Operational Excellence Manager (Manufacturing)

Location: East Kilbride, United Kingdom

Company

hirify.global is a multinational beverage manufacturing and distribution business serving 4 million customers across 31 markets with 39,000 employees.

What you will do

• Lead the site's Operational Excellence roadmap and progression through the hirify.global maturity framework.
• Conduct gap assessments, identify improvement opportunities through data and performance insights, and translate findings into actionable plans.
• Drive continuous improvement across manufacturing, engineering, and support functions, overseeing the improvement pipeline and measurable business benefits.
• Manage and develop the Continuous Improvement team while building capability and promoting a high-performance culture.
• Audit frontline routines, coach leaders, facilitate improvement workshops, and support structured problem-solving, autonomous maintenance, reliability, and productivity initiatives.
• Partner with operational leaders to prioritise technical resources and strengthen learning and development plans.

Requirements

• Degree relevant to FMCG, Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Proven experience leading operational excellence, continuous improvement, or transformation programmes in 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.
• Ability to analyse complex data and translate insights into practical actions, with strong problem-solving and data-driven skills.
• Experience coaching and developing teams to adopt continuous improvement principles and behaviours.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to influence at all organisational levels.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with a collaborative leadership style across multiple functions.
• Passion for coaching, developing capability, and driving continuous improvement.

Culture & Benefits

• Permanent role at a high-volume manufacturing site producing around 33 million drink cases annually across four production lines.
• Structured career development, annual performance-related pay bonus, and regular pay reviews.
• Private medical insurance, share scheme, competitive pension contributions, health and life assurance options, and flexible benefits.
• Holiday buy/sell scheme, excellent parental benefits, corporate discounts, free parking, EV charging, and subsidised canteen.
• Inclusive workplace with support and adjustments available during the recruitment process.