Continuous Improvement & Manufacturing Excellence Specialist
Mon‑Fri Days 37.5 hours
Stourton Dairy, LS10
We are recruiting a specialist to work within our creamery department at our Stourton Dairy, the most complex milk site in the UK. This role combines data analytics, digital innovation and stakeholder collaboration to drive operational performance, quality and sustainable growth.
How you will make an impact
Reporting into the LCO Core Team Leader, you will be responsible for delivering CI projects, optimising OEE, driving data‑led decisions and championing AI and digital solutions.
- Identify, develop and deliver step‑change improvements across safety, quality, cost, reliability, service, automation and digitalisation, driving sustainable business results.
- Analyse production processes, remove bottlenecks and improve capacity utilisation, OEE, output, energy efficiency and overall line performance.
- Leverage process and machine data, dashboards and performance visualisation tools to identify opportunities, solve complex problems and support operational excellence.
- Lead the transition from manual to automated data capture, support predictive maintenance and AI‑enabled manufacturing initiatives, and enhance real‑time operational insights.
- Lead packaging innovation, reduce defects and waste, improve process capability and support environmentally sustainable manufacturing through data‑driven solutions.
What you need to succeed
You will hold a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Food, Industrial or a related discipline) and bring at least three years’ experience in a Continuous Improvement, Process Engineering or Manufacturing Excellence role. You will have a passion for learning, a proactive can‑do attitude, and proven success in delivering process optimisation, line performance improvements and structured problem solving using Lean, Six Sigma or similar CI methodologies. Experience within food manufacturing or FMCG environments is highly desirable, and Green Belt Certification is a plus.
- Comfortable working closely with production teams on the shop floor and analysing complex manufacturing systems, including production flow, bottlenecks, staffing, logistics and inventory models.
- Experience leveraging digital technologies and data to drive improvements, with exposure to tools such as MES systems, Power BI, Python, automated systems or emerging manufacturing technologies.
- Strong communication, stakeholder management and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
- Solid understanding of quality, food safety and compliance standards.
What we can offer
- Competitive salary.
- 26 days of holiday plus bank holidays.
- Matched pension contributions up to 6%.
- Life assurance and flexible benefits.
- Internal and external training opportunities to support your growth and development.
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