Continuous Improvement Manager

Location: Manchester

Salary: Competitive

Department: Operations

Reports to: Chief Operations Officer

Employment Type: Full-time

About The Reward Collection

The Reward Collection (TRC) is a fast-growing rewards technology business connecting retailers with banks, loyalty programmes, fintechs and other publishers through card-linked offers.

As TRC continues to grow, we are investing heavily in our internal processes, systems, automation and AI capabilities to ensure the business can scale efficiently while maintaining high levels of accuracy and service.

We are looking for a Continuous Improvement Manager to take ownership of identifying, mapping and improving processes across the business, with a particular focus on automation, testing, quality assurance and the practical application of new technologies.

The Role

The Continuous Improvement Manager will work across all areas of TRC to understand how we currently operate and identify opportunities to make our processes simpler, faster, more accurate and more scalable.

You will work closely with individual departments to map existing processes from start to finish, identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks and unnecessary manual work, and help develop improved processes and automated workflows.

A major part of the role will be ensuring that improvements actually work in practice.

You will thoroughly test new processes and automations, identify potential failure points and edge cases, QA their outputs and ensure new processes are operating correctly before and after they are introduced into the business.

You will also be encouraged to explore how AI, automation and low-code/no-code technology can be used to solve operational problems and improve the way TRC works.

This is a hands-on role suited to someone who is naturally curious, process-driven and highly analytical. You should enjoy understanding how things work, challenging inefficient ways of working and finding practical solutions to make them better.

Key Responsibilities

Process Mapping & Documentation

• Work with teams across TRC to understand how key business processes currently operate.
• Liaise with each department to map processes from start to finish, including actions, responsibilities, systems, decision points, dependencies and outputs.
• Run process-mapping sessions with the people responsible for completing processes day-to-day.
• Create and maintain clear process maps, workflows, Standard Operating Procedures and supporting documentation.
• Build and maintain a central library of TRC's key operational processes.
• Ensure documentation remains accurate and up to date as processes change.
• Identify processes that are unclear, inconsistent, unnecessarily complicated or overly reliant on individual knowledge.

Continuous Improvement

• Regularly review processes across the business and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, accuracy and scalability.
• Identify bottlenecks, duplication, unnecessary manual tasks and common sources of error.
• Work with departments to redesign processes and develop practical solutions to operational problems.
• Challenge existing ways of working constructively and encourage teams to consider whether processes can be simplified or improved.
• Conduct root-cause analysis when operational problems occur rather than relying on temporary fixes.
• Track recurring operational issues and identify changes that can prevent the same problems from happening again.
• Help establish a culture of continuous improvement across TRC where teams actively identify opportunities to work more effectively.
• Ensure improvements are measurable and deliver a genuine operational benefit.

Automation, AI & Workflow Improvement

• Identify repetitive or manual processes that could be simplified, partially automated or fully automated.
• Work with internal teams and technology partners to translate operational requirements into automated workflows.
• Explore opportunities to use AI to improve operational efficiency, reduce manual work and support better decision-making.
• Use AI and low-code/no-code tools where appropriate to help prototype new workflows, processes and internal solutions.
• Clearly define how automated processes should operate, including triggers, actions, business rules, decision points, exceptions and expected outcomes.
• Review proposed automations from an operational perspective before they are introduced.
• Ensure automation improves the underlying process rather than simply replicating an inefficient manual process.
• Keep up to date with developments in AI, automation and productivity technology and identify practical applications for TRC.

Testing & Quality Assurance

• Take ownership of operational testing for new processes, systems and automations.
• Develop structured test plans covering standard scenarios, edge cases, exceptions and potential failure points.
• Thoroughly test new processes before they are introduced into live operations.
• Validate that automated processes are following the agreed business rules.
• QA automated outputs to ensure they are accurate, complete and consistent.
• Carry out post-launch checks to confirm new processes continue to operate as expected.
• Investigate errors, unexpected outputs or process failures and identify the underlying root cause.
• Work with the relevant teams to resolve issues and introduce appropriate preventative measures.
• Maintain clear testing records and ensure significant process changes have been appropriately tested before implementation.
• Continually QA existing processes and automations rather than assuming they will continue to operate correctly once launched.

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Work closely with teams including Client Success, Partnerships, Finance, Marketing, Technology and senior management.
• Build a detailed understanding of how different areas of TRC operate and how their processes interact.
• Gather feedback from the people using processes day-to-day and incorporate this into improvement projects.
• Ensure changes made within one department consider any impact on other teams and downstream processes.
• Coordinate improvements involving multiple departments, systems or stakeholders.
• Communicate new processes clearly and help teams understand how and why processes are changing.
• Act as a central point of coordination for business processes that cross multiple departments.

Measurement & Operational Quality

• Establish appropriate measures for determining whether process improvements have been successful.
• Monitor areas such as processing time, error rates, exceptions, manual interventions and automation success rates.
• Carry out periodic QA checks on important operational processes.
• Identify trends in operational errors and recommend improvements.
• Track the impact of improvements and automations to demonstrate time saved, errors reduced or other measurable benefits.
• Provide regular updates to the COO on improvement initiatives, testing results, operational issues and opportunities for further improvement.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for someone who is highly organised, analytical and naturally interested in understanding and improving how businesses operate.

You should be someone who enjoys getting into the detail of a process, asking questions and identifying ways to make things work better.

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• Experience in Continuous Improvement, Business Operations, Process Improvement, Business Analysis or a similar role.
• Experience mapping and documenting business processes.
• Experience identifying inefficiencies and implementing process improvements.
• Strong attention to detail and a methodical approach to testing and QA.
• Strong problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills.
• The ability to understand complex processes and translate them into clear workflows.
• Confidence working with stakeholders across different departments and levels of seniority.
• Experience creating SOPs, process maps or operational documentation.
• Confidence working with spreadsheets, data and business systems.
• An understanding of workflow automation and how technology can improve operational processes.
• The ability to manage multiple improvement projects simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Experience

We would particularly welcome candidates with:

• Experience using AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude or similar platforms to improve business processes, analyse information, develop solutions or increase productivity.
• Experience using AI-assisted development and prototyping tools such as Lovable, or similar platforms.
• Experience using automation and workflow platforms such as Zapier, Make or similar tools.
• Experience using low-code/no-code tools to build or prototype internal solutions.
• Experience testing automated or AI-supported workflows and validating the accuracy and reliability of their outputs.
• Experience introducing new systems, processes or automation into a growing business.
• A strong interest in emerging AI technologies and, importantly, the ability to identify practical business applications for them.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to have a direct impact on how a growing technology business operates.

Rather than inheriting a fixed set of processes, you will work across TRC to understand how the business works today and help shape how it should work in the future.

You will have the opportunity to work directly with different departments, senior management and technology teams while experimenting with automation, AI and new ways of working.

We are looking for someone who gets genuine satisfaction from taking a complicated, repetitive or inefficient process and turning it into something simpler, faster, more automated and more reliable.

Other Benefits

• Robust Pension scheme.
• Participate in our Annual Bonus Scheme.
• Hybrid working options and 25 days holiday plus bank holidays.
• Regular staff events to foster team spirit and collaboration.

Pay: From £45,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company events
• Company pension
• Referral programme

Experience:

• IT project management: 1 year (preferred)
• Business process improvement: 2 years (required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Manchester M45

Show more

Continuous Improvement Manager

Location: Manchester

Salary: Competitive

Department: Operations

Reports to: Chief Operations Officer

Employment Type: Full-time

About The Reward Collection

The Reward Collection (TRC) is a fast-growing rewards technology business connecting retailers with banks, loyalty programmes, fintechs and other publishers through card-linked offers.

As TRC continues to grow, we are investing heavily in our internal processes, systems, automation and AI capabilities to ensure the business can scale efficiently while maintaining high levels of accuracy and service.

We are looking for a Continuous Improvement Manager to take ownership of identifying, mapping and improving processes across the business, with a particular focus on automation, testing, quality assurance and the practical application of new technologies.

The Role

The Continuous Improvement Manager will work across all areas of TRC to understand how we currently operate and identify opportunities to make our processes simpler, faster, more accurate and more scalable.

You will work closely with individual departments to map existing processes from start to finish, identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks and unnecessary manual work, and help develop improved processes and automated workflows.

A major part of the role will be ensuring that improvements actually work in practice.

You will thoroughly test new processes and automations, identify potential failure points and edge cases, QA their outputs and ensure new processes are operating correctly before and after they are introduced into the business.

You will also be encouraged to explore how AI, automation and low-code/no-code technology can be used to solve operational problems and improve the way TRC works.

This is a hands-on role suited to someone who is naturally curious, process-driven and highly analytical. You should enjoy understanding how things work, challenging inefficient ways of working and finding practical solutions to make them better.

Key Responsibilities

Process Mapping & Documentation

• Work with teams across TRC to understand how key business processes currently operate.
• Liaise with each department to map processes from start to finish, including actions, responsibilities, systems, decision points, dependencies and outputs.
• Run process-mapping sessions with the people responsible for completing processes day-to-day.
• Create and maintain clear process maps, workflows, Standard Operating Procedures and supporting documentation.
• Build and maintain a central library of TRC's key operational processes.
• Ensure documentation remains accurate and up to date as processes change.
• Identify processes that are unclear, inconsistent, unnecessarily complicated or overly reliant on individual knowledge.

Continuous Improvement

• Regularly review processes across the business and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, accuracy and scalability.
• Identify bottlenecks, duplication, unnecessary manual tasks and common sources of error.
• Work with departments to redesign processes and develop practical solutions to operational problems.
• Challenge existing ways of working constructively and encourage teams to consider whether processes can be simplified or improved.
• Conduct root-cause analysis when operational problems occur rather than relying on temporary fixes.
• Track recurring operational issues and identify changes that can prevent the same problems from happening again.
• Help establish a culture of continuous improvement across TRC where teams actively identify opportunities to work more effectively.
• Ensure improvements are measurable and deliver a genuine operational benefit.

Automation, AI & Workflow Improvement

• Identify repetitive or manual processes that could be simplified, partially automated or fully automated.
• Work with internal teams and technology partners to translate operational requirements into automated workflows.
• Explore opportunities to use AI to improve operational efficiency, reduce manual work and support better decision-making.
• Use AI and low-code/no-code tools where appropriate to help prototype new workflows, processes and internal solutions.
• Clearly define how automated processes should operate, including triggers, actions, business rules, decision points, exceptions and expected outcomes.
• Review proposed automations from an operational perspective before they are introduced.
• Ensure automation improves the underlying process rather than simply replicating an inefficient manual process.
• Keep up to date with developments in AI, automation and productivity technology and identify practical applications for TRC.

Testing & Quality Assurance

• Take ownership of operational testing for new processes, systems and automations.
• Develop structured test plans covering standard scenarios, edge cases, exceptions and potential failure points.
• Thoroughly test new processes before they are introduced into live operations.
• Validate that automated processes are following the agreed business rules.
• QA automated outputs to ensure they are accurate, complete and consistent.
• Carry out post-launch checks to confirm new processes continue to operate as expected.
• Investigate errors, unexpected outputs or process failures and identify the underlying root cause.
• Work with the relevant teams to resolve issues and introduce appropriate preventative measures.
• Maintain clear testing records and ensure significant process changes have been appropriately tested before implementation.
• Continually QA existing processes and automations rather than assuming they will continue to operate correctly once launched.

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Work closely with teams including Client Success, Partnerships, Finance, Marketing, Technology and senior management.
• Build a detailed understanding of how different areas of TRC operate and how their processes interact.
• Gather feedback from the people using processes day-to-day and incorporate this into improvement projects.
• Ensure changes made within one department consider any impact on other teams and downstream processes.
• Coordinate improvements involving multiple departments, systems or stakeholders.
• Communicate new processes clearly and help teams understand how and why processes are changing.
• Act as a central point of coordination for business processes that cross multiple departments.

Measurement & Operational Quality

• Establish appropriate measures for determining whether process improvements have been successful.
• Monitor areas such as processing time, error rates, exceptions, manual interventions and automation success rates.
• Carry out periodic QA checks on important operational processes.
• Identify trends in operational errors and recommend improvements.
• Track the impact of improvements and automations to demonstrate time saved, errors reduced or other measurable benefits.
• Provide regular updates to the COO on improvement initiatives, testing results, operational issues and opportunities for further improvement.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for someone who is highly organised, analytical and naturally interested in understanding and improving how businesses operate.

You should be someone who enjoys getting into the detail of a process, asking questions and identifying ways to make things work better.

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• Experience in Continuous Improvement, Business Operations, Process Improvement, Business Analysis or a similar role.
• Experience mapping and documenting business processes.
• Experience identifying inefficiencies and implementing process improvements.
• Strong attention to detail and a methodical approach to testing and QA.
• Strong problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills.
• The ability to understand complex processes and translate them into clear workflows.
• Confidence working with stakeholders across different departments and levels of seniority.
• Experience creating SOPs, process maps or operational documentation.
• Confidence working with spreadsheets, data and business systems.
• An understanding of workflow automation and how technology can improve operational processes.
• The ability to manage multiple improvement projects simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Experience

We would particularly welcome candidates with:

• Experience using AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude or similar platforms to improve business processes, analyse information, develop solutions or increase productivity.
• Experience using AI-assisted development and prototyping tools such as Lovable, or similar platforms.
• Experience using automation and workflow platforms such as Zapier, Make or similar tools.
• Experience using low-code/no-code tools to build or prototype internal solutions.
• Experience testing automated or AI-supported workflows and validating the accuracy and reliability of their outputs.
• Experience introducing new systems, processes or automation into a growing business.
• A strong interest in emerging AI technologies and, importantly, the ability to identify practical business applications for them.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to have a direct impact on how a growing technology business operates.

Rather than inheriting a fixed set of processes, you will work across TRC to understand how the business works today and help shape how it should work in the future.

You will have the opportunity to work directly with different departments, senior management and technology teams while experimenting with automation, AI and new ways of working.

We are looking for someone who gets genuine satisfaction from taking a complicated, repetitive or inefficient process and turning it into something simpler, faster, more automated and more reliable.

Other Benefits

• Robust Pension scheme.
• Participate in our Annual Bonus Scheme.
• Hybrid working options and 25 days holiday plus bank holidays.
• Regular staff events to foster team spirit and collaboration.

Pay: From £45,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company events
• Company pension
• Referral programme

Experience:

• IT project management: 1 year (preferred)
• Business process improvement: 2 years (required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Manchester M45

Show more