At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead operational excellence initiatives and drive continuous improvement across our dynamic manufacturing site.
- Company: Join Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, a leader in the beverage industry with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, private medical insurance, flexible benefits, and excellent parental support.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for career growth and influence across all site operations.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a unique manufacturing environment while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Degree in FMCG, Supply Chain, or Industrial Engineering; experience in operational excellence required.
The predicted salary is between 56250 - 68750 £ per year.
- Operational Excellence Manager – East Kilbride
- Permanent
Structured career development + Annual performance related pay bonus and pay reviews + Private Medical Insurance + Share scheme + Competitive pension contributions + Range of flexible benefits and Corporate discounts, holiday buy/sell scheme, optional health care and life assurance + Free parking and EV charging + Free hot and cold drinks and subsidised canteen + Excellent parental benefits
What you become part of
Join one of the most dynamic manufacturing operations in Great Britain.
Our East Kilbride site produces around 33 million cases of drinks every year across four high-performing production lines, including two glass and two PET bottling lines.
It is also the only site in Great Britain producing Appletiser in glass, making it a unique place to develop expertise within a world-class manufacturing environment.
As part of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, you'll be joining a business that invests in its people, technology, and future.
Whether you're looking to broaden your leadership experience, develop operational excellence capability or drive transformation at scale, this role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact within a market-leading manufacturing business.
Reporting directly to the Site Director, you'll play a key role in shaping site performance, embedding a culture of continuous improvement and supporting East Kilbride's operational excellence journey.
What to expect
As Operational Excellence Manager, you'll lead the deployment and maturity of the CCEP Operational Excellence framework, helping to deliver sustainable improvements across safety, quality, service, sustainability, cost, and people performance.
Working closely with site leadership and cross-functional teams, you'll drive continuous improvement initiatives, develop capability across the business and ensure Operational Excellence principles are fully embedded into day-to-day operations.
Key responsibilities include
- Leading and delivering the site's Operational Excellence roadmap, supporting progression through the CCEP maturity framework
- Conducting gap assessments and translating findings into actionable improvement plans
- Driving continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing, engineering and support functions
- Using data and performance insights to identify, prioritise and deliver improvement opportunities
- Managing and developing the Continuous Improvement team, building capability and promoting a high-performance culture
- Overseeing the site's improvement pipeline and ensuring projects deliver measurable business benefits
- Auditing frontline routines and coaching leaders to strengthen standards, problem-solving and accountability
- Supporting autonomous maintenance, reliability and productivity improvement activities
- Facilitating improvement workshops and coaching teams through structured problem-solving methodologies
- Reviewing capability requirements and supporting learning and development plans to strengthen operational performance
- Partnering with operational leaders to prioritise and deploy technical resources in support of key improvement initiatives
This is a highly influential role, providing the opportunity to work across all areas of the site while helping shape the future performance and capability of the operation.
Skills & Essentials
- A degree relevant to FMCG, Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, or equivalent relevant experience.
- Proven experience leading operational excellence, continuous improvement or transformation programmes within a manufacturing environment.
- Strong knowledge of recognised improvement methodologies such as TPM, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma or similar frameworks.
- Experience implementing performance improvement initiatives and delivering measurable operational results.
- The ability to analyse complex data and translate insights into practical actions.
- Experience coaching and developing teams to adopt continuous improvement principles and behaviours.
- Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence at all levels of the organisation.
- Excellent communication and facilitation skills.
- Strong problem-solving capabilities and a data-driven approach.
- A collaborative leadership style with the ability to engage and influence across multiple functions.
- A passion for coaching, developing capability and driving continuous improvement.
- If you're looking for an opportunity to influence site-wide performance, develop organisational capability and play a leading role in shaping the future of one of our key manufacturing sites, we'd love to hear from you.
Operational Excellence Manager - East Kilbride employer: Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) is an exceptional employer that values teamwork, innovation, and personal growth. Located in Birmingham, this role as an Away From Home Merchandiser offers a supportive work culture with regular one-to-one sessions and team catch-ups to enhance your skills. With benefits like private health care, a pension plan, and flexible holiday options, CCEP is committed to creating an inclusive environment where every employee can thrive and make a meaningful impact.
Contact Details:
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Operational Excellence Manager - East Kilbride
✨Join Local Manufacturing Groups
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✨Apply Directly Through Company Websites
When you find a role at a company you love, like Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc, apply directly on their website. This way, you’re more likely to be noticed by the hiring team. Plus, showing that you took the time to seek out their application process highlights your genuine interest in the firm!
We think you need these skills to ace Operational Excellence Manager - East Kilbride
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Technical Skills:In the manufacturing-production sector, it's crucial to highlight your technical skills and experience. Make sure your CV features any relevant qualifications, such as certifications in machinery operation or production management, and don’t forget about any specific systems or software you’re familiar with. This can really set you apart!
Emphasise Teamwork and Communication:Working in manufacturing often means being part of a larger team. Highlight your experience in collaborative projects or environments where communication was key. Maybe you have experience with lean manufacturing principles? Talk about how you worked with your team to improve productivity and maintain quality.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to the Company:Don’t just recycle an old cover letter! Take the time to tailor your cover letter to Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc specifically. Mention what excites you about their production processes or products, and how your previous experiences can contribute to their goals. We want to see your enthusiasm for the role!
Use Concrete Examples of Your Achievements:When detailing your work experience, include measurable achievements that can demonstrate your impact. Whether it’s improving efficiency by a certain percentage or successfully leading a project, these specifics can make a huge difference. Numbers speak volumes in the manufacturing world!
How to prepare for a job interview at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc
✨Know Your Manufacturing Processes
Before you walk into the interview with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc, brush up on the specific manufacturing processes relevant to the role. Understanding lean manufacturing principles or quality control techniques could give you a solid edge to discuss how you’d fit into their operations.
✨Technical Questions Are Key
Be prepared for technical questions around machinery, production scheduling, or materials handling. Make sure you can confidently explain how you've dealt with these in past experiences or internships. Knowing industry-specific software could also be a big plus!
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Manufacturing environments often focus on continuous improvement. Be ready to discuss specific instances where you’ve solved a production issue or implemented a process improvement. It’s all about demonstrating your analytical thinking and hands-on approach.
✨Align Your Values with Quality and Safety
In a full-time role, companies like Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc value commitment to quality and safety. Be prepared to discuss how you prioritise these factors in your work. It’s about showing that you’re not just looking for a job, but that you genuinely care about contributing positively to their production environment.
