Lean & Continuous Improvement Manager

Join Our Leadership Team

At Beagle Aircraft, we're a leading aerospace manufacturer, producing precision-engineered components for some of the world's leading aerospace programmes.

As we continue to grow, we're looking for an experienced Lean & Continuous Improvement Manager to lead our operational excellence strategy and drive transformational change across the business.

This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate Lean professional to make a real impact by improving manufacturing performance, developing our people and embedding a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organisation.

The Role

Reporting into the Managing Director, you'll lead strategic Lean and Continuous Improvement initiatives across our manufacturing operation, delivering measurable improvements in quality, cost, delivery, safety and productivity.

Working closely with Production, Engineering, Quality and Operations, you'll identify opportunities to eliminate waste, improve efficiency and optimise manufacturing processes while ensuring compliance with aerospace quality standards.

What We Offer

* Competitive salary

* 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

* Company pension scheme

* Private Healthcare Benefits

* Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

* Holiday Purchase Scheme

* Birthday leave

* Long service awards

* Free onsite parking

* Career development opportunities

* Opportunity to influence business-wide operational excellence

Key Responsibilities

* Lead Lean and Continuous Improvement projects that deliver measurable business improvements.

* Drive Value Stream Mapping (VSM) activities to improve manufacturing flow and reduce waste.

* Facilitate Kaizen events and implement Lean tools including 5S, Kanban, SMED, TPM and Poka-Yoke.

* Develop and embed sustainable standard operating procedures, visual management systems and best practice.

* Coach and mentor managers, supervisors and shop floor teams to build a culture of continuous improvement.

* Analyse operational performance using KPIs and SQDC metrics to identify improvement opportunities.

* Lead structured root cause investigations using methodologies such as 8D, 5 Whys and Ishikawa.

* Partner with Production, Engineering and Quality teams to improve efficiency, quality, delivery and overall operational performance.

About You

We're looking for an experienced Lean professional who has successfully delivered operational improvements within a manufacturing environment and enjoys leading change through people.

You'll ideally have:

* At least 5 years' experience leading Lean or Continuous Improvement initiatives within aerospace, defence or precision engineering manufacturing.

* A proven track record of delivering measurable improvements in productivity, quality, lead time, waste reduction and operational efficiency.

* Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles, Value Stream Mapping and Continuous Improvement methodologies.

* Experience leading Kaizen events and implementing Lean tools including 5S, SMED, TPM, Kanban and Poka-Yoke.

* Excellent knowledge of structured problem-solving techniques, including 8D, 5 Whys and Root Cause Analysis.

* A good understanding of AS9100 and regulated manufacturing environments.

* Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt (preferred).

* Excellent leadership, coaching and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence at all levels of the business.

Why Join Beagle Aircraft?

This is an opportunity to shape the future of operational excellence within a growing aerospace manufacturer.

You'll play a key role in delivering strategic business improvements, developing our Lean culture and working alongside senior leaders to drive long-term manufacturing performance. If you're passionate about continuous improvement and enjoy making a measurable impact, we'd love to hear from you
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed