Operational Excellence Specialist – Lean Labs

Operational Excellence Specialist – Lean Labs (Contract, 12 months minimum)

Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, Inverin, Co. Galway

A leading global pharmaceutical manufacturer in Inverin, Co. Galway is seeking an experienced Operational Excellence Specialist to lead hands‑on Lean and continuous improvement projects within its QC laboratories. This is a key contract role in a small, high‑impact OpEx team, focused on building a lean lab environment from the ground up.

About the role

• Own and deliver Lean / OpEx projects within the labs to reduce testing lead‑times and improve overall lab performance.
• Spend significant time on the lab floor with analysts to understand current processes, map workflows and identify waste.
• Implement practical improvements across testing processes, inventory and consumables management, and productivity, with an eye on both service and cost.
• Use Lean Six Sigma tools (e.g. value stream mapping, root‑cause analysis, standard work, 5S) to design and implement sustainable solutions.
• Track and report on key metrics (lead time, throughput, right‑first‑time, waste, etc.) to demonstrate impact and support decision making.
• Work closely with the Site OpEx Lead, lab leadership and wider stakeholders to embed a continuous improvement mindset in the labs.

What you will bring

• Lean / Six Sigma Green Belt desirable; equivalent hands‑on Lean / CI experience will also be considered. Black Belt is an advantage but not essential.
• Meaningful experience applying Lean / CI in a laboratory, QC or highly regulated technical environment (pharma, biopharma or medical devices strongly preferred).
• Proven track record of leading end‑to‑end improvement projects, not just facilitating workshops or training.
• Comfortable working in less‑mature Lean environments: able to deal with ambiguity, “ground‑up” improvement and sometimes chaotic situations.
• Strong stakeholder skills: able to build trust with lab analysts and managers, influence without authority and communicate clearly at all levels.
• Highly hands‑on, pragmatic and data‑driven, with the resilience and patience to deliver change in a busy operations setting.

Working arrangements

• Location: On‑site in Inverin, Co. Galway.
• Contract: Full‑time contract, with an expectation of at least 4 days per week on site.
• Hours: Monday–Friday; flexibility to align with lab operations, including early starts around 8am to attend lab meetings and observe daily work as needed.

What’s on offer

• Opportunity to lead a “blank canvas” Lean lab transformation within a global healthcare organisation with a strong Irish presence.
• Exposure to cross‑functional stakeholders in a small, visible OpEx team where your work has direct impact.

Apply directly should you be interested in learning more.