Continuous Improvement Manager

Knauf stands for opportunity. We know that opportunity looks different to each person, and we are proud that we see opportunity in everyone. This exciting role within Knauf Insulation in the Engineering Team could be the perfect next opportunity for you to build a unique career, in a values-led culture with a clear purpose of making tomorrow a home for all of us. We are a global manufacturer of construction materials and within our Group, our 41,500 team members in 90 countries across 300 sites provide a huge opportunity for anyone with ambition and energy. We value everyone's contribution equally and we ask that you bring your whole self to work, to enrich the business further, as together we achieve more in a safe and inclusive environment.

As our Continuous Improvement Manager, you will provide improvement leadership and resource on site, working with and challenging all business areas to achieve improvements, ensuring a sustainable, measurable outcome, aligned to Vision and Goals. In addition to facilitating improvement activity with the teams, ensure legacy education to the team so skills are enhanced and embedded for the long term.

What you’ll be doing:

• Champion a CI culture and support the teams with knowledge of CI tools, techniques and ways of working.
• Provide and share expert (Continuous) Improvement knowledge and technical skills at all levels to identify opportunities and define projects to achieve clear goals.
• Provide the business with the skills to complete Kaizen Events, planning and facilitating events as necessary to support improvement initiatives.
• Provide clear technical expertise and guidance to the wider plant team supporting where necessary.
• Identify process optimisation/improvement opportunities and align to the annual business objectives.
• Support business projects through leadership and facilitation, to allow Process Leaders, Engineering Teams and Shift Leaders to become self-sufficient in terms of leading improvement initiatives.
• Ensure that the site has access to all sources of best practice, internal and external to the Knauf business, so that we gain and sustain a competitive advantage.
• Provide support to personnel in completing Six Sigma Training and provide assistance and understanding in the application of tools and techniques.
• Work with the plant Teams and the Process Excellence Manager in the Industrial Performance Team to ensure our CI process remains rigorous, aligned to the framework and capable of sustaining Continuous Improvement in the future.
• Implement a clear structured approach to problem solving, using the appropriate tool for the scenario (5 Why, 8D, DMAIC etc).
• Ensure safety first at all times and have influence in all interactions to maintain a safety focus.

What we’d love for you to have:

• Experience of engaging process personnel in process improvement – Workshops, Improvement Groups etc.
• Substantial experience of continuous process plant operation, with a tangible reference to process improvement made during that period.
• Graduate in an industrial or business based discipline.
• Leadership and communication style which is motivating and engaging to individuals and teams.
• Evidence of a substantial toolbox of improvement skills, preferably aligned to LEAN/Six Sigma techniques.
• Ability to challenge the status quo and not accept opinion as fact.

We’ll provide:

• Enhanced Holiday Pay – 33 days including bank holidays plus the opportunity to purchase more.
• 16 weeks Company Sick Pay after 3 months of service.
• Group Income Protection.
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption packages.
• Life Assurance – 4 x annual salary.
• Defined Contribution Pension Scheme.
• Staff Bonus Scheme.
• Career Progression Routes.
• Employee Assistance Programme through Health Assured.
• Westfield Health Cash Plan.
• Perkbox.
• Access to Costco Membership.
• Wickes Employee Purchase Scheme.
• On site Gyms.
• Wellbeing Initiatives and Mental Health First Aiders.
• Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• On site Car Charging Points.

Knauf Insulation welcomes applications from everyone and is committed to treating everyone equally, regardless of: age; sex; disability; ethnicity; gender identity; religion/belief; sexual orientation; marriage/civil partnership or pregnancy/maternity. In particular, we encourage applications from people from a minority background or from demographics that are underrepresented in the manufacturing industry.

We are a Disability Confident Leader (Level 1) and take care to ensure good EDI (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion) practices in all our operations. If you are invited to an interview, a member of our team will be in touch via email to enquire about any access requirements or reasonable adjustments that we can make for your interview.