Continuous Improvement Lead

Job Introduction

Primary Objective

Responsible for identifying more effective ways of working and help establish new processes that allow Selfridges to release capacity, reduce lead times and maximise output from these identified process. Core focus must be adding value to our customer proposition and ensuring that we make our team members ways of working simpler.

A bit about the role

Key Responsibilities

• Support Selfridges in identifying continuous improvement projects within our 2020 programme and business as usual areas.
• Provide training and facilitate workshops to help drive the necessary mindset change so our teams buy into these new ways of working.
• Help our projects build/design productivity and efficiency into our future process as part of our 2020 investment programme.
• Undertake data collection (in conjunction with Finance) to ensure we can quantify how efficiency benefit can be achieved through continuous process improvement techniques.
• Carry out root cause analysis for process breakdowns to ensure we design robust process that will stand up to large volume of processing activities.
• Drive value stream process mapping with our Business Analyst community to ensure we always consider our customer first.
• Work closely with our Change team, Business Leads and Subject Matter Experts to ensure that continuous improvement processes are both embedded and absorbed into Selfridges.  
• Develop and conduct follow up assessments to ensure we realise benefits from our process redesigns.
• Undertake incremental improvement programmes to business as usual processes to ensure we are constantly striving for best in class process optimisation.
• Coach our teams to think differently about our ways of working and make operational excellence the norm.
• Design monthly/quarterly reports (in conjunction with Finance) for Executive briefings, demonstrating how benefit is being achieved.

A bit about you

Skills and attributes

• Lean Six Sigma qualification – minimum Yellow or Green Belt.
• Excellent understanding of continuous improvement techniques aligned with the practical knowledge in how to apply them in a relatively immature environment to lean.
• Experience in successfully delivering lean techniques in a commercial organization.
• Be comfortable with dealing with ambiguity and cutting through uncertainty where necessary.
• Ability to set up, facilitate and lead continuous improvement workshops.
• Possess the confidence and expertise to balance multiple ad-hoc projects.
• Bring a sense of curiosity to how we work today.   
• Experience in mentoring teams on Lean concepts.
• Strong Leadership skills are required.
• Ability to effectively manage stakeholders is essential.
• Exceptional communications skills both written and verbal is a must.
• The ability problem solve is key to succeeding in this role.