Lean Manufacturing Consultant

Senior Consultant - Lean / Operational Excellence (Life Sciences)

Location: North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (Rhine-Ruhr region)

Salary: €110,000 - €135,000 + Benefits

Travel: Regional and occasional European travel

• Supportive, collaborative consulting environment with a strong team ethos, ongoing training and development, and a highly credible, professional reputation in Lean and Operational Excellence delivery

• Prior consulting experience is advantageous but not essential; strong industry-based Lean practitioners with the ability to deliver, influence, and drive continuous improvement are actively encouraged to apply

We are recruiting for a growing, specialist consulting organisation with a strong reputation in Lean and Operational Excellence, currently delivering a major transformation programme within a global life sciences client.

This is a permanent opportunity for a hands-on Lean professional to play a key role in a high-visibility, site-based programme within pharmaceutical / medical device / highly regulated manufacturing.

The Opportunity:

You will be embedded within a large-scale manufacturing operation in North Rhine-Westphalia, working directly with site leadership and operational teams to drive meaningful, measurable improvement.

This is a delivery-focused role, leading from the front across:

• Kaizen activity and structured improvement workshops
• Tiered Management and performance systems
• OEE, flow and process optimisation
• Capability building and coaching across multiple levels

You will be part of a broader European programme, with scope to contribute across additional sites over time, offering strong exposure and long-term career development within an expanding consulting environment.

What We’re Looking For:

• Proven experience in Lean / Operational Excellence, including driving continuous improvement initiatives within life sciences (pharmaceuticals, medical devices, or any other highly regulated environment)
• Minimum Six Sigma Green Belt (Black Belt advantageous)
• Demonstrated experience leading Kaizen, delivering measurable improvements, and embedding sustainable change within manufacturing or operations
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively with both senior leadership and shopfloor teams
• Fluent German and English (French is advantageous but not essential)

Previous consulting experience is advantageous, but by no means essential. We are equally interested in strong industry-based practitioners who can demonstrate the ability to influence, coach, and deliver in complex environments.

Additional Considerations:

• This role requires a degree of flexibility for travel across Germany and, at times, wider Europe
• Due to the nature and timeline of the programme, candidates should ideally be available to start at short notice, with immediate availability or a notice period of up to one month preferred

Why This Role?

• High-impact role within a major transformation programme
• Strong visibility with senior stakeholders
• Opportunity to transition into, or further develop within, a consulting environment
• Exposure to multi-site and international delivery over time

This recruitment process will move rapidly. If you are ready to take on a pivotal and exciting role within a dynamic and forward-thinking organisation, we invite you to apply in complete confidence.

OPEX Selection is a specialist in recruiting ’Improvement Champions’; Lean, Six Sigma and Operational Excellence leaders and professionals on a permanent and interim basis worldwide.