Want to help us bring happiness to the world? Want to join an ambitious and fast growing global biscuits and confectionery business investing heavily in iconic global brands, infrastructure and people? Then this is the place for you.
As proud bakers and chocolatiers and custodians of iconic global brands, we don’t compromise on the quality of ingredients in our products or on the people we hire. We are looking for entrepreneurial spirits who share our passion for bringing happiness to our consumers and who embody our Winning Traits.
To succeed at pladis you need to be purpose-led , resilient and positive to succeed here because we expect pace and agility , we insist on collaboration and demand accountability. If that is your thing, then pladis offers global ambition, a clear Vision and roadmap for success, challenge, and unrivalled opportunities to learn and make an impact
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Site Excellence Manager
Wigston LE18 4LZ
Site Introduction:
The Wigston site, with a heritage dating back to 1895, is renowned for its long-standing tradition in biscuit production and its evolution through various ownerships, now proudly part of pladis Global. The site is home to a diverse and multicultural workforce, comprising 200 permanent employees and a sizable seasonal agency team. The team is represented by the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Trade Union and is committed to inclusivity and diversity at every level. Wigston’s culture emphasises pride in its people, a collaborative spirit, and a dedication to delivering high-quality products enjoyed nationwide, all while fostering an environment where diversity and long service are celebrated.
The Role:
Reporting to the Factory General Manager as a key member of the site leadership team, the Site Excellence Manager plays a vital role in delivering the overall site strategy. You’ll be accountable for developing and implementing the site Excellence strategy, aligned with the pladis Global Excellence framework, across the Wigston site.
This is an exciting opportunity to lead a strategically important workstream, delivering operational objectives, strategic projects, and cultural transformation. You’ll coach, support, and facilitate improvement initiatives through Team Managers and Operator groups, embedding excellence practices at every level.
While the role is based at Wigston, occasional travel to other sites will be encouraged to support projects and benchmarking. The role is not shift-based but requires flexibility to meet business and project needs.
What will this role achieve?
This is a high-impact position responsible for designing, implementing, and embedding operational excellence programmes across the site. You’ll influence and collaborate widely to drive a culture of continuous improvement, reduce costs, and add value through Lean and CI methodologies.
As part of the site leadership team, you’ll lead the improvement pipeline, support strategic goals, and ensure sustainability of excellence initiatives. You’ll also play a central role in capability building, coaching, and mentoring teams at all levels.
What will be your key deliverables?
Lead the Excellence Programme by designing and deploying frameworks, facilitating goal deployment, and ensuring governance aligned with business strategy.
Drive Continuous Improvement through Lean and CI tools, maintaining a robust pipeline of projects to achieve financial and operational targets.
Build Capability and Coach teams by delivering Lean training, mentoring Belt candidates, and embedding CI behaviours across daily operations.
Manage Performance and Projects by leading cost-reduction initiatives, overseeing Capex projects for plant efficiency, and monitoring KPIs such as OEE, quality, and safety.
Foster a Culture of Engagement that empowers employees and sustains continuous improvement through collaboration and communication.
Influence and Align Stakeholders by acting as the key link to the wider Excellence programme,…