Continuous Improvement Lead

The Company

Irish Country Meats is the specialist sheep meat division of the ABP Group, with operational sites in Camolin, Co. Wexford, Navan, Co. Meath and Liege, Belgium. The business has established market-leading positions across Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe, servicing retail, foodservice, wholesale and manufacturing customers.

At Irish Country Meats, our people are at the heart of our success. We are committed to attracting and developing talented individuals who are passionate about continuous improvement, operational excellence, and delivering the highest standards across all aspects of our business.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Continuous Improvement Lead to drive and embed a culture of Continuous Improvement across our three operational sites. This is an exciting opportunity to influence business performance, coach leaders, and deliver measurable improvements through Lean, Six Sigma and operational excellence practices.

Based in Camolin, Co. Wexford Or Mullaghboy, Navan Co. Meath the successful candidate will work closely with site leadership teams across all locations and will be required to travel regularly:

• Approximately 2-4 days per month to Navan, Co. Meath
• Approximately 1-2 days per month to Liege, Belgium

This role will be supported by the wider ABP Group Continuous Improvement Team, providing excellent opportunities for collaboration and development.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and drive Lean, Six Sigma and operational excellence initiatives across all Irish Country Meats sites.
• Partner with site leadership teams to identify performance gaps, prioritise opportunities and implement sustainable improvements.
• Develop and execute a strategy to embed Continuous Improvement behaviours throughout the organisation.
• Coach and support managers and teams in adopting Continuous Improvement tools, techniques and best practices.
• Create and manage communication and recognition programmes that drive employee engagement with Continuous Improvement.
• Organise, facilitate and document monthly Continuous Improvement meetings.
• Develop and maintain CI project tracking tools, dashboards and KPI reporting.
• Review completed projects and ensure successful initiatives are shared and implemented across all sites.
• Increase visibility of improvement activities by ensuring projects are documented and communicated effectively.
• Lead the rollout, embedding and ongoing monitoring of the "See It, Challenge It, Improve It" programme across all locations.
• Coordinate and deliver an annual Irish Country Meats Continuous Improvement Recognition Event.
• Work with the leadership team to develop CI initiatives linked to employee engagement survey outcomes.
• Produce monthly updates for the Managing Director and General Managers, summarising all CI activities and key insights.
• Collaborate with the wider ABP Group Continuous Improvement Team to leverage best practices and expertise.

Key Relationships

The successful candidate will work closely with:

• Site Management Teams
• HR Team
• Colleagues and counterparts across ICM and Lonhienne
• All People Managers across the business
• ABP Group Continuous Improvement Team

Candidate Profile

Essential

• Experience in Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Lean Manufacturing or a similar role.
• Excellent project management and organisational skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to influence, coach and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Full driving licence and willingness to travel regularly between sites, including occasional international travel.

Desirable

• Experience within food manufacturing or a multi-site operational environment.
• Experience developing KPI dashboards and reporting tools.
• Experience in change management and leadership coaching.

Key Performance Measures

Success in this role will be measured through:

• Delivery of the annual Continuous Improvement strategy.
• Timely and accurate reporting of CI activities and project data.
• Development of user-friendly reports and dashboards that drive business decision-making.
• Completion of a minimum of five Continuous Improvement projects per site per year.
• Measurable improvement in CI project KPI performance.
• Successful adoption and engagement with Continuous Improvement programmes across all sites.

Why Join Irish Country Meats?

• Opportunity to lead and shape Continuous Improvement across a multi-site international business.
• Work closely with senior leadership and contribute directly to strategic business performance.
• Access to support and expertise from the wider ABP Group Continuous Improvement Team.
• Excellent opportunities for professional growth and career development.

If you are passionate about driving change, improving performance, and creating a culture of continuous improvement, we would like to hear from you.