Operational Excellence Lead

Location: Located in one of the major DS Smith Operations Countries: Italy, UK, Iberia, Germany, France, Poland

Travel: minimum 60% travel required

About the Role

The Operational Excellence Lead is responsible for deploying and sustaining a divisional strategy that delivers continuous improvement of operational productivity across all manufacturing sites within the Packaging Division. The role leads the identification and elimination of operational losses in manufacturing sites to deliver financial value.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Deploy the divisional Operational Performance strategy and roadmaps, ensuring alignment with Sub-Regional and site objectives while supporting the implementation of the DSS Way

• Lead operational performance improvement initiatives across sites, using loss analysis, structured problem-solving, and data-driven decision making to 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, embedding continuous improvement and accountability into site culture

• Implement and sustain performance management systems, including KPIs, tiered reviews, visual management, and escalation routines to drive operational efficiency and transparency

• 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 to accelerate best practice adoption and continuous improvement.

About You

• Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Management or related technical discipline

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent qualification preferred, as well as 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, with the ability to influence stakeholders and drive cultural transformation at all levels

• Commercially aware with excellent analytical, project management, facilitation, and communication skills

• Experience leading cross-functional improvement initiatives across operations, engineering, supply chain, and commercial teams

• Proficient 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 are advantageous.

APPLICATIONS CLOSING DATE: 20th October 2026

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