Operational Excellence Practitioner

Overall Summary

At Close Brothers we look to recruit individuals from all different backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don’t tick every box. We celebrate diversity, promote inclusivity and are open to discuss flexible work options to help you balance your work and home life.

At Close Brothers we look to recruit individuals from all different backgrounds and encourage you to apply even if you don’t tick every box. We celebrate diversity, promote inclusivity and are open to discuss flexible work options to help you balance your work and home life.

Join the Close Brothers Retail Division where you will play a key role in delivering process improvement and transformation initiatives across the business by bridging the gap between Analyst and Manager, providing hands‑on delivery of projects while also supporting and coaching others in Operational Excellence methodologies.

Working as part of the Operational Excellence team our ideal team member will have previous experience in process improvement, ideally within Financial Services or a similar regulated environment with excellent problem‑solving and analytical skills.

• Lead and support process improvement and re‑engineering initiatives using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Scope, document, and analyse business processes to identify opportunities for simplification, automation, and efficiency gains.
• Facilitate workshops and working groups to drive engagement and gather insights.
• Conduct root cause analysis and present findings and recommendations to stakeholders at various levels.
• Support the delivery of targeted process reviews and assist in setting and tracking performance targets.
• Coach and train colleagues on best practices and Operational Excellence toolsets.
• Collaborate with IT, business teams, and third‑party suppliers to ensure successful implementation of improvement initiatives.

• Proficient in applying Lean and Six Sigma tools and techniques (Green Belt certification or equivalent preferred).
• Experience facilitating workshops and leading small project teams or work streams.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience in identifying opportunities for process automation and supporting the delivery lifecycle.
• Able to work autonomously and as part of a team, building effective networks across the business.

• Exposure to project management and/or consultancy environments.
• Experience with cloud‑based BPM suites and BPMN best practices.
• Familiarity with data visualisation tools (e.g., Tableau, Alteryx).
• Involvement in strategic projects such as Target Operating Model development, customer experience improvement, or cost optimisation.
• Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt certification (or working towards).

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We recognise that candidates may have specific needs that require adjustments to ensure they have a fair and equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities. Candidates who require the job description or application form in an alternative format, or any other adjustments, are encouraged to email us at  or request a call back.

At Close Brothers we support employees to balance their work life priorities and in this role you will be able to enjoy a mixture of hybrid working.

Close Brothers is a leading UK merchant banking group providing lending, deposit taking and securities trading. We employ approximately 3,000 people, principally in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Close Brothers Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250.

Our Responsibility - Diversity and inclusion ¦ Close Brothers Group