At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of a group-wide Operations Excellence strategy and drive continuous improvement.
- Company: Market-leading UK food manufacturer with a focus on quality and innovation.
- Benefits: Career development opportunities in a supportive, family-feel environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on sustainability and innovation in a fast-growing company.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in operational excellence and strong analytical skills.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team and influence change across multiple manufacturing sites.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 Β£ per year.
Central London 2 days
About Our Client:
- A market-leading UK food manufacturer with a proud heritage and instantly recognisable brands enjoyed by millions of consumers every week.
- A business driven by quality, innovation, and continuous improvement, investing heavily in people, processes, and sustainable growth.
- A fast-paced, values-led environment where collaboration, accountability, and excellence sit at the heart of everything we do.
- An organisation offering real career development and influence, empowering leaders to make a visible impact across site and group operations.
The role:
- Lead the development and delivery of a group-wide Operations Excellence strategy, embedding Lean, TPM and continuous improvement across multiple manufacturing sites.
- Oversee operational performance metrics, driving data integrity, analysis and insight to enable fact-based decision making and performance improvement.
- Champion a zero-loss and continuous improvement culture through capability building, structured problem-solving, and leadership engagement.
- Partner cross-functionally to align operational excellence initiatives with broader business and industrial plans, ensuring measurable productivity, quality and cost optimisation outcomes.
What We're Looking For:
- Proven track record driving operational excellence and continuous improvement across multi-site manufacturing environments.
- Strong analytical capability with experience leading KPI development, performance dashboards and root cause analysis.
- Demonstrated success embedding Lean, TPM or OPEX methodologies to deliver measurable business improvements.
- Skilled in influencing and engaging senior stakeholders to drive change and cultural transformation.
- Experienced in building capability and coaching teams to adopt structured problem-solving and daily management routines.
Why join?
- Be part of a business driving sustainability & innovation.
- Work in a close-knit, family-feel environment while benefiting from the Group's national scale.
- Opportunities to expand your expertise in a fast-growing company.
Head of Operational Excellence employer: Seven Search & Selection
Contact Detail:
Seven Search & Selection Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice π€«
We think this is how you could land Head of Operational Excellence
β¨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
β¨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their values and how they align with your own. This will help you showcase why you're the perfect fit for their team.
β¨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain your experience and how it relates to operational excellence. Highlight your achievements in driving continuous improvement and how you've influenced change in previous roles.
β¨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! Itβs the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Operational Excellence
Some tips for your application π«‘
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Head of Operational Excellence. Highlight your experience with Lean, TPM, and continuous improvement, and donβt forget to showcase your analytical skills and success in driving change.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why youβre passionate about operational excellence and how your background aligns with our values. Be specific about your achievements and how they relate to the job.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: We want to see how you've influenced and engaged senior stakeholders in the past. Share examples of how you've built capability and coached teams, as this is key for the role. Make it clear that you can lead and inspire!
Apply Through Our Website: Donβt forget to apply through our website! Itβs the best way for us to receive your application and ensures youβre considered for the role. Plus, it shows youβre serious about joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Seven Search & Selection
β¨Know Your Operational Excellence
Make sure you brush up on Lean, TPM, and continuous improvement methodologies. Be ready to discuss how you've successfully implemented these strategies in previous roles, as this will show your potential employer that you can hit the ground running.
β¨Data is Your Best Friend
Since the role involves driving performance metrics and data analysis, come prepared with examples of how you've used data to make informed decisions. Highlight any KPIs you've developed or dashboards you've created to showcase your analytical skills.
β¨Engage with Stakeholders
Demonstrating your ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders is crucial. Think of specific instances where you've successfully driven change or cultural transformation by collaborating with others, and be ready to share those stories.
β¨Showcase Your Coaching Skills
As a leader, you'll need to build capability within teams. Prepare to discuss your experience in coaching and developing others, particularly in structured problem-solving and daily management routines. This will highlight your leadership style and commitment to continuous improvement.