Operational Excellence Lead

About this Role

Are you an experienced Operational Excellence Lead, Continuous Improvement Lead, Transformation Manager, or Operational Improvement Specialist looking for an opportunity to influence change across a diverse group of businesses? As our Operational Excellence Lead, you will bridge strategic transformation priorities with operational delivery, helping Dawsongroup turn insight into measurable improvement and sustainable business success.

This is a highly visible group role, reporting to the Chief Transformation Officer and working closely with senior operational leaders across multiple Business Units. You will be responsible for identifying opportunities, driving improvement initiatives, and ensuring that strategic objectives are translated into practical actions that deliver meaningful results.

• Leading the end to end operational improvement cycle, from data analysis and opportunity identification through to implementation and delivery.
• Developing, maintaining, and enhancing KPI frameworks that improve visibility of performance across site, regional, and group levels.
• Analysing operational data to identify trends, risks, performance gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
• Supporting the successful adoption and embedding of transformation initiatives across operational teams.
• Driving measurable improvements in operational performance, asset utilisation, process effectiveness, and commercial outcomes.

About You

You are someone who enjoys solving complex operational challenges and turning insight into action. Equally comfortable working with data and people, you can build credibility with senior stakeholders while maintaining a practical focus on delivering results.

You understand that operational excellence is about more than reporting metrics. It is about creating sustainable improvements that support business growth, improve performance, and deliver value for customers and colleagues alike.

• Bringing experience in operational excellence, continuous improvement, transformation, or similar operational improvement roles.
• Demonstrating experience of working with operational data, performance measures, KPI frameworks, and reporting.
• Bringing experience of influencing and engaging senior operational stakeholders across multiple sites or business areas.
• Demonstrating the ability to link operational improvements to financial outcomes and broader business value.
• Holding strong organisational, analytical, and communication skills.

Being comfortable working in a hybrid environment with regular office and site engagement is essential. A full UK driving licence would be advantageous where travel between locations is required.

Not sure if you meet every requirement? No candidate ever ticks every box. We are looking for potential, capability, and the right mindset as much as experience, so if this opportunity excites you, we would love to hear from you.

About Us

Dawsongroup is one of Europe's leading asset rental, leasing, and contract hire businesses, helping organisations improve resilience, agility, and growth through smarter asset strategies. Operating for over 90 years as a family business, we still adhere to the values that guided us for so long, now under the ownership of KKR, while continuing to invest in our people, customers, and future.

Our vision is to be the first company supply chain operators turn to for resilience and agility, delivering smarter asset strategies that help customers succeed. Across our Business Units, we support a diverse customer base through innovation, operational excellence, and a commitment to long term partnerships.

• Over 50 years of expertise in the asset rental sector.
• A culture built around integrity, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Significant investment in transformation, technology, and operational performance.

Our benefits include:

• 24 days standard leave allowance + Birthday + plus Bank Holidays + up to 10 days extra (time served and purchase scheme)
• 2x Life Assurance Scheme
• Funded training and development opportunities
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Wellbeing and mental health support
• Long term incentives and internal progression pathways

About Your Future

This is an opportunity to play a key role in shaping operational excellence across a complex and growing organisation. Working directly with senior leaders and the Chief Transformation Officer, you will have the opportunity to influence decision making, support major transformation priorities, and drive improvements that deliver measurable business value.

The impact of your work will be visible across the group, from improving operational disciplines and performance visibility to supporting commercial optimisation and sustainable growth. If you enjoy creating positive change and seeing the results of your efforts reflected across a business, this role offers a genuine platform to make your mark.

• Shape and influence group-wide transformation and operational improvement initiatives.
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders across multiple Business Units and locations.
• Develop broad exposure to operational performance, commercial optimisation, asset utilisation, and business transformation.
• Help create a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Join a business that continues to invest in its people, infrastructure, technology, and future growth.

If you are looking for a role where your analysis, leadership, and improvement expertise can have a lasting impact across a successful and growing organisation, we would love to hear from you.

Dawsongroup is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences.

People are our greatest asset. If you are ready to build a career with a business that values your ideas, invests in your development, and gives you the opportunity to make a genuine difference, apply today and discover what your future at Dawsongroup could look like.