Senior Operational Excellence Engineer at hellofresh

Company: hellofresh
Location: Derby
Employment type: full-time
Posted: 2026-08-07

About The Team:

The Senior Operational Excellence Engineer sits within the UK Operational Excellence team and plays a key role in designing, executing, and scaling high-impact continuous improvement initiatives across HelloFresh distribution centres.

Positioned as a senior technical practitioner and project leader, you will handle complex, cross-functional projects aimed at optimizing fulfillment processes, reducing costs, and improving error rates. You will bridge high-level strategy and floor-level execution by collaborating closely with the OpEx Team Lead on roadmap implementation while mentoring junior engineers and leading site-level project teams.

What You Will Be Doing:

Complex Project Execution: Lead high-impact, multi-faceted continuous improvement projects from end-to-end to drive major KPI improvements across site operations (cost per box, error rate, throughput).
Advanced Process Optimization: Apply Lean Six Sigma methodologies, root-cause analysis, and structured problem-solving tools to solve complex operational bottlenecks.
Roadmap Delivery Support: Partner closely with the OpEx Team Lead and site operational leaders to translate the broader OpEx strategy into actionable project plans.
Data-Driven Insights & Automation: Conduct deep-dive data analyses (using SQL, Tableau, Excel/Google Sheets) and champion digital/low-code innovation to build scalable operational tools on the floor.
Technical Mentorship: Act as a subject matter expert and mentor to OpEx Engineers and shift leaders, coaching them on CI methodologies and standard work principles.
Stakeholder Management & Governance: Build strong relationships with cross-functional stakeholders—from floor operatives to Site Managers—ensuring transparent risk mitigation and sustainable change adoption.
Standardization & Best Practice Deployment: Drive site-wide standard work practices, document processes, and support network-wide deployment of successful local initiatives.

Who You Are:

Education & Experience

Degree: Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, or a technical discipline
Experience: 3–5 years of relevant experience in Operational Excellence, Industrial Engineering, Process Optimization, or High-Volume Fulfillment.
Track Record: Proven experience successfully leading end-to-end, medium-to-large process optimization and cost-saving initiatives.

Technical Skills

Lean & Continuous Improvement: Deep expertise in process optimization frameworks (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, TPM); Green Belt certification or equivalent practical capability essential.
Analytics & Systems: Strong proficiency in data analytics tools (Excel, SQL, Google Sheets) and hands-on familiarity with WMS/WCS environments.
Digital Aptitude: Experience with low-code/no-code platforms or modern automation tools.
Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Ability to lead project teams and mentor junior team members without needing formal direct reporting lines.
Influence & Communication: Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and present updates to site leadership clearly.
Hands-on Floor Presence: Strong desire to blend strategic thinking with hands-on, floor-level problem-solving.

Above all, we are looking for people who will make HelloFresh better. There are many different ways of developing skills, and we love diverse experiences! So even if you don’t “tick all the boxes” but think you’d thrive in this role, we would really like to learn more about you.

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