Continuous Improvement Coach

Continuous Improvement Coach

Remote (UK-based) | Global manufacturing sites | ~40% international travel

FMCG Manufacturing / Continuous Improvement / Operational Excellence

A continuous improvement role offering a global site portfolio, genuine autonomy, and an established TPM-based system, coaching manufacturing operations across three continents to improve performance and sustain it. It will suit an engineer who would rather diagnose and improve an entire operation than manage a single line.

Why this matters now

Large FMCG manufacturers are under increasing pressure to extract more output and less loss from the assets they already own. Investing in new equipment is the straightforward part; enabling a site to sustain its own improvement after support is withdrawn is considerably harder. That challenge is the core of this role.

Who you would be joining

A $14B global consumer-goods manufacturer, with a diversified portfolio of household-name FMCG brands sold in more than 150 countries and manufacturing operations across North America, EMEA, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. It is comparable in scale to Reckitt, Church & Dwight or SC Johnson. The continuous improvement programme is mature and engineering-led, developed over seven years on P&G-style TPM foundations (Autonomous Maintenance, Preventative Maintenance and loss analysis), and you would be mentored directly by the team that built it.

Scope of the role

You will assess each site, identify where its losses genuinely sit, build the improvement roadmap, and coach the teams there until they are able to sustain it independently. You will begin by taking ownership of two or three systems — CMMS, preventative maintenance, spare-parts management and loss analysis — under close mentoring, taking on further responsibility as you establish yourself. The team is small and grows by only a few hires each year, so scope expands quickly and results are clearly attributable to the individual.

Key responsibilities

• Diagnose site performance and develop CI roadmaps that hold up in practice
• Conduct root-cause and loss analysis to improve OEE and equipment reliability
• Deploy the programme end to end: CMMS, preventative maintenance, spare-parts strategy and structured loss analysis
• Coach operators, engineers and plant leadership until continuous improvement becomes embedded practice
• Build CI capability across multi-disciplinary teams, including process mapping and waste elimination
• Help design risk out of the operation and maintain a strong safety culture
• Present findings to VPs and senior directors, supported by robust data

About you

Essential

• Hands-on CI / Lean manufacturing experience — TPM, AM/PM, Six Sigma or similar
• An engineering background with a recognised qualification (Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing or a related discipline), sufficient to discuss spare parts and preventative maintenance credibly with a maintenance engineer
• A demonstrated track record of coaching and developing teams from the shop floor to senior leadership
• Comfortable working independently in field-based, shop-floor environments
• Confident communicating with stakeholders at every level, from operator to director
• A self-starter, able to work effectively under their own initiative
• A full driving licence and a genuine appetite for approximately 40% international travel
• The right to work in the UK; sponsorship is not available for this role

Preferred

• Experience with CMMS and facilities-management systems
• Leadership of CI or change projects within FMCG or fast-paced manufacturing
• Confidence interrogating data to identify losses, and openness to the AI tooling the team uses extensively to accelerate that analysis

Why apply

Many continuous improvement roles confine you to a single site and a recurring set of problems. This role offers a portfolio spanning four continents, a proven system, direct mentoring from its architects, and sufficient autonomy that outcomes are clearly your own. Performing well, your remit can double or triple as the team grows.

Additional information

Remote, UK-based, with approximately 40% international travel (variable — from several weeks based at home to occasional two-week overseas assignments). No visa sponsorship is available. Full package details will be shared on application.