Manufacturing Excellence Lead

Job Description:

The Opportunity

We are looking for an exceptional Manufacturing Excellence Lead to lead a significant transformation of how we operate our pet food manufacturing site here at Mars Care and Treats Birstall.

We are looking for a leader who can change the culture of the factory — moving the organisation from reactive problem solving and dependence on specialists towards a culture of ownership, prevention, structured problem solving and continuous improvement.

You will lead the deployment of our Mars Manufacturing Excellence program (MSE – Mars Supply Excellence), working across Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain and site leadership to create a high-performing organisation where everyone owns the performance of their area and every loss becomes an opportunity to improve.

The successful candidate will be highly visible on the shop floor, credible with operators and technicians, and equally comfortable influencing and challenging the site and regional leadership teams.

Your Mission

Your mission will be to build a manufacturing culture based on:

• Zero-loss thinking

• Total associate ownership

• Prevention rather than firefighting

• Fact-based problem solving

• Strong standards and disciplined execution

• Continuous improvement as part of everyday work

• Leadership ownership of performance

• Developing people and capability

You will lead pillar leads and teams to create the systems, routines and behaviours that make this culture sustainable.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the Site Manufacturing Excellence (MSE) Transformation

• Own and lead the site's manufacturing excellence strategy (MSE) and transformation roadmap.

• Establish a clear maturity journey for the factory, with defined standards, milestones and measures.

• Lead the organisation through a significant cultural and behavioural change programme.

• Build a strong zero-loss mindset, ensuring the organisation systematically identifies, prioritises and eliminates losses.

• Establish the management systems, routines and governance required to sustain the transformation.

• Partner with the Site Leadership Team to make manufacturing excellence a core part of the site's operating strategy.

Build Total Associate Ownership

• Create an environment where operators, technicians and leaders take ownership for the performance and condition of their areas.

• Build ownership of standards, equipment, quality and performance at the point of work.

• Develop frontline capability to identify abnormalities, understand losses and solve problems.

• Create a culture where people are encouraged and expected to improve the way they work.

Embed Manufacturing Excellence (MSE) & Daily Management

• Develop and embed MSE methodologies including leading and aligning pillars on safety, quality, autonomous maintenance, planned maintenance, focused improvement and education & training.

• Strengthen daily management and performance routines across the factory.

• Establish clear standards and escalation processes for abnormalities and performance gaps.

• Develop robust problem-solving capability using appropriate structured methodologies.

• Use regular reviews and maturity assessments to identify gaps and drive improvement.

• Ensure MSE becomes part of the site's daily operating system, rather than a separate programme.

Coach Leaders & Build Capability

A critical part of this role is building capability rather than becoming the person who solves every problem.

• Coach site leaders, managers, team leaders and frontline associates in MSE methodologies (Manufacturing excellence).

• Develop a network of strong pillar leads, champions and subject-matter experts.

• Build leadership capability to sustain the transformation after individual projects are complete.

• Challenge leaders to own their area's performance and improvement agenda.

• Develop training and coaching programmes appropriate to different levels of the organisation.

• Share best practice and create a learning culture across the site.

Lead Change Across the Factory

• Act as the visible leader and champion of the transformation.
• Create a compelling vision for why the organisation needs to change and what good looks like.
• Build engagement and commitment across all levels of the factory.
• Identify and address resistance to change.
• Communicate progress, celebrate successes and maintain momentum.
• Work with leaders to ensure new behaviours are reinforced through systems, recognition and accountability.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for someone who has demonstrated that they can change both performance and culture in a manufacturing environment.

You will ideally have:

• Significant experience in TPM, IWS, Operational Excellence, Manufacturing Excellence or Continuous Improvement deployment.

• Proven experience leading a significant transformation within a manufacturing environment.

• Strong practical understanding of TPM principles and loss-elimination methodologies.

• Experience embedding autonomous maintenance and operator ownership.

• Experience developing daily management and performance systems.

• A track record of delivering measurable improvements in OEE, reliability, productivity, waste, quality and cost.

• Strong coaching and change-leadership capability.

• The ability to influence senior leaders while building genuine credibility with shop floor teams.

• Experience working in a high-volume FMCG, food, beverage or similarly complex manufacturing environment would be advantageous.

Why This Role Matters

This is an opportunity to fundamentally change the way an entire manufacturing site operates.

You will have the opportunity to take a factory on a genuine cultural and operational transformation journey, building the capability, ownership and systems required to deliver world-class manufacturing performance.

If you are passionate about people, manufacturing, loss elimination and creating lasting change, this is a role where you can have a significant and visible impact.

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.

• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.

• A strong focus on learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.

• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.