Head of Continuous Improvement - West Midlands Area

Head of Continuous Improvement Jobs

There is no such thing as the perfect business. Every hour, inefficiencies and bad practice are going on without the owners’ knowledge, or the owners know they exist but are powerless to act. This is where the head of continuous improvement comes in. It is an analytical role that constantly audits every business process and looks for inefficiencies that can be ironed out. Depending on the size of the company, this can be a one-person job, heading up a small team or employing dozens of auditors to make the business better.

But it’s not just about the money – not directly, anyway. Often, an improvement is simply one that helps staff with their work and removes those irritations and bureaucracy that reduces job satisfaction. Sometimes it’s an environmental improvement that doesn’t have obvious financial implications but can have longer-term benefits. Improvement takes many forms, and once the head of continuous improvement has got under the skin of the company and found out exactly how it operates, it’s inevitable that the financial benefits will follow.

The skills required

The job of head of continuous improvement has two main strands – analyzing the financial matters and seeking out other procedural activities that can be improved. You will need to be prepared to get your hands dirty (sometime literally) by delving into the business, talking to employees, observing and measuring the way people work and researching alternative methodologies that can create efficiencies.

The head of continuous improvement may sometimes need to make unpopular decisions, for example choosing to outsource elements of the business or making it less top-heavy if inefficiencies are identified. While the final decision will be made by the board, you must have the confidence in your convictions to make such recommendations. Of course, the opposite is also true, and your recommendations could lead to the growth of the company. As long as you have performed detailed analyses, you will be able to present accurate projections to the board.

Head of Continuous Improvement Jobs in the West Midlands

Comprising seven metropolitan boroughs - the city of Birmingham, the City of Coventry, Dudley, Solihull, Sandwell, Walsall and the City of Wolverhampton, the West Midlands is an English county with plenty of opportunities for those seeking Head of Continuous Improvement vacancies.

Throughout history, the region has been known for its commerce and industry. During the Middle Ages, wool and cloth manufacture brought a significant amount of wealth to the West Midlands, particularly in Coventry.

By the 1700s, metalworking, small arms manufacture and mining were all important for the local economy, and this expanded to include bicycle building during the Industrial Revolution and beyond. In addition, two large banks - Lloyds and Midlands Bank (which later became HSBC) were both founded in the region during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Fast forward to today and the West Midlands is thriving. Birmingham, which vies with Manchester for the title of Britain's second city, has been called one of the best places in the country to have a business and it seems that big companies agree.

From finance and media, to manufacturing, engineering, tourism, retail and the service sector, there are many well-known organisations with headquarters or other large facilities in the region - including Cooks the Bakery, Marston's, Chubb Locks and Carillion.

Jaguar, Land Rover and MG cars are also manufactured in the West Midlands, along with London's iconic black taxis.

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Find Head of Continuous Improvement Jobs with Cast UK

Most businesses realise that they are sitting on inefficiencies and bad practice, but the best businesses do something proactive about it, and it’s these forward-looking businesses who come to Cast UK to help them find a head of continuous improvement. Because it falls under one of our specialisms, change and transformation, we can usually supply them with a shortlist of candidates in double quick time.

We only deal with recruitment of managerial and executive level candidates, so if you have the qualifications and the experience to become a head of continuous improvement for one of the UK’s top companies, call Cast UK today on 0333 121 3345.

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