Continuous Improvement Manager jobs
Left to their own devices, most businesses’ operations will tend not to improve, but will at best stagnate and at worst deteriorate. Many factors are at play, such as the ongoing training of staff in the latest technologies; systems of operation becoming obsolete or problematic issues being worked around rather than dealt with; or departments not working together on issues that affect them both.
The continuous improvement manager will be tasked with ensuring that every aspect of a complex business is growing in profitability by seeking out financial leaks and inefficiencies and dealing with their root causes. When deployed properly it’s a troubleshooter job with real teeth, overseeing multiple departments and not only ensuring best practices are being observed individually but also making sure changes that affect one department do not have a deleterious on others, unless in the big picture it makes good business sense.
A good sense of priority will be required of the CI manager, too. Changes that make the biggest impact will always be top of the agenda; there’s no point getting bogged down with the small things. What’s more, as the name of the position suggests, what is the top priority this week might not necessarily be top priority next week. It’s a job where planning and reacting take equal precedence.
The skills required
Excellent time, project and people management skills are a must, and an ability to juggle several different departments’ needs to reach an optimum conclusion will essential. An ability to communicate complex and perhaps even unpopular concepts to other departments who may or may not be technically subordinate to you will also be vital. You will also need to be completely familiar with the needs and goals of the company, both short-term and strategically.
Excellent data analysis skills will help with this communication, as it will be required to explain major changes to all levels of the company.
Continuous Improvement Manager Jobs in Newcastle-under-Lyme
The Staffordshire town of Newcastle-under-Lyme (not to be confused with Newcastle-upon-Tyne) adjoins the city of Stoke-on-Trent along all of its eastern edge; without looking at a boundary map it would be difficult to discern where one ends and the other begins. The town did have a similar industrial history to Stoke, namely pottery and porcelain manufacture, until the mid-1700s when it all but stopped, giving way to brick making, clothing, cotton milling, coal mining and engineering. Engineering and clothing manufacturing still dominate the town’s industries; many military and police uniforms are made here.
In the early 1900s, the Stoke area was an amalgamation of a number of moderately sized towns, chief among them Stoke, Hanley, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Burslem, Fenton, Tunstall, Longton, Smallthorne, Kidsgrove, and Audley. A motion was put to parliament to amalgamate them all into one city in what was known as the Federation of Stoke-on-Trent. Newcastle-under-Lyme was the only one to reject the plan, partly because the others were heavily involved in the pottery industry and Newcastle no longer was. Newcastle’s opposition was recognised and so it came to be that the town now exists almost engulfed by Stoke-on-Trent.
With a population of about 75,000 and a huge regeneration effort recently being completed, Newcastle-under-Lyme has undergone something of a rebirth of late, after a few decades of gradual decline. We do see more Continuous Improvement Manager jobs appearing in the town, which is often indicative of renewed economic activity.
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Cast UK’s logistics opportunities
People approach us looking for work for many reasons, chief among them seeking more fulfilment, moving house or looking for a promotion. Cast UK is the consultancy that not only candidates but also many employers come to first, so if you’re looking for a career change in logistics, there’s a good chance we’ll have a great job for you.
Cast UK’s founder members are from the logistics, procurement and supply chain sectors, and our consultants are from the same fields, so we know what both employers and candidates are looking for. Our own success depends on our filling management and executive positions with the best people, so we have an interest in making sure we know our candidates and employers as well as possible.
The positions we offer cover the whole of the UK, so please check out what’s available in your region and do get in touch if you’ve seen something you’re interested in – your career might be about to take a turn for the better!
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Continuous Improvement Manager for your business or find you a job as a Continuous Improvement Manager then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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