Operational Excellence and CI Lead

About RS Group

RS is a high-service global product and service solutions provider for industrial customers, enabling them to operate efficiently and sustainably.

We operate in 33 markets, stock over 875,000 industrial and specialist products and list an additional five million relevant for our industrial customers, sourced from over 2,500 suppliers. This extensive range supports our customers across the industrial lifecycle of designing, building and maintaining equipment and operations. We enhance their experience through a tailored service model, leveraging our efficient physical, digital and process infrastructure sustainably. We combine a technically led and digitally enabled approach with an exceptional team of experts; ultimately, it’s our people that make the difference.

Our purpose, making amazing happen for a better world, reflects our focus on delivering results for people, planet and profit.

About the Role

The Operational Excellence and CI lead reports to the GSBS Head of CI & Opex and works in close partnership with the Performance & Reporting team , the Automation team and GSBS America´s Operations. This role focuses on supporting the delivery of continuous improvement initiatives across GSBS, ensuring CI ways of working are consistently applied within operations and that improvement activities contribute to measurable performance outcomes.

The Lead is responsible for managing elements of the CI portfolio, coordinating operational improvement initiatives within defined areas. Working alongside the Performance& Reporting team to identify improvement opportunities, and the Automation team to support delivery through technology, this role helps translate insight into practical action and sustainable improvements.

The role requires someone who can manage improvement initiatives with discipline, and build effective working relationships with stakeholders to ensure changes are successfully implemented and embedded

RS Group has a strong CI community at group level, where standards are defined, audited, and externally verified by the Lean Competency System (LCS). This role supports the application of these standards within GSBS and contributes to their consistent adoption.

Role Purpose

To lead the delivery of continuous improvement and operational excellence initiatives within GSBS, managing initiatives to support measurable performance improvements. Reporting to the GSBS Head of CI & Opex and working in close partnership with the Performance & Reporting , Automation teams and GSBS America´s Operations, this role contributes to the effective prioritisation and execution of improvement activity, ensuring initiatives are delivered with discipline and embedded within operations. The role supports the application of CI ways of working within GSBS and focuses on driving performance optimisation through KPIs, contributing to the delivery of value and return on investment aligned to team objectives

Responsibilities

• Managing an assigned portfolio through GSBS business priorities and demand process

• By strengthening GSBS’s capability to deliver Continuous Improvement (CI) and Operational Excellence, this role supports the consistent application of CI practices within teams, helping to build a culture where improvement is embedded in day-to-day operations and linked to measurable business outcomes.
• The Operational Excellence and CI lead contributes to raising the capability of leaders and teams through practical coaching, guidance, and a focus on delivery excellence. They support the effective execution of improvement initiatives, helping to ensure changes are implemented successfully and deliver sustainable value.
• Working with stakeholders, the role helps bring focus to CI activity by playing a key role in the identification and prioritisation of improvement opportunities within assigned areas, ensuring initiatives are data-informed and outcomes are tracked.
• Through collaborative stakeholder engagement, the role supports the visibility and adoption of CI and Opex practices within GSBS, helping to embed continuous improvement as a consistent way of working and contributing to overall business performance.

Candidate Requirements

Essential Skills & Experience

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (or equivalent experience), with a strong track record of delivering operational improvement initiatives in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Experience working within CI or Operational Excellence teams in a Global Business Services or shared services environment.
• Proven experience leading and developing CI professionals, supporting delivery quality and capability growth within the team.
• CI and Lean Six Sigma knowledge, with the ability to apply tools such as DMAIC and VSM to solve operational problems and guide others in their use.
• Commercial awareness, with the ability to link improvement activity to measurable business outcomes and communicate value clearly to stakeholders.
• Confident working with a range of stakeholders, with effective communication and relationship management skills across teams and functions.
• Experience supporting the delivery of multiple improvement initiatives simultaneously, managing priorities and contributing to effective resource planning.
• Ability to identify improvement opportunities and contribute to shaping local CI priorities aligned to wider business objectives.
• Experience using data, insights, and benefits tracking to monitor progress and demonstrate the impact of improvement activity.

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Good understanding of automation, digital and AI-enabled improvement tools, with experience applying or supporting their use within CI initiatives to enhance delivery outcomes.
• Experience contributing to the development or refinement of CI operating models or ways of working to support evolving business needs.
• Knowledge of the Lean Competency System (LCS) framework, or experience working within an LCS-aligned or audited environment.
• Experience supporting improvement initiatives across multiple regions (e.g. EMEA, APAC, AMERs), with an appreciation of how regional context can influence delivery.
• Practical experience applying change management approaches (e.g. stakeholder engagement, communication planning, adoption tracking) to support the successful implementation of improvement initiatives.
• Experience using data visualisation tools such as Power BI to support performance tracking and insight generation.
• Experience coaching or mentoring colleagues, with a passion for developing CI capability in others.
• Strong understanding of Shared Services, with experience working within a Global Business Services or shared services environment and familiarity with the associated operating models and performance drivers.

Essential Qualifications (Must be evidenced at offer stage)

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification
• Management experience with a minimum of 5 yrs of leading CI professionals.

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