Job Description

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

The Continuous Improvement Lead is responsible for driving operational excellence initiatives across the manufacturing site through the deployment of Lean methodologies, structured problem solving, data analytics, and continuous improvement practices.

This role partners closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and site leadership teams to identify improvement opportunities, eliminate waste, improve productivity, and build a sustainable culture of continuous improvement. The position requires a hands-on leader who can effectively work on the manufacturing floor while influencing stakeholders at all organizational levels.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the deployment of the Continuous Improvement strategy across the site.
• Identify, prioritize and execute improvement projects focused on productivity, quality, cost reduction, waste elimination and operational effectiveness.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, Lean workshops and problem-solving sessions to drive measurable business results.
• Coach and develop site teams on Lean Manufacturing principles and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Lead root cause investigations and ensure robust corrective and preventive actions are implemented.
• Drive standardization initiatives and implementation of best practices across manufacturing operations.
• Implement and sustain 5S programs and visual management systems.
• Analyze operational data and develop dashboards, reports and insights using advanced analytical tools.
• Partner with site leadership to establish KPIs, monitor performance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Collaborate with regional and global stakeholders to support the deployment of Kerry Continuous Improvement standards and playbooks.
• Lead change management efforts associated with operational excellence initiatives.

Qualifications and skills

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Process Engineering or related discipline.

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Process Engineering or Lean Manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading Continuous Improvement projects in manufacturing operations.
• Experience facilitating cross-functional teams and influencing stakeholders without direct authority.
• Experience implementing Lean transformation initiatives and structured problem-solving methodologies.