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- Tasks: Lead the transformation towards operational excellence and improve efficiency across the business.
- Company: Join the UK's largest newspaper and magazine wholesaler with a strong reputation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, car allowance, bonus, health plan, and training opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by driving sustainable operational improvements and mentoring leaders.
- Qualifications: Extensive OE experience, leadership skills, and expertise in process efficiency.
- Other info: Flexible working with travel across England and Wales, plus excellent career growth potential.
The predicted salary is between 65000 - 75000 £ per year.
£65,000 to £75,000 per annum plus £5,688 per annum car allowance, bonus and benefits. Field based - visiting SN operations across England and Wales.
Our reputation as the UK’s largest newspaper and magazine wholesaler speaks for itself. Every day, we serve more than 22,000 customers from 34 distribution centres across the country. Behind every nightly miracle is a team of dedicated people carrying out more roles than you realise – we’re the unseen force that delivers. So when we say we’re excited for what the future holds for our customers and colleagues, you can trust we’re as good as our word.
The Head of Operational Excellence for Smiths News is accountable for designing and driving the OE architecture and methodology across the business, leading the transformational journey towards sustainable operational excellence. The outputs are to improve efficiency, remove waste, increase capacity and value to our customers. Reporting to the Director of Strategy and Change and leading all central OE resources and activities whilst coaching and advising all leaders across the business in the adoption of OE principles, tools, skills, methods and approaches to driving consistency and sustainable operational improvement.
Bringing new resources, materials, thinking and approaches to SN to help with the OE objectives supported by coaching and development to drive the OE capability across the business.
About the role
- Driving the OE principles, focusing on the initial prioritised 6 (Committed Leadership, Right First Time, Standardisation, Visual Management, Go, See, Do & Customer).
- Designing OE activities and interventions to improve operational performance and enhance colleague capability in the use of ‘Think Work Behave’ model and supporting tools and techniques.
- Responsible for the quality of OE design, supporting establishment of standard training materials, templates and the governance framework.
- Identifying scale opportunity and applying OE to support interventions to deliver measurable business benefit.
- Preparing reports and materials to support the understanding, approach, outcomes, recommendations of all centrally led OE activity.
- Acting as mentor and coach to key leaders within the business who are developing their OE competencies.
- Being subject matter expert to the organisation on operational excellence.
Flexibility and Travel
Requires ability and willingness to work at any SN operating location as required, and flexibility to travel as the role requires. On occasion requires working early hours to review, support night operations (e.g. 02:00 – 10:00).
What we can offer you
Not only do we offer free onsite parking, 4x salary life assurance and 5% match pension but you’ll also have access to:
- £5,688 per annum car allowance.
- Company bonus.
- Company funded Health Cash Plan – providing cash back for everyday healthcare costs such as dental, optical and physiotherapy.
- 24/7 E-Learning modules, Training and Development opportunities.
- Sharesave Scheme, Cycle to work schemes, Health cash plan.
- Private medical insurance.
About you
- Extensive experience in implementing OE across a range of sectors and functions.
- Ability to lead operational interventions, working with site teams to test, trial and implement process efficiency changes.
- Experience with implementing and leading OE in non-operational / transactional areas.
- Extensive experience in designing and leading focused improvement events resulting in validated step change in efficiency, key performance indicators and enhancing colleague knowledge and capability.
- Expertise in material flow design and layout optimisation.
- Highly skilled in influencing stakeholders and effectively engaging with all levels of business.
- Certification in Lean, 6 Sigma, CI preferred.
- Experience of leading and inspiring and knowledge.
Head of Operational Excellence in London employer: Smiths News plc
Contact Detail:
Smiths News plc Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Operational Excellence in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join relevant groups on social media, and don’t be shy to reach out for informational chats. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its operational excellence initiatives. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals. Practise common interview questions and think about how you can showcase your skills in leading operational improvements.
✨Tip Number 3
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in keeping you top of mind. Mention something specific from your conversation to show you were engaged and are genuinely interested in the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We’ve got loads of resources to help you land that dream job. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team and makes it easier for us to find your application.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Operational Excellence in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Head of Operational Excellence role. Highlight your experience in implementing operational excellence and any relevant certifications like Lean or Six Sigma. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about operational excellence and how you can contribute to our transformational journey. Keep it engaging and personal – we love a good story!
Showcase Your Achievements: When detailing your experience, focus on specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to drive efficiency and improve processes. Numbers speak volumes, so include metrics where possible to show the impact of your work.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Smiths News plc
✨Know Your OE Principles
Make sure you’re well-versed in the key operational excellence principles mentioned in the job description. Brush up on Committed Leadership, Right First Time, and the other six principles. Being able to discuss these confidently will show that you understand the role and can hit the ground running.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Prepare specific examples from your past roles where you've successfully implemented operational excellence strategies. Highlight measurable outcomes, like efficiency improvements or waste reduction, to demonstrate your impact. This will help the interviewers see how your experience aligns with their needs.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Since influencing stakeholders is crucial for this role, think of ways you’ve effectively engaged with different levels of a business in the past. Be ready to share stories about how you’ve built relationships and driven change, as this will showcase your leadership skills.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions about the company’s current operational challenges and their vision for operational excellence. This not only shows your interest in the role but also gives you a chance to demonstrate your knowledge and strategic thinking.
