Process Improvement Lean Facilitator (SF&A) - Nights Friday to Sunday
Location: Macclesfield
Permanent Nights - 38 hours per week
At AstraZeneca, we’re redefining what a bio-pharmaceutical company can achieve. Our innovative approach opens up new ways to work, pioneering groundbreaking methods and bringing unexpected teams together. Join us as a Process Improvement Lean Facilitator - Nights upon Syringe Fill & Assembly at our sterile manufacturing plants on the expansive Macclesfield campus, where we're driving ambitious redevelopment grounded in Chemistry, Packing, and Complex Parenterals.
Are you ready to lead continuous improvement at the heart of night shift manufacturing, accelerating quality batch release and raising performance where it matters most? In this role, your lean leadership will translate bold ambition into day-to-day results, strengthening safety, quality, supply, cost and people outcomes while shortening the path from molecule to medicine.
You will be the trusted facilitator for the plant improvement portfolio during night operations, partnering with Production Leads, Improvement/Reliability Engineers and the business area to prioritise resources against the wider scorecard. Your work will improve organisational strength and create a solid “Right from me” quality culture. It will ensure seamless coordination with Quality to deliver products to patients while maintaining compliance.
Accountabilities:
Lean Leadership Coaching: Develop an environment that supports lean leadership. Mentor teams to adopt lean methods that improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
Night Shift Improvement Portfolio: Serve as the night shift contact in the plant improvement portfolio process, collaborating with Production Leads, Improvement/Reliability Engineers and the business area to prioritise and deploy resources that lift performance against the scorecard.
Change Management and Compliance: Support change management activities, contribute to impact assessments, and provide technical expertise on potential effects to procedural and manufacturing compliance.
SQSCP Performance Monitoring: Monitor SQSCP performance for assets and production teams; react proactively to signals to protect stability and accelerate recovery.
Continuous Improvement Culture: Coach production teams to embed lean and continuous improvement methodologies across night operations, fostering a culture of operational excellence.
Self-Inspection and QMS Compliance: Perform self-inspections to confirm compliance with approved procedures, processes and AstraZeneca Quality Management Systems; address non-conformance and track actions to timely completion.
Structured Problem-Solving: Provide expertise using structured methodologies to address complex operational challenges, translating root causes into sustainable countermeasures.
Kaizen Leadership: Lead and support Kaizen sessions and collaborative workshops to drive rapid improvement and engage cross-functional teams in practical problem-solving.
Lean Maturity Reviews: Conduct lean maturity reviews to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement, shaping a clear path to higher performance.
Cross-Functional Improvement: Identify and scope cross-functional improvement projects to increase plant utilisation and deliver unconstrained customer supply.
Essential Skills/Experience:
1. Experience embedding a culture of lean leadership and coaching teams in lean ways of working.
2. Proven facilitation skills across production, improvement/reliability engineering and business area to prioritise and deploy resources effectively.
3. Ability to support change management, perform impact assessments and advise on procedural and manufacturing compliance.
4. Strong communicator able to act as a bridge between production and Quality to enable efficient batch release.
5. Experience coaching production teams to embed continuous improvement methodologies.
6. Experience conducting self-inspections against approved procedures, processes and Quality Management Systems, with a focus on corrective action follow-through.
7. Working knowledge of GMP and ALCOA+ principles with experience reviewing manufacturing batch records for compliance.
8. Expertise in structured problem-solving methodologies to address complex operational challenges.
9. Experience leading and supporting Kaizen events and workshops to drive rapid improvement.
10. Demonstrated ability to implement local lean strategy and champion assigned workstreams.
11. Ability to conduct lean maturity reviews to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
Desirable Skills/Experience:
12. Lean Six Sigma certification or formal lean coaching accreditation.
13. Familiarity with visual management and digital tools supporting SQSCP monitoring and daily management.
14. Demonstrated success leading cross-functional transformations and scaling improvements across multiple teams or sites.
15. Direct experience with PET portfolio processes and alignment to enterprise scorecards.
At AstraZeneca, we 're dedicated to being a Great Place to Work. Where you are empowered to push the boundaries of science and unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. There’s no better place to make a difference to medicine, patients and society. An inclusive culture that champions diversity and collaboration. Always committed to lifelong learning, growth and development. Interested? Come and join our journey!
Date Posted
15-Jan-2026
Closing Date
31-Jan-2026Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.