Continuous Improvement Lead

Job Description

Job Title: Continuous Improvement Lead

Location: Portsmouth – We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements – please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role

Salary: Up to £55,000 Depending on experience

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead high‑impact improvement projects that enhance performance and service outcomes across multiple ship classes
• Act as the go‑to expert for strategic transformation, working directly with senior engineering leaders
• Develop and own performance metrics that drive insight, transparency and targeted action
• Represent the WTA at key forums, shaping policy, process evolution and engineering best practice
• Strengthen interfaces between WTAs, Hub Support Teams and stakeholders to enable seamless collaboration
• Identify risks early and drive effective mitigation to keep improvement initiatives on track.
• Standardise and improve engineering policies and processes, including capability insertion and configuration control
• Conduct process confirmations and manage key service‑delivery documentation to embed quality and consistency

Your skills and experiences:

• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving ability, with sound judgement balancing strategic and technical priorities.
• Confident communicator and influencer, able to build relationships and brief senior stakeholders with credibility.
• Proven leadership of multi‑disciplinary teams in fast‑paced environments, maintaining focus, clarity and delivery under pressure.
• Able to operate flexibly and proactively, contributing effectively as an individual and team member to accelerate change and improvement activities
• A background in complex engineering or defence support, with experience leading impactful improvement initiatives would be advantageous

Benefits:

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Warship Technical Authority (WTA) Team

Powering more than 200 engineers, the Warship Technical Authority sits at the heart of BAE Systems Defence Solutions’ Asset Management organisation. This is the team trusted to support a global customer base, including the UK MoD, keeping the Royal Navy’s warships at Portsmouth Naval Base operating at their best. As the Principle Continuous Improvement Lead for the WTA, you’ll be a pivotal force within this high‑performing engineering community, driving the improvements that safeguard the ongoing reliability, safety, and operational readiness of the Royal Navy’s warship classes.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 10th February 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

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