GSC Operational Excellence Manager

GSC Operational Excellence Manager

Location: Europe, ideally within commuting distance of one of our GSC manufacturing sites - Cheltenham (UK), Bremen (Germany), Châtellerault (France) or Milan (Italy)

About the role

Ten manufacturing sites. One Operational Excellence framework. Your job is to make that a reality rather than a slide.
This is a global role at the centre of how Spirax Group's supply chain improves. You'll own the deployment, governance and long-term sustainability of a standardised OpEx framework across our network - building the maturity model that drives it, and making sure sites genuinely progress along it rather than simply reporting that they have.

Alongside the framework, you'll own the global Continuous Improvement portfolio: prioritising it, tracking it, and proving its impact in cost, productivity and efficiency. The savings you validate are real savings.

The role has no direct reports, and that's the point. Your influence comes through expertise, coaching and credibility with site and functional leaders - not through hierarchy. If you enjoy building capability in other people and watching them take ownership of it, this is a role that rewards that.

What you'll be doing

• Building the framework
  
  
  
  • Leading the global rollout and ongoing development of the OpEx framework, defining the standards and governance that make improvements stick
  
  
  • Driving consistent adoption of OpEx standards, KPIs and ways of working across all 10 sites
  
  
  • Leading maturity assessments and audits, and moving sites measurably along the curve
  
  
  • Working with pillar owners and site teams to align priorities, capability and delivery plans
  
  
  
  


• Owning the CI portfolio
  
  
  
  • Prioritising the global CI portfolio to deliver measurable business and cost improvement
  
  
  • Running the standardised CI tracking methodology, with clear validation and honest reporting
  
  
  • Ensuring projects start well - clear scope, clear ownership, results that last beyond the project
  
  
  • Establishing performance tracking across KPIs, benefits realisation and progress monitoring
  
  
  
  


• Growing capability
  
  
  
  • Building Lean and CI capability through training and coaching, using standard tools including VSM, Kaizen, SDT and Standard Work
  
  
  • Partnering with site leadership to build aligned OpEx and CI roadmaps
  
  
  • Embedding ownership at site level, so sites lead their own improvement journey within global standards
  
  
  • Creating a best-practice sharing network so a win at one site becomes a win across the group
  
  
  
  


• Leading change
  
  
  
  • Managing change across the network so implementation is smooth and the impact lasts
  
  
  • Influencing and engaging stakeholders at every level to build accountability and a genuine culture of continuous improvement
  
  
  
  

What you'll bring

• Experience
  
  
  
  • A track record in Operational Excellence or Continuous Improvement leadership within a global manufacturing environment
  
  
  • Demonstrable delivery of Lean and CI programmes with measurable results in cost, productivity and quality
  
  
  • Experience managing CI portfolios and governance across multiple sites
  
  
  • Experience leading large-scale change or transformation programmes
  
  
  
  


• Technical expertise
  
  
  
  • Advanced knowledge of Lean Manufacturing tools and methodologies
  
  
  • A strong grasp of financial impact and cost drivers in a manufacturing setting
  
  
  • Familiarity with CI tracking, benefits realisation and maturity models
  
  
  
  


• Qualifications
  
  
  
  • Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
  
  
  • Lean Six Sigma certification- Green Belt essential, Black Belt preferred
  
  
  
  

Benefits

• competitive salary (and a discretionary bonus)


• flexible working


• 27 days holiday allowance (before bank holidays)


• 3 days' paid volunteering leave


• comprehensive private healthcare


• enhanced pension plan


• life assurance


• optional participation in a Share Ownership Plan


• free onsite parking


• flexible benefits


• access to a personal discounts' portal


• range of additional support and benefits through our Everyone is Included Group Inclusion Plan

Everyone is Included at Spirax Group

We are passionate about creating inclusive and equitable working cultures where everyone can be themselves and achieve their full potential. For us, that means supportive teams and strong relationships where everyone's contribution is valued - across social and cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, genders, gender identities, abilities, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and everything else that makes us human and unique.

We want everyone to be able to make their difference here, so we will always consider requests for flexible working.

We know that everyone needs some extra help from time to time too, so we have introduced a range of additional benefits through our Group Inclusion Commitments. These include gender-neutral parental leave, 15 days of extra paid caregiver leave, paid time off and support for anyone experiencing pregnancy loss or domestic abuse, menopause-friendly workplace principles and more. Learn more at

The Steam Thermal Solutions business is one of three businesses within Spirax Group. Spirax Sarco and Gestra, are our two brands that form Steam Thermal Solutionsand are global leaders in the supply of engineered solutions for the design, provision and maintenance of efficient industrial and commercial steam systems.Steam Thermal Solutions has global coverage across 67 operating units (called OpCos), organised into four Divisions: EMEA, APAC, Americas, Gestra.

Spirax Groupis a FTSE100 and FTSE4Good multi-national industrial engineering Group with expertise in the control and management of steam, electric thermal solutions, peristaltic pumping and associated fluid technologies.

Our Purpose is to create sustainable value for all our stakeholders as we engineer a more efficient, safer and sustainable world. Our technologies play an essential role in critical industrial processes and industrial equipment across industries as diverse as Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology, Power Generation, Semiconductors and Healthcare. With customers in 165 countries, we provide the solutions that sit behind the production of many items used in daily life, from baked beans to mobile phones!

Our Purpose, supported by our inclusive culture and Values, unites us, guides our decisions and inspires us everywhere that we operate. We support our colleagues to make their difference for each other as well as customers, communities, suppliers, our planet and shareholders by creating a truly equitable working environment where everyone feels included.