Operational Excellence Manager – SAP, Business Systems & Supply Chain

Operational Excellence Manager – SAP, Business Systems & Supply Chain Aerospace & Defence Manufacturing | Business Process Improvement | ERP | Operational Performance Transform operational performance through systems, data and business process improvement within one of the UK's leading aerospace and defence engineering organisations. We're looking for an experienced Operational Excellence Manager to drive measurable operational improvements across Sourcing, Procurement and Supply Chain within a complex, highly regulated aerospace manufacturing environment.

Success will come from your ability to combine ERP systems, operational performance data, business process optimisation and structured Continuous Improvement methodologies to improve efficiency, governance and operational performance across the business. If you're passionate about using SAP, operational analytics, KPI reporting and business systems to solve complex operational challenges, this is an outstanding opportunity to make a genuine impact.

Reporting into senior leadership, you ll work across Engineering, Manufacturing, Procurement, Sourcing, Operations and Finance , identifying opportunities to improve operational performance through data, business process redesign and structured Continuous Improvement. This is a highly visible role where you ll influence stakeholders at all levels while managing and developing a Continuous Improvement Analyst.

• Operational Excellence Lead operational excellence initiatives across sourcing, procurement and supply chain operations.
• Identify improvement opportunities through analysis of ERP data, operational KPIs and business performance metrics.
• Simplify and optimise business processes to improve efficiency, delivery performance and operational governance.
• Deliver measurable operational improvements through structured problem-solving and data-driven decision-making.
• Business Systems & Data Maximise the use of SAP (or equivalent ERP systems) to improve operational performance.
• Develop KPI frameworks, dashboards and performance reporting to support business decision-making.
• Analyse operational data to identify trends, bottlenecks and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Drive business process standardisation through systems optimisation and workflow redesign.
• Improve governance, reporting accuracy and operational visibility.
• Supply Chain & Sourcing Improve sourcing, procurement and material flow processes.
• Partner with Procurement, Engineering, Manufacturing and Finance teams to improve supplier performance and operational efficiency.
• Support operational readiness for new products, engineering changes and supply chain improvements.
• Improve planning, inventory performance and operational workflows.

• Lead Value Stream Mapping workshops and structured business process reviews.
• Facilitate Root Cause Analysis and problem-solving sessions.
• Apply Lean methodologies where appropriate to support operational improvements.
• Develop Continuous Improvement governance, roadmaps and improvement pipelines.
• Coach operational teams in Continuous Improvement best practice.
• Manage and develop the Continuous Improvement Analyst.

We re particularly interested in professionals currently working within:
Aerospace Manufacturing Defence Manufacturing Aviation Engineering Complex Engineering Manufacturing Automotive OEM or Tier 1 Manufacturing Rail Engineering Medical Device Manufacturing Other highly regulated manufacturing environments who have experience improving operational performance through both business systems and Continuous Improvement.

• Essential Experience
• Proven experience leading Operational Excellence, Business Process Improvement or Continuous Improvement programmes.
• Strong experience using SAP or equivalent ERP systems to identify and deliver operational improvements.
• Experience analysing operational performance data, KPIs and business metrics to support decision making.
• Experience improving business processes across manufacturing, procurement, sourcing or supply chain operations.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence…