Continuous Improvement Manager (Known internally as IWS Manager)

Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees (Home of McCoy’s, POM-BEAR and more) 

On-site 

Join our snack-loving team! Due to internal progression, we're looking for a Continuous Improvement Manager/IWS Manager to join our team at KP Snacks in Billingham. Fancy being part of a group where your ideas matter and your growth is celebrated? Keep reading – this might just be your next adventure! 

The IWS Manager has the site accountability for the ongoing phased development of Intersnack Work Systems (IWS) and helps the site to achieve their Compelling Business Need (CBN), reduce losses and achieve total employee engagement.

What’s in it for you?  

We believe in giving back and making sure you're happy and thriving. Here's a taste of what we offer: 

• Attractive salary, depending on the skills and experience you can bring 

• £7.5k car allowance

• Bonus scheme – with an excellent track record of over-achievement 

• Annual Salary Review 

• Medicash health cash plan/Private healthcare/Digital GP/Best Doctors (2nd Medical Opinion service) and Cancer care 

• Company sick pay (eligibility criteria exist) 

• Holiday buy scheme 

• Electric Vehicle Scheme 

• KP4ME - online benefits, discounts, prizes, competitions and information platform with access to mental, physical and financial wellbeing information and tools 

As Continuous Improvement Manager/IWS Manager, what will you be doing? 

Leadership 

• Lead the line organisation through the relevant IWS Phase Journey to drive performance improvement and sustainable results 

• Maintain a clear understanding of priorities, including execution requirements and resource planning, particularly with regard to people and capability 

• Coach and support site organisation to effectively set direction during Daily Direction Setting (DDS), ensuring alignment with site-level targets 

• Provide leadership for the FI/WPI Pillar, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and capability building 

• Influence peers and cross-functional teams to align on priorities and deliver results, including through indirect leadership and collaboration across organisational boundaries 

Loss Elimination 

• Develop the IWS Site Master / 90-Day Plan to address losses and build capability 

• Lead execution of 90 Day Plans to eliminate losses using IWS tools 

• Monthly review of Site Master Plans and results 

• Drive breakthrough results in OEE, Planned and Unplanned Downtime while delivering against the Master Production Schedule (use OPM and other tools) 

• Lead issue resolution “to Root Cause” on the floor of chronic stops  eg (IPS, UPS) 

DMS Capability Build 

• On the floor coaching of line leads andATMs 

• Perform hands-on coaching (actual usage) on the 8 RTT DMS’s 

• Loss Elimination 

• Skill Development/Technical Mastery/Behavioural 

• Coach the use of standard work to eliminate non-value added work, including coaching the link to effort reduction 

A little bit about our location

Billingham is our largest factory in the UK and is home to many of your favourite snack brands (McCoy’s, POM-BEAR, Wheat Crunchies and Discos) as well as about 700 colleagues. It’s a huge, complex site and is growing significantly over the next few years, which provides plenty of opportunity to grow and develop your career. If you enjoy solving problems, working collaboratively with colleagues and have a positive outlook, we’d like to hear from you! 

Who are we?  

Glad you asked! We're KP Snacks, proud to be part of the Intersnack family. Picture this: over 15,000 of us, spread across more than 30 countries, all working together to create the snacks you love. From Hula Hoops to McCoy's, we're the team behind your favourite munchies. 

Here in the UK, we're about 2,400 strong, spread across seven factories and our Slough HQ. But don't let our size fool you – we're as close-knit as they come. We believe in speaking our minds, celebrating our differences, and pushing boundaries together. 

Diversity isn't just a buzzword for us.  We're on a mission to create a workplace where everyone belongs. So, even if you don't tick every box, we want to hear from you! Your unique perspective could be just what we need. Also, if there's anything we can do to make this process easier for you, just give us a shout. 

We’d love to hear from you if can demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and experience:

• Demonstrated leadership in Continual Improvement across multiple stakeholder groups 

• Familiarity with IWS is beneficial but not required 

• Proven problem-solving capabilities using tools such as fishbone diagrams, 5 Whys, and root cause analysis (RCA) 

• Strong coaching and communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence others effectively 

• Skilled in leading structured change initiatives and driving sustainable improvements 

• Excellent planning and organisational abilities 

• Collaborative mindset with a proactive approach to seeking input from the wider team 

• High level of personal accountability and ownership for delivering results 

• Competence in handling large volumes of data; minimum intermediate proficiency in Excel 

• Experience operating as part of a leadership team or demonstrable readiness to step into such a role, with the strategic thinking and influence required at that level 

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