"Lime did a good job for us and I've enjoyed working with them on roles. Moved quickly and have been communicative, understanding our requirements on limited information."
CEO | Hackney Gelato
Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence
Continuous improvement and operational excellence recruitment specialists
In search of outstanding talent in Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence for your organisation? Lime Talent specialises in connecting you with top-quality candidates across various roles within these domains. Whether you require expertise in Lean Six Sigma, process improvement, or operational excellence, we have access to a diverse pool of skilled professionals. Based in London, we offer expert guidance in recruiting for Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence positions within the Manufacturing sector across the UK and internationally.
We recognise the critical importance of finding candidates who not only possess the requisite technical skills, but also align with your organisational culture and values. Our team excels in identifying individuals who demonstrate self-motivation, strong functional expertise and a commitment to driving continuous improvement. We are committed to connecting you with candidates who possess the precise competencies needed to excel in these crucial roles within your organisation.
Why Use Us?
Established in 2013, we excel in recruiting a wide range of roles related to Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence for leading organisations and fast-growing challenger brands in the Manufacturing sector, Each member of our team is a dedicated recruitment specialist, this ensures that you work closely with someone who thoroughly understands the unique needs and intricacies of your specific requirements
You can see some of our clients below
Some of the roles that we specialise in recruiting include:
Buying & Procurement
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Consultancy Recruitment Specialists for FMCG, Supply Chain & Strategy
Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence
Demand Planning
Digitalisation and Industry 4.0
Engineering and Automation
General Management and Operations Director
Health, Safety and Environmental Management
Logistics and Customer Services
Production and Operations Management
Supply Chain Director
Supply Chain Management
Trusted by leading companies
Director
Chester-born Chris, has an unrivalled network of commercial candidates within the consumer goods industry. In addition to this, he has worked with many of the UK’s leading consumer brands and also with SME manufacturers from around the globe. Having started his career in 2002, Chris brings a wealth of experience to the team at Lime Talent.
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Our client portfolio
FAQ Section
Continuous Improvement (CI) focuses on systematically improving operational processes to increase efficiency, reduce waste and enhance performance. In FMCG and consumer goods businesses, this often includes manufacturing optimisation, supply chain efficiency, cost-to-serve reduction, service level improvement and process standardisation across multiple sites or partners.
CI plays a critical role in protecting margin and supporting scalable growth, particularly in high-volume, low-margin environments.
Continuous Improvement typically refers to ongoing, incremental process improvements using structured methodologies such as Lean or Six Sigma.
Operational Excellence is broader and often more strategic, encompassing end-to-end transformation initiatives, performance frameworks, governance structures and long-term efficiency programmes across supply chain and operations.
In larger or investor-backed organisations, Operational Excellence functions may sit at board or executive level, reporting directly to a COO or Supply Chain Director.
Typical UK salary ranges are:
Continuous Improvement Manager: £50,000–£75,000 + bonus
Senior CI / Operational Excellence Lead: £70,000–£95,000 + bonus
Head of Operational Excellence / Transformation Director: £100,000–£140,000 + bonus + LTIP
Compensation varies depending on site complexity, manufacturing footprint, international exposure, transformation scope and team responsibility. To provide an accurate market benchmark, it’s important to understand the scale of the operational environment and strategic remit of the role.
Lime Talent also provides tailored FMCG salary benchmarking support to help businesses structure competitive and performance-aligned reward packages.
Employers typically look for:
Lean, Six Sigma or equivalent process improvement methodologies
Experience within manufacturing, supply chain or logistics environments
Data-driven performance analysis and KPI management
Cost reduction and efficiency programme delivery
Change management and stakeholder engagement capability
ERP and systems optimisation exposure
At more senior levels, leadership of multi-site transformation programmes and cultural change initiatives becomes critical.
Common triggers include:
Rapid growth creating operational inefficiencies
Margin pressure requiring cost optimisation
Multi-site or multi-3PL complexity
ERP or system implementation
Preparation for investor scrutiny or exit
Operational restructuring or integration following acquisition
As businesses scale, informal process improvements are no longer sufficient. Structured Operational Excellence frameworks provide resilience, consistency and measurable performance gains.
In smaller organisations, process improvement may sit within operations or supply chain management. As complexity increases, dedicated CI Managers are appointed to drive structured improvement programmes.
In larger or PE-backed environments, this often evolves into Head of Operational Excellence or Transformation Director roles, responsible for cross-functional performance, governance and long-term efficiency strategy aligned to EBITDA improvement.
Lime Talent specialises in FMCG and consumer brand recruitment across supply chain and operations. Our approach includes targeted market mapping, methodology capability assessment (Lean, Six Sigma, transformation experience) and structured evaluation of change leadership capability.
We focus on identifying candidates who can deliver measurable operational impact while embedding sustainable performance cultures.
As consumer brands scale, operational inefficiencies become more visible to investors and board-level stakeholders. Structured improvement programmes can unlock margin expansion, improve service levels and strengthen cash flow.
Appointing experienced Operational Excellence leadership enables businesses to move from reactive firefighting to proactive performance optimisation.
Most searches take 4–8 weeks depending on seniority, site complexity and transformation scope. Senior transformation or multi-site leadership roles may require a longer search to ensure strategic and cultural alignment.
Yes. We regularly place interim CI Managers and Transformation Leads, particularly during ERP implementations, post-acquisition integration, restructuring programmes or accelerated cost reduction initiatives.
We work with:
VC and PE-backed consumer brands
Founder-led scale-ups
Mid-size FMCG manufacturers
International businesses expanding operational footprint
Global consumer goods organisations