Operational Excellence Manager

Trouw Nutrition; Ashbourne CP; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A global leader in animal nutrition is seeking an Operational Excellence Manager for their Ashbourne site. The role involves leading improvement initiatives and collaborating with teams to enhance operational efficiency. Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Operations, and 3-5 years of relevant experience, including knowledge of Lean methodologies. Competitive remuneration and benefits are offered.

Benefits

Competitive remuneration

Professional growth opportunities

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in manufacturing or operations.
• Proven track record in driving process optimization.
• Experience with Lean certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead improvement initiatives for the Ashbourne site.
• Identify and deliver process improvements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders.

Skills

Driving Lean initiatives

Continuous improvement

Analytical skills

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Operations

Tools

5S

TPM

Value Stream Mapping

Job description

Operational Excellence Manager page is loaded## Operational Excellence Managerlocations: Ashbourne, Derbyshiretime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Todayjob requisition id: VAC25052**Job Description:****Join Our Purpose – Feeding the Future**Nutreco is a member of the SHV family, and we are committed to 'Feeding the Future' through sustainable and innovative practices. Nutreco has two business lines: Skretting is a leading global provider of innovative aquafeed solutions, revolutionizing aquaculture for a sustainable future. Trouw Nutrition specializes in animal nutrition and is committed to advancing livestock health and productivity through cutting-edge solutions.**Operational Excellence Manager** at our Ashbourne site. In this role, you will lead improvement initiatives, implement best practices, and support the site team to embed a culture of operational excellence.This is a unique opportunity to contribute to Trouw Nutrition’s operational efficiency, support a growing team, and make a tangible impact on both business results and customer satisfaction.**About the Role – Drive Continuous Improvement and Efficiency Key Responsibilities*** Lead and execute the Operational Excellence masterplan for the Ashbourne site* Identify and deliver process improvements and cost-saving initiatives* Engage teams on Lean and continuous improvement practices, fostering a culture of operational excellence* Conduct diagnostics and assessments to identify opportunities aligned with business priorities.* Own the Operational Excellence projects end-to-end, from planning to implementation and follow-up* Collaborate with customers to optimize supply chain efficiency and deliver mutual benefits.* Analyse performance data, generate insights, and translate findings into actionable business recommendations.* Partner with cross-functional stakeholders, including Operations, Customer Service, and Planning, to ensure initiatives align with business goals.* Report progress and contribute to long-term operational strategies**Skills and Expertise Qualifications and Experience:*** Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, or a related field.* 3–5 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or continuous improvement.* Proven track record in driving Lean, Operational Excellence, or process optimization initiatives.* Strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret data sets into actionable insights.* Hands-on experience with improvement tools such as 5S, TPM, or Value Stream Mapping are desirable* Lean certification preferred; Six Sigma Green/Black Belt is an advantage.* Experience in project management and cross-functional collaboration.* Soft skills: analytical and solutions-oriented, commercially aware, with strong communication. Resilient, adaptable, and proactive, balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence**Other Requirements:*** Availability for occasional travel within Great Britain and Europe* Work model: On-site, full-time (Ashbourne, UK)**Why You Will Love Working with Us** **Global Benefits:*** Full-time role in a supportive and dynamic environment* Opportunity to contribute to an international, dynamic environment* Competitive remuneration and benefits package.* Opportunities for professional growth within Nutreco and the SHV family**Next Steps:** We value a seamless candidate experience and aim to respond within five (5) business days. The hiring process typically takes 4–6 weeks. For more information, please contact Luisa Ligabo at [e-mail]. We appreciate your interest in joining our mission to innovate and sustainably shape the future of food production**Our organisation:**Trouw Nutrition is the global leader in innovative feed specialties, premixes and nutritional services for the animal nutrition industry. Trouw Nutrition provides species-specific nutritional solutions consisting of feed concepts, products and nutritional know-how. The unique combination of products, models and services Trouw Nutrition offers, boosts productivity and supports animal health through all life stages, contributing to our customers' peace of mind. Trouw Nutrition's nutrition solutions have met the need of farmers and home-mixers, feed producers, integrators and distributors. Trouw Nutrition has locations in 25 countries and around 5000 employees. Our mission is Feeding the Future.**Equal Opportunity Employer:**Trouw Nutrition is an equal opportunity employer; applicants are considered for all roles without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, marital, parental, military status or any other status protected by applicable local law. Please advise us at any point during the recruitment and selection process if you require accommodation. Trouw Nutrition is committed to compliance with all applicable legislation, including providing accommodation for applicants with disabilities.Nutreco is a global leader in animal nutrition and aquafeed. Our advanced nutritional solutions are at the origin of food for millions of consumers worldwide. Its two global company brands *(aqua feed)* and *(animal nutrition)* have sales in over 90 countries.Our purpose ***Feeding the Future*** captures a big challenge: feeding 9 billion people in 2050. Our responsibility is twofold: we need to make a significant contribution to meeting the rapid increase in worldwide demand for food; on the other hand, we need to find the right balance in order that we can realize growth while making also responsible choices for people and planet.We believe in three core elements to future success: strategy execution, innovation, and competence of our people. Our values; capable, caring, collaborative, and innovative are supportive of those three core elements..