Operational Excellence Lead

🔥 30 minutes ago

🌐 United Kingdom, Spain, +4 more countries – Remote

🇬🇧 United Kingdom – Remote 🇪🇸 Spain – Remote 🇮🇹 Italy – Remote 🇵🇱 Poland – Remote 🇫🇷 France – Remote 🇩🇪 Germany – Remote

⏰ Full Time

🟠 Senior

⚙️ Operations

🇬🇧 UK Skilled Worker Visa Sponsor

This company has sponsored UK Skilled Worker visas in the past.

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DS Smith

WebsiteLinkedInAll Job Openings

10,000+ employees

Founded 1940

🍽️ Food & Beverage

📦 Logistics

💼 Consulting

Food & Beverage • Logistics • Consulting

DS Smith is a provider of sustainable packaging solutions, paper products, and recycling services. The company focuses on innovation in packaging to support a circular economy, aiming to use recyclable materials and reduce plastic waste. DS Smith operates internationally, offering packaging for various industries, including consumer goods, industrial solutions, and retail. It emphasizes environmental sustainability and community engagement through strategic initiatives and partnerships. Additionally, DS Smith provides end-to-end retail services and advanced packaging systems.

📋 Description

• Deploy the divisional Operational Performance strategy and roadmaps, ensuring alignment with Sub-Regional and site objectives while supporting implementation of the DSS Way • Lead operational performance improvement initiatives across manufacturing sites using loss analysis, structured problem-solving, and data-driven decision making • Improve productivity, reduce cost and waste, and deliver measurable business benefits • Develop operational excellence capability through training, coaching, and mentoring of site leaders, OPEX managers, and frontline teams • Embed continuous improvement and accountability into site culture • Implement and sustain performance management systems, including KPIs, tiered reviews, visual management, and escalation routines • Partner with Technical Excellence and I&T to deploy digital operations solutions and leverage technology to enhance performance • Facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing, and benchmarking across sites and regions • Accelerate best-practice adoption and continuous improvement

🎯 Requirements

• Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Management or related technical discipline • Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent qualification preferred • Formal training in Continuous Improvement, Change Management, or TPM methodologies • Extensive manufacturing experience, including operational excellence, continuous improvement, and leadership roles within the packaging industry • Proven track record of delivering measurable improvements in productivity, cost, quality, and service in complex manufacturing environments • Strong leadership, coaching, and change management skills • Ability to influence stakeholders and drive cultural transformation at all levels • Commercial awareness • Excellent analytical, project management, facilitation, and communication skills • Experience leading cross-functional improvement initiatives across operations, engineering, supply chain, and commercial teams • Proficiency in operational performance tools and systems, including OEE, KPI dashboards, Power BI, and Lean methodologies (e.g., VSM, SMED, 5S, DMAIC, Kaizen, A3) • Fluent in English • Additional European language skills advantageous • Minimum 60% travel required • Located in one of the major DS Smith Operations Countries: Italy, UK, Iberia, Germany, France, Poland