simpler and more effective. Working at the intersection of process, technology, data and AI, you'll help build an operating model that enables our teams to scale, move with greater pace, and deliver measurable results. Most importantly, you'll be accountable for delivering tangible improvements - creating better ways of working and demonstrating the impact through increased productivity, efficiency and delivery performance.
What You’ll Do
- Lead process engineering across the Marketing & Commercial function, defining the standards, methodologies and governance that drive consistency and continuous improvement.
- Diagnose end-to-end workflows, identifying friction points, inefficiencies and opportunities to simplify how work gets done.
- Design and implement future-state processes that support a high-performance operating model and enable teams to move faster with greater clarity and accountability.
- Establish performance baselines, define KPIs, and measure the impact of process improvements across productivity, capacity, efficiency and delivery outcomes.
- Partner closely with Marketing & Commercial leaders, Technology teams and wider transformation programmes to ensure process, systems and data evolve together.
- Design processes with automation, AI and data-driven decision making embedded from the outset.
- Define governance models, ownership structures and decision‑making frameworks that support effective cross‑functional collaboration.
- Influence and challenge senior stakeholders to drive adoption of new ways of working and raise organisational performance.
- Contribute to broader transformation initiatives across McLaren Racing, ensuring alignment and consistency where appropriate.
What You’ll Bring
Essential- Proven experience leading process design, optimisation and continuous improvement in complex, fast-paced environments.
- Experience operating within large-scale transformation, organisational change or operating model programmes.
- Strong capability in end-to-end process mapping, redesign and implementation.
- The ability to establish frameworks, standards and methodologies rather than simply applying existing ones.
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to influence senior leaders and drive alignment across diverse teams.
- Experience integrating process design with technology, automation and/or data-led initiatives.
- The ability to demonstrate measurable business impact from process improvements.
- Experience within marketing, media, sport, consumer brands or similarly fast-moving commercial environments.
- Experience partnering with technology teams to translate business processes into system-enabled solutions.
- Exposure to AI, automation and data-driven process optimisation.
Personal Attributes
- Structured and analytical, but always pragmatic and focused on outcomes.
- Comfortable operating in ambiguity and able to bring clarity to complex challenges.
- Naturally collaborative, working across teams to achieve collective success.
- Confident challenging the status quo and influencing through expertise and credibility.
- High-energy, resilient and relentlessly delivery-focused.
- Driven by continuous improvement and motivated by raising the standard every day.
- Thrives in a high-performance environment where pace, accountability and ownership matter.
- Embraces challenge, pushes boundaries and never stands still.
What can McLaren offer?
We constantly strive to be better tomorrow than we are today. Our ambition is to be the most pioneering and exhilarating racing team in the world, and our collective task is to set the standards for high performance in sport. We show up every day with energy and enthusiasm, ready to play our part. We encourage and support diversity, equity and inclusion. We will actively promote a culture that values difference and eliminates discrimination in our workplace.
McLaren Racing is based at the iconic McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) near Woking. Our state of the art, sustainable campus offers many facilities including a gym, restaurant and indoor and outdoor break‑out areas, as well as direct access to park and common land. The MTC is connected to Woking mainline station via regular shuttle buses, from which London Waterloo is a 30‑minute train ride. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including private healthcare, car schemes, life insurance and generous pension contributions.
Lead, Operational Excellence & Transformation Manager (12 Month FTC) in Woking employer: Arrow McLaren IndyCar
At McLaren Racing, we are committed to fostering a high-performance culture that empowers our employees to excel and innovate. Located at the iconic McLaren Technology Centre near Woking, our state-of-the-art facilities provide an inspiring environment with access to amenities such as a gym and restaurant, promoting both well-being and collaboration. We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including private healthcare and generous pension contributions, alongside opportunities for professional growth in a dynamic and inclusive workplace where every team member is encouraged to challenge the status quo and drive meaningful change.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead, Operational Excellence & Transformation Manager (12 Month FTC) in Woking
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✨Leverage University and Alumni Resources
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We think you need these skills to ace Lead, Operational Excellence & Transformation Manager (12 Month FTC) in Woking
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Analytical Skills:In management consulting, employers love to see your problem-solving abilities right from the get-go. Be sure to highlight any relevant analytical projects you've worked on, particularly those that show how you tackled complex problems. If you’ve done any case studies or analysis during your studies, throw those in your CV!
Tailor Your Experience for the Role:Since this is a temporary position, your application should reflect your adaptability and relevant experience quite clearly. Focus on showcasing experiences that demonstrate your ability to hit the ground running, like previous projects, internships, or freelance gigs in consulting or project management.
Craft a Targeted Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to sparkle! Use it to explain why you're interested in this temporary role at Arrow McLaren IndyCar and how your skills suit the specific project needs. Remember to mention how you can provide immediate value based on your past experiences.
Include Certifications or Relevant Training:If you've got any certifications like PMP, Six Sigma, or even coursework that’s super relevant, make sure to list those in your application. Management consulting can be competitive, and these extra qualifications can help you stand out in the recruitment process.
How to prepare for a job interview at Arrow McLaren IndyCar
✨Prepare for Case Studies
In management consulting, case study interviews are a big deal. Expect to tackle real-world business problems on the spot. We should practise structuring our thoughts, developing hypotheses, and presenting our solutions clearly, as this is what firms like Arrow McLaren IndyCar will want to see.
✨Show Off Your Problem-Solving Skills
You’ll need to demonstrate strong analytical skills and logical reasoning. Brush up on frameworks like SWOT or Porter's Five Forces, as these can come in handy. Think of instances from your experience where you tackled a complex issue—this could set you apart when speaking to Arrow McLaren IndyCar.
✨Highlight Your Adaptability
Since this is a temporary role, it's crucial we showcase our ability to hit the ground running. Have examples ready that illustrate how we've adapted quickly in past positions or projects. This shows that we can contribute effectively from day one at Arrow McLaren IndyCar.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Cultural Fit
Temporary roles often come with a focus on team dynamics. Prepare to discuss how we align with the values and culture at Arrow McLaren IndyCar. We want to highlight our teamwork experiences and how we can mesh with their consulting teams, making it clear that we're not just looking to fill a spot but to add value.
