Continuous Improvement Lead

Continuous Improvement Lead Crowborough, East Sussex | £60,000-£70,000 + Bonus + Excellent Benefits Are you a hands-on Lean professional who enjoys being on the shop floor, solving problems, coaching teams and delivering measurable improvements? At our Crowborough manufacturing facility, you'll work across a diverse range of production environments including clean rooms, precision assembly areas, calibration and test operations, and the manufacture of specialist jigs and fixtures that support the production of our world-leading gas analysis solutions. We’re looking for a Continuous Improvement Lead to drive operational excellence across our business. This role is focused on practical implementation, not just theory. You'll spend a minimum of four days per week on the shop floor, working directly with production teams to identify waste, improve processes and embed sustainable Lean practices. What You'll Do Lead hands-on Lean improvement activities including Kaizen events, 5S, Visual Management, Kanban, SMED and Value Stream Mapping. Work side-by-side with operators and production teams to solve problems and deliver measurable improvements in quality, productivity and cost. Drive root cause analysis using tools such as 5 Whys, A3 and Fishbone. Coach and develop SMEs and frontline teams through practical, real-time support and mentoring. Champion a culture of continuous improvement through visible leadership, Gemba activity and daily management routines. What We're Looking For Proven experience implementing Lean and Continuous Improvement within a manufacturing environment. Strong knowledge of Lean tools including 5S, VSM, Kanban, Standardised Work, Poka-Yoke and SMED. A track record of delivering measurable improvements in waste reduction, productivity, quality and cost performance. Excellent coaching and influencing skills with the ability to engage teams at all levels. Lean Green Belt qualification or equivalent practical experience. A proactive, resilient and highly practical approach with a passion for making improvements happen on the shop floor. Salary & Benefits £60,000-£70,000 per annum, plus: Discretionary bonus Private Medical Insurance Pension with up to 10.5% employer contribution 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and company shutdown day Option to buy additional holiday Life Assurance (4x salary) Enhanced family-friendly benefits Employee wellbeing programme Career development opportunities and recognition schemes Location Based at our UK Technical Centre in Crowborough, East Sussex, this is a full-time, onsite role (38 hours per week) with occasional global travel. A key expectation of the role is spending at least four days per week actively supporting improvement activities on the shop floor, working directly with frontline teams to deliver results. If you prefer rolling up your sleeves and driving improvements where the work happens, rather than observing from the…