Continuous Improvement Coordinator

Continuous Improvement Coordinator

Job title:  CI Coordinator

Reports to: CI Controller

Location:    Ornua Foods UK, Leek

Salary: Generous salary depending on experience

Hours: hours per week

Benefits: Matched pension scheme up to 8%, Generous holiday allowance increasing with length of service, Subsidised staff canteen, Company shop offering discounts on Ornua products, Sports & Social Club, Staff Lottery, Discount on Bikes & Tech Scheme, Confidential Employee Assist Programme, Free onsite parking

Ornua (meaning "new gold") is Ireland's largest exporter of Irish dairy products, proudly bringing the unique taste of Irish dairy to the world for over 55 years.

Are you a Continuous Improvement professional looking for the challenge of taking a mission driven organisation to its next level of success? Are you collaborative, curious and empowering, with a seek to understand approach?

Ornua is actively seeking a CI Coordinator to join our CI department as we continue our growth trajectory.

The CI Coordinator will develop, participate, and execute cross-functional improvement projects and training. Eliminating waste, increasing employee engagement in our Operational Excellence Programme along with driving a positive culture of continuous improvement.

Why Ornua?

• Ornua operates from 10 business units worldwide, including 16 production facilities, and has sales and marketing teams working in-market across all four corners of the globe.
• The Group is structured across two divisions: Ornua Foods and Ornua Ingredients.
• Ornua Foods is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua's consumer brands including Kerrygold, Pilgrims Choice.
• Our co-operative ethos lies at the heart of how we do business as a purpose and values-led organisation, creating value for Irish dairy farming families.
• Our Values lie at the core of everything we do. Our five values encourage us to Seek and Embrace New Ideas, Make It Happen, Be Our True Selves, Show You Care, and Achieve Great Things Together.
• We invest in our people and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Career Progression including Global Mobility opportunities.
• Comprehensive Benefits with regional specific offerings.

Why This Role Is Valuable:

As our CI Coordinator you will be responsible for leading on;

• Lead/support delivery of improvement events, delivering tangible and validated improvements in line with Ornua's Operational Excellence Framework.
• Embed continuous improvement behaviours throughout the organisation by role modelling effective Lean Leadership behaviour as well as helping to foster strong cross-functional team spirit.
• Manage and maintain OEE production software system, using data to seek improvement opportunities and deliver improvements to OEE.
• Develop Capital Expenditure recommendations and evaluations.
• Mentor/train multidisciplinary teams in Lean tools and techniques to support a culture change environment where staff can blossom and embrace change for good. 
• Work collaboratively with teams to foster a strong team spirit in your role as Improvement Leader, as well as when you are a Team Member/Project Support.
• Creation and management of CI related documentation, metrics, and media to effectively communicate and celebrate change and success.
• Sponsor and lead Problem Solving activities with data, rationale, and expertise to create solutions, tackle ambiguity and drive consensus to aid effective problem solving.

What You Bring To The Role:

• Good working knowledge of Lean/Operational Excellence Theory:

(VA/NVA, 8 Wastes, 5S, SMED, OEE, PDCA/DMAIC Problem Solving, Standard Work etc.).

• Project Management experience
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to lead cross functional teams and report into Senior teams
• Analytical mindset and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrable experience in a similar role or environment
  
  

Our interview process is designed to be thorough yet supportive. This process includes a first stage via Teams to allow us to get to know you better and to understand your skills and experiences and, if successful, a second stage face-to-face interview that will build upon the first stage and give you the opportunity to get a feel for Ornua and the environment in which you will be working.

Ornua has ambitious growth plans and we're building a team to help enable and accelerate that growth. We are looking for people who share our values, are curious, forward-looking, take ownership and work together to build a future for themselves and Ornua.

Would you like to make an impact?

To learn more, please visit Ornua at

Ornua values diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. We also strongly encourage women and other underrepresented groups in the manufacturing industry to apply. Your unique perspectives and experiences are highly valued and will be instrumental in driving our company's continued success. Join us in shaping a more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable future.