Continuous Improvement Placement in Partridge Green

Location: Forza Doors, Partridge Green, Horsham, West Sussex

Employment Type: Summer Placement / Fixed-Term

Duration: Summer 2026

Working Pattern: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm - with 1 hour lunch break

Purpose of the Role

We are looking for a motivated graduate or placement student to support our manufacturing team over the summer. This is a hands-on placement opportunity focused on helping us understand, map and document key fire door manufacturing processes across our production environment. The role will provide valuable exposure to a busy manufacturing business, giving you the opportunity to work closely with operations teams, observe real production processes, and support practical improvement activity.

You will help us capture how work is currently completed, identify key process steps, document workflows, and support the creation of clear process maps and supporting documentation.

Key Responsibilities

• Spend time on the factory floor observing and understanding manufacturing processes.
• Work with production, operations and support teams to gather information on how processes currently operate.
• Map key process flows from start to finish, including inputs, outputs, handovers and decision points.
• Document process steps clearly and accurately for future reference and improvement activity.
• Support the identification of process gaps, duplication, delays or opportunities for improvement.
• Help create simple, practical process documentation that can be used by operational teams.
• Engage with employees across the business to understand how work is completed in practice.
• Provide regular updates on progress, findings and any areas requiring further review.
• Support wider operational improvement projects where required.

What You Will Gain

• Hands-on experience in a live manufacturing environment.
• Exposure to fire door manufacturing processes and operational workflows.
• Experience working with production and operations teams.
• Practical experience in process mapping and documentation.
• Insight into real business challenges and continuous improvement activity.
• The opportunity to develop communication, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience that would be valuable for future roles in manufacturing, operations, engineering, product design, process improvement or business improvement.

Skills and Experience

We are looking for someone who is:

• A current student, recent graduate or graduate-level candidate looking for practical manufacturing experience.
• Interested in manufacturing, operations, engineering, product design, business improvement or process improvement.
• Confident speaking with people at different levels across the business.
• Able to listen carefully, ask good questions and accurately capture information.
• Organised, methodical and able to document information clearly.
• Curious, practical and willing to spend time in a factory environment.
• Comfortable using Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Able to work independently once guided, while knowing when to ask for support.
• Previous manufacturing experience is helpful but not essential. A positive attitude, willingness to learn and attention to detail are more important.

Personal Attributes

You will be successful in this role if you are:

• Practical and hands-on.
• Curious about how things work.
• Confident but respectful when asking questions.
• Accurate and detail-focused.
• Able to build positive working relationships.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Proactive and willing to get involved.

Our Values

At Forza, how we work is just as important as what we do. We are looking for someone who can demonstrate our values:

• Make Sure - You take care to understand the detail, check information carefully and complete work accurately.
• Make Customers Happy - You understand that good processes support good outcomes for our customers and colleagues.
• Make it Work - You are practical, flexible and willing to find sensible ways to move things forward.
• Make Your Mark - You are keen to learn, contribute and leave something useful behind at the end of your placement.

Health, Safety and Working Environment

This role will involve time spent in a live manufacturing environment. You will be required to follow all site health and safety rules, wear appropriate PPE where required, and work safely at all times. Training and guidance will be provided.

Why Join Us?

This is a great opportunity to gain meaningful, real-world experience in manufacturing. You will not simply be observing from the sidelines - you will be contributing to work that helps us better understand, document and improve how we operate. For the right person, this placement will provide valuable insight into manufacturing, operations, process improvement and business problem-solving.